Legion more like a family
To the editor:
Our post is unique in that we are located on a small island off the Southwest coast of Florida. This brings us into closer contact with all the people, businesses, schools and churches. The programs we support are about the same as other posts. Little League, supplies for our only island school, the Bay Pines VA Hospital, the Kiwanis Club for scholarships, holiday baskets for the poor, hurricane relief fund, Special Olympics, Alzheimer’s Association, Blinded Veterans Association, and many more. But it is the way we act together as a family to support these worthy causes. We have the Legion veterans, their wives and daughters in the Auxiliary, the sons in SAL and now the Legion Riders who are a combination of all of the above.
Since we are more or less isolated from the rest of the county, we interact more as a family than most posts to help the community, and after Hurricane Charley devastated the island, we got together and helped the community by using our kitchen as a public mess hall and a drop off for essential supplies for the community.
This family setting keeps most of us coming back for support and to support others in the community. This is like a second family for many of us living on Pine Island. Stop by for a meal or drink and pick up an application to see if you qualify for membership in this great veterans organization.
Dick Thomas
Post Service Officer and Honor Guard member