|
|
Posted by: Lee Shake (leeshake@novagate.com) on 5/30/1998@02:49hrs:
In Reply to: Re: "The Rides" posted by: DAN BLAINE on 5/29/1998@09:29hrs:
Dan,
I got out of the Navy in 1961, got married in 1965 and guess what? My Father-in-Law was the Commander of the American Legion post in my wife's home town of Grand Haven, MI. I'd never given Veteran's Organizations a single thought until then. Much to my chagrin, I discovered that I didn't qualify for membership in the American Legion because I had (by accident of birth) been in the Navy between 1957 and 1961.
Most years I would get a letter from the American Legion inviting my membership, only to learn that I wasn't eligable to join because I hadn't been a member of the Armed Forces during the "Eras" specified in the American Legion membership requirements.
One day, after an American Legion meeting, my Father-in-Law and some other American Legion members were discussing the fact that their membership was declining because there hadn't been enough "recent" wars. The Viet Nam Vets hadn't been exactly "Welcomed" and had tried to form their own Veterans organizations called the Viet Nam Veterans of America (VVA). The local VVA Post folded after only four years... not enough support from already established Vets organizations and not enough Viet Nam Vets wanted to be involved in a Vets orgainization.
Also, there were THOUSANDS of, so-called, Peace-time Vets that had no Veterans organization that they could join (like me).
My Father-in-Law knew my situation (of course) and he proposed that a bunch of American Legionairres and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) guys try to form a local post for Peace-time Vets. They formed a group called N.O.V.A. (North-Ottawa Veteran's Organization) and invited me to join. [Grand Haven is in Ottawa County, MI]. Anyway, N.O.V.A. existed for about two years and raised funds for about two years, be it had very little luck recruiting members. Eventually, N.O.V.A. requested assistance from AMVETS (American Veterans) who immediately helped us form and charter a new AMVETS post. AMVETS Post 1994 was chartered in May of 1994 in the town of Spring Lake, MI. It was chartered with 19 members and now numbers 55 members. While AMVETS was enlarging it's membership year by year, the American Legion and V.F.W. posts in the area were losing members through death and disability faster than they could recruit new members because of their "Era" restrictions. AMVETS requires only that you either be an Honorably Discharged Veteran who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 1945 to the present or that you be currently on Active Duty.
Any Dan, to shorten this story a little, the American Legion recently changed their membership requirements a little and all of a sudden I find that I'm now elegible to join them. In the mean time I've been a charter member of AMVETS Post 1994 and the Post Adjutant since May 1994... right? But it's funny. I've been disappointed and disgruntled for over 30 years because the American Legion wouldn't let me join their group. So what did I do? I joined the American Legion, of course. But my FIRST responsibility is to AMVETS. Why should I belong to TWO veterans organizations? That's a little complicated. Actually, I belong to Four Vets groups. Besides the American Legion and AMVETS, I also belong to the "Dad's" branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (which was the only way I could get involved with the V.F.W. through the fact that my son, Adam, had served in Germany & Bosnia with the U.S. Army. I also belong to "Squadrons-33" a Veterans organization formed from former members of Naval Squadrons with the number 33 in their squadron designations.
Am I some sort of Patriotic Nut? Perhaps a member of the Michigan Malitia or something? Nope. I am a hunter and I'm a member of the N.R.A. because I don't want the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution taken away. I don't own a single piece of Camo clothing and I've owned guns since I was 20 yrs old. NONE of my guns has ever been used in a criminal event and like MOST gun owners, they never will be.
When you are inducted into the Armed Forces (or you are elected to public office) you take an oath to: "preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States." You don't take an oath to the United Nations or even The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States. I believe in our Nation's Constitution. President Clinton makes me ill and I hope he gets everything he has coming to him after the next election. But the Constitution is bigger, older and more important than ANY President. It grants to the citizens of this nation, their basic rights and defines the character of this nation to the rest of the world. The Constitution is the reason why your forebears immigrated to this country and it's the reason so many people still are trying to flee their lands of birth to get here. That says something pretty magnificent about the land we live in. Most other nations (and even the United Nations) don't have a Constitution. Most of the nations that are trying to write a constitution of their own, come here and study ours for ideas.
I have a brother, retired naval officer, who scoffs at flying the American Flag because he thinks that a flag-flyer is supporting the powers that be in Washington, D.C. I've told him that I couldn't care less who the President happens to be at this time. He won't be President for long. I fly my flag, and encourage others to do the same, to show allegience to ALL 50 of the United States and their Constitution.
Besides, Veterans were promised MUCH and have been getting a raw deal. They need a lobby in the halls of Congress and only the Veterans Organizations can do that.
One more thing. It may because, for 30 years I was denied membership in the American Legion, but still, it is true that the American Legion is this nation's largest and most influential Veterans Organization. [AMVETS is America's 4th largest]. But none of the Veterans Organizations (each by themselves) can do near as much as all of them joined together could do. So I belong to multiple organizations and I preach as loud and as far as I can that ALL VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER AT COMMON PURPOSE TO INSURE THAT VETERANS GET THE HOUSING HELP, EDUCATIONAL HELP AND MEDICAL HELP that was promised to them. Veterans organizations help veterans and serve their communities. THAT'S where I want to be.
Gee Dan, sorry I spouted off and sounded like an Airhead. :-)