Commanders' Message

We can talk about receiving some "white stuff" and cold temperatures for the second month in a row. Now I guess I have to believe the Punxsutawney Phil critter because he sure brought more winter weeks. I hope you are all warm and recovering from the cold and flu, which I know many of you have had. It is easier to name the folks I know (including me, knocking on wood) who have not yet been sick than those who have been or are currently ill this winter.

I congratulate Miss Victoria Sema on winning the District 5 Oratorical Contest. Victoria is the winner two years straight. She will compete at the Division 1 Contest at the Kirkwood Adams Community Center, 1100 Hamiton Street, Roanoke Rapids, on Saturday, March 1, at 11:00 am. Let's show Victoria our support at Division, where she will compete against two other Orators. I want to thank George Tracy and Velinda Moore for their dedication and expertise in training and mentoring Victoria in her run at the Post and District contests. Thank you also to the Legionnaires and Auxiliary members for attending and helping as judges, timekeepers, escorts, and assisting with the food.

March is the month for Officer Nominations. All positions are up for election at April's Membership Meeting (Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00 pm). If you want to serve your Post in a leadership position, please let the Nomination Committee Chairman,Legionnaire Mike Donnelly, George Tracy, or Gene Schempp know. If you are asked by the Nomination Committee to be nominated, please prayerfully consider the request. The health and growth of Post 52 rests on the leadership of those who have it in their heart to give more of themselves for the good of others.

Thank you, Legionnaires Mike Donnelly, George Tracy, George Miller, and Harvey Satterwhite, for attending the Department's Mid-Winter Conference. I enjoyed fellowship with you during the Italian dinner feast, and I hope you were able to meet new Legionnaires and old friends and learn something you didn't know about The American Legion. I know I did. Mission Accomplished!

Our Annual Awards Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at 6:00 pm. Our community First Responders will be recognized for their selfless service. We will also award a Community Volunteer / Organization of The Year and Legionnaire of The Year. All Legionnaires and Auxiliary Unit members are invited to attend and show support for the Best of the Best in our community. By the way, we will also celebrate the 106th birthday of the American Legion!

Finally, we have our first of two Tar Heel Boy's State delegates. We still need one more. This year's program will be held the week of June 15-21 at Catawba College (Salisbury). I just learned that the program is limited to only 150 participants this year, and registration is increasing. Let's find our final delegate before the program fills up. Applicants must be current high school juniors. If you know of a candidate, please get their or their parents' contact information to me or the First Vice Commander.

We are stronger as a Legion!

Chris Smith, Commander Post 52 csmithforest@gmail.com

Chaplains' Corner

A message from the past (March 2017}

Acts 16:17 (BSB) This girl followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, "these men or servants of the most high God who are telling you the way to be saved. "

Baseball season is here again: two teams, nine players on each team, nine innings, three outs in one inning. Three strikes, and you're out.

The rules of baseball were adopted in 1857 by the first baseball convention of New York. Although the game was played throughout the country, they had different rules. Several years ago, Our State magazine told us how Southern and Union soldiers served their spare time during the Civil War in 1862. At the Salisbury prison in North Carolina, they wrote, the batters were called the strikers, and pitchers were called hurlers. All the players wore dark blue trousers and caps except the hurler, who wore tan trousers and a homemade straw hat. The northern rules were mostly applied. It was not an out to catch the ball on the first bounce. It was not out who threw the ball and hit the base runner. One boy from Texas was not allowed to play because he kept hitting a runner with the ball repeatedly until the runner received bodily injury. Another soldier hid the ball and wouldn't allow anyone else to touch it. The game was played one day a week, usually on Sundays.

It provided amusement, exercise, diversion, and camaraderie among prisoners and guards alike. You could see smiles on the faces of the men. Usually, they showed fear, stress, and even death.

The Bible tells us that Paul and Silas were in prison. They were singing hymns and praying to God. Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The magistrate, who had stripped, beaten, and thrown them in prison, ordered them to be released the next morning. He escorted them out of the city in peace.

May God, with love and peace, be with you and your family. In Jesus name, Amen.
Bill Kimbrough - Past Post Chaplain and deceased legionnaire

Vice-Commander's Report

The other week, I was sorting through my military documents. I found a small pocket-sized notebook my wife gave me before departing for infantry basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1979. As I opened the notebook, there on the front left side of the hardbound cover, written in my own handwriting, were the three Army General Orders. The first general order is, "I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved." As I continued reading the second and third general orders, I was drawn back to the first and read it several times, thinking of the incredible empowerment of responsibility this represented.

The day would soon come when I and another trainee were ordered to perform guard duty at the road entrance to our battalion training area. Our orders were to challenge anyone attempting to enter the area and deny access to unauthorized visitors. To avoid an ass chewing or other physical demands such as "assume the front leaning rest position," I continued to rehearse each of my general orders over and over to make sure I could recite them if challenged by the sergeant of the guard. During those four hours of guard duty, I kept thinking to myself how incredible it was to be entrusted with the responsibility of overwatch to the hundreds of other trainees who slept in the barracks that evening.

Although each branch of military service has its unique set of general military orders, the purpose, and framework are essentially the same and represent basic principles such as "guarding everything within the limits of my post and will quit my post only when properly relieved." As I have said before, we Legionnaires joined the American Legion for different reasons: some for the camaraderie and social interaction, some for wanting to be a part of something greater than themselves and leadership opportunities, some for the unified voice that is sent to our legislators, and some who want to give back to their community. Whatever the reason, Post 52 needs you now more than ever to step forward and become involved in our growth and outreach efforts. Please make it a point to attend our next scheduled member meeting, which always includes excellent fellowship and an exceptional meal.

"BE THE ONE."

Joe "Scott" Vickers - 1^st Vice Commander - joseph.vickers.gm@gmail.com

Auxiliary Unit 52 Report

I hope everyone is safe and warm from the recent storm.

Because of this storm, the Unit did not have its February members' meeting. So, here are a few things that will be happening in March: Sunday, March 2, Sew Day from 1:30-4:30 pm which we are making baby quilts for the upcoming baby shower at the Greenville VA hospital and making stuffed animals to donate to the local rescue responders; Thursday, March 6, UEC meeting at 6:30 pm; District 6 meeting being held at Durham Post 7 at 1:30 pm on Saturday, March 8; Sunday, March 9, the Unit will host a Social Event which is open to all Veterans and their spouses from 1:30-4:30 pm; Post 52 Awards Banquet, Saturday, March 15 at 6:00 pm, which the Unit is hoping to be able to donate homemade stuffed animals to the Franklin County EMS; Thursday, March 20, Unit members meeting at 6:30 pm; Saturday, March 29, Unit 52 hosting Post breakfast, for this event, please try to come help. Everyone is invited to attend any one of these events.

The Unit is looking for a rising senior to attend Girls State which will be held from June 21-27, 2025, at the campus of Campbell University. For more information, please contact one of the Auxiliary Unit 52 members.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

In the Spirit of Service Not Self, Carolyn Donnelly, Unit 52 President

Awards Banquet
and
106^th Legion Birthday Celebration

Saturday, March 15th, 6pm

We will award and recognize the following honorees:

• Emergency Medical Technician
• Fire Service Officer
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Community Service
• Legionnaire of the Year

We need you to be there on March 15 to show our appreciation for these men and women who serve our community.

Division 1 Oratorical Contest Winner

Victoria Sema, Post 52, District 5, and now Division 1, Oratorical contest winner, She is shown here with Division 1 Commander David Sammons, Jr. She moves on to participate in the State contest on March 29^th in Chapel Hill

Need assistance dealing with the Veterans' Administration? Contact our Franklin County Veterans' Service Officer, Brenda Wilkins, at 919 496-1939.