ROBERT H. BURNS AMERICAN LEGION POST #16 LEGION LINES & VIEWS April 2014 PO Box 1137 Covington, La. 70434 (985) 892-0677 Commander: James Lacassagne Chaplain: Bishop Chopin Cusachs Executive Committee: 1 st Vice Commander: Mark Herman Service Officer: Matt Cole William Rosevally 2 nd Vice Commander: Ray Hartley Judge Advocate: Julian Rodrigue, Sr. Charley Craddock 3 rd Vice Commander: Open Historian: Ray Hartley Emil Johansen Adjutant: Roy Kellum Sgt.-at-Arms: James Livermore H.T. Terry Sharp Finance Officer: Mike Peats : Stacy Miller Post E-mail: americanleg16@bellsouth.net Post 16 website: -- http://louisianabulldog.com/americanlegionpost16 There is a critical need for Bingo workers. We have lost several volunteers and really need help!! Please volunteer, even if you can only spend a few hours with us. Please call Mike Peats at 502-8802. We really need help!!!!! Jack-Pot Bingo!!! We especially need workers for Wednesdays. Call Mike Peats at (985) 502-8802. Game times Wednesday night at 7:30pm and Friday Morning at 10:00am. Regular winners are $200 per game --- Jackpots $1000 --- Progressive Jackpots Maximum $6000 with 50 balls or less. Workers need to be there at least 1 hour earlier. POST MEMBERSHIP: 2014 Cards are now available!!! Dues are $30 1st Vice Commander Mark Herman reported that Post 16 membership for 2013 stands at 463 paid up members for 113%. The membership year runs from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st each year. PUFL (Paid Up For Life) membership is available and on the time payment plan, Ask about it! We ve made 100% but still have many members that have not paid 2014 dues. We ask that you continue to support Post 16 with your dues. This will help to keep Post 16 as one of the strongest Post in Louisiana. Mark Herman, 1 st Vice Commander American Legion Posts Targeted by the IRS Auditors with the IRS reportedly are starting to fine Legion Posts around the country for not keeping records of veterans DD-214s, the separation document given by the military to prove honorable service, or other valid documentation. This fine is $1000 a day. We need your help to get these documents. Please help the Post by making sure you have a copy on file in the office. Contact the Post secretary Mary Leaycraft at 985-892-0677 April Birthdays Frances Rosevally, Carol Johansen and Madeline Willoughby Best Wishes and Happy Birthday
Page 2 Commander s Remarks: Only a little more time to get your Income Tax Return Filed (Why do they call it a Return?). April 15 th is almost here. Most of you missed our Post's celebration of the 95 th Birthday of the American Legion. You missed some good food (Popeye's Chicken), and some good conversation. We were honored to have a 96 year old WWII Veteran visit us. Next month should be very busy. The Auxiliary is planning an Easter Party Saturday the 12 th from 1-4 PM. The Jackson War Vets Home will be visiting us on the 21 st from 11-2:30 PM. We will be putting together and presenting Scholarship and JROTC awards to the various High Schools, and handing out Play-It Safe Brochures to our Elementary schools. All in all, quite a lot will be going on. We can always use your help in these activities. Just come on by the Post and we'll put you to work. I hope to see you there. For God and Country, James (Jim) Lacassagne, Post Commander Sick Call Report: The following Legionnaires and Auxiliary members are in our thoughts and prayers: Jennifer Corbett, Mae and Avery Mooney, Dwight Johnson, Bay Welch, Cheyenne Lafleur, Lorraine Flanagan, James Jernigan, Roy Kellum, Elmer Hathaway, Bobbie Peterson, Frances Rosevally, Ben White, Pat Oster, Socarro Rome, Al Stumpf, Irene Herman, Clinton Lounsbury, Terry Charrier and Bishop Chopin Cusachs. Post Everlasting: The following member has been called home by our Supreme Commander: James Wilcox Ethan Sharp, Commander The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 16 Well spring is near and winter is almost over, and it is the time of year when we elect officers for the 2014-2015 year. Anyone interested in becoming a Squadron officer please come to our meeting on April 1. 6pm for the meal and 7pm for the meeting. We will be nominating and voting for our officers for the next year. Commander Sharp wants to thank all members for their support working programs and raising donations. On March 15 Post 16 hosted a celebration for the 95 th American Legion Birthday. Commander Sharp presented Donny Taylor an appreciation award for volunteering at the post Bingo. He also presented Alan Abdullah and Leonard Collins sons vests that were hand made by Kathy McArthur a Unit 16 member. Article by: Adjutant Danny McArthur
Page 3 Post Honor Guard and Flag Chairman Honor Guard - Our post Honor Guard continues to need new members. Please call Mike Peats if you are interested at 985-502-8802. We meet the 2 nd Monday of each month at 5 PM at the Post. We need extra members to cover any funerals or events that come up. We present colors at events such as Post functions. We are always present at Memorial Day or Veterans Day to do a 21 gun salute. We are often called on by Nursing Homes to do programs around Memorial Day and Veterans Day. We do a special program at the Jackson War Vets home the Friday before Memorial Day each year. It is a very rewarding experience being a part of this group. We sometimes get little notice for Veterans funerals so it is important we have members who can perform when called. You will enjoy this very moving experience providing all of our veterans with the military funeral they have earned. Michael Peats, St. Tammany Veterans Honor Guard Captain La Societe Des 40 Hommes Et 8 Chevaux Voiture Locale Fellow Voyageurs, Our next promenade will be April 10 at 7pm. Come and join us at 6pm for a meal and fellowship with your fellow Voyageurs. We need to get together and come up with a fund raiser for this year. We ve not yet held a fund raiser this year and need to continue to build our Nurses Training fund. We want to be able to continue to providing funding for many years to come. If you haven t paid your 2014 dues contact Membership Directeur Mike Peats at 985-502-8802. I hope to see everyone at our Promenades in 2014. Stacy L. Miller Chef de Gare 985-246-9246 TABLEAU OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER At the annual Cajun Wreck held in Lafayette March 1 st, 2014, a group of Voyageurs Militaire from Voiture Locale 224 conducted a live presentation of the Tableau of the Unknown Soldier. The presentation was a somber and honorable memorial to the story of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington National Cemetery and received great reviews from all who saw it. The Chef de Chemin de Fer (National Commander) Pat Beamer gave a grand review to VL-224 in his monthly remarks in the National newsletter. Many thanks go to all the dedicated Voyageurs of VL-224 who spent many hours of their time in rehearsing and staging the event; Charlie Craddock, James Lacassagne, Mike Peats, Bishop Cusachs, Mark Herman, Stacy Miller, Al Barron, Ray Hartley, and Terry Sharp. MERCI
Page 4 HAPPY 95 TH BIRTHDAY AMERICAN LEGION Robert H. Burns Post 16 of the American Legion held their annual Birthday celebration at the Post home March 16 th. The Post 16 Commander James Lacassagne, Auxiliary Unit 16 President May Hartley, and Sons of American Legion Commander Ethan Sharp were on hand to give welcoming addresses with tribute to the American Legion Family and to present awards to their respective organizations. The opening program was called to order with the posting of the National Colors and the Invocation delivered by Chaplain Bishop Chopin Cusachs. The Pledge of Allegiance was delivered by Little Miss Poppy Alayiha Abdullah. (picture right). After the welcome address by Post 16 Commander James Lacassagne the program was recessed for dinner with the blessing of the food presented by Chaplin Cusachs. A Dinner of fried chicken, Jambalaya, baked beans, salad and trimmings was followed up with a dessert of the traditional Birthday Cake provided by the Auxiliary Unit 16. After the event was reconvened, there were Birthday wishes and addresses presented by Commander James Lacassagne, Auxiliary President May Hartley, and Sons of American Legion Squadron 16 Ethan Sharp and then each presented awards to their various members and guests for many achievements and recognitions of the past year. POST 16 Award recipients were: Citizen of Year, Lane Carson (Photo left), Educator of Year, William Bischoff Folsom Elementary (Middle), and Post Webmaster, Roy Kellum, (right). Others receiving awards for achievements for the past year were; Jim Livermore, (Left), Legionnaire of the Year, Mark Herman, (Middle), Frank, (right)
Page 5 Muhammad Abdullah Donnie Taylor Ray Hartley Lawman of the Year was David Woodruff Covington Police Dept. (photo right) AUXILIARY UNIT 16; President May Hartley made a number of presentations for Unit 16; Muhammad Abdullah, Donnie Taylor, and Ray Hartley (all shown above), Clinton Lounsbury (lower left). The annual Poppy Poster awards went to a number of students from area schools (photo lower right); SONS of AMERICAN LEGION Squadron 16 Commander Ethan Sharp also made a number of awards to their members; (Photo left) Commander Sharp presents brothers Lenard Collins and Allen Abdullah their organizational vests and along with them (Photo right) member Dillon McArthur attaches the Squadron s 100% membership banner to the Squadron Colors for the year 2014.
April 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Post Gen. Mtg. 7pm Meal 6pm Election Day 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 V224 Promenade 7pm Meal 6pm Post Easter Party 1-4pm 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Honor Guard Mtg. 5pm Post Ex. Mtg. 6:30pm Good Friday 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Easter Jackson Veterans Home Visits Post 11am 27 28 29 30