Veteran Resource Center
Come out to enjoy camaraderie with other veterans, get assistance with veteran-related issues, play games, have donuts and coffee in the morning, and a little something around lunchtime.
The Center is sponsored by our post and is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. The Center is located at Washtenaw Community College in the Technical & Industrial Building, room 247. Wheelchair accessible. Click HERE to go to their website.
Free Transportation Within Washtenaw County For Veterans
Our American Legion Post, in cooperation with AARP and Feonix Mobility, is sponsoring free rides for veterans to any destination within Washtenaw County for essential services. Accommodations can be made for the handicapped, and those with service animals, walkers, and canes. Services such as doctor's appointments, auto repair shops if your vehicle is in for repairs, homeless visits to the VA and its outbuildings, etc. Our Post strives to serve veterans and the active-duty military in whatever form it takes. Call (734) 707-7785 to book a ride, preferably a couple of days in advance. One of our volunteers will answer the call and book a ride for you.
VA To Pay For All Emergency Mental Health Care
Starting Jan. 17, 2023 veterans in acute suicidal crisis will be able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost – including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit. Read more by clicking HERE.
Special Poppy Drive
On May 5 and 6 we hosted a special Poppy Drive at the Westgate Kroger in Ann Arbor. The May 5 drive was to benefit Guitars for Vets and the May 6 drive benefited Warriors and Caregivers United (WACU). Both days had beautiful weather which contributed to a high volume of customers shopping at this Kroger Store. Kroger allowed us to have a spot in the vestibule of the main entrance where we could catch potential donors coming and going. Thank you, Kroger.
ROTC Award Presentations
On April 6 Post 46 was honored to present the ROTC awards and the Prieskorn Awards at the University of Michigan Rackham Auditorium. This year one of our members, Dr. Karl Edelman (to the right in the picture) presented 12 awards for scholastic excellence, 12 awards for military excellence, and three Prieskorn Awards which included a scholarship check and a Legion challenge coin. The awards are presented to the top cadets and midshipmen from the Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC programs.
Membership Award
Post 46 was proud to receive the Membership Award from the Department of Michigan at the Winter Conference that was held at the Crown Plaza in Lansing, Michigan. Department Commander Marilyn Britton and 1st Vice Brian Mohlman presented the award to Post 46 Commander Dave Draper. The award is for the post attaining the 100% membership goal that was set by Legion National. Thanks to the Post 46 membership team we actually reached 108%. Nice going team!! Keep up the great work.
Lifetime Service Award
At our January member meeting, we were proud to honor one of our members, Mark Lindke. We presented him with a Lifetime Service Award (R) and American Legion Medal of Merit- gold level (L). The medal is the highest award available from the American Legion. Linke served during the Vietnam era in the U.S. Army. He is a 42 member of the American Legion, Director Emeritus of Fisher House Michigan, and a volunteer with Buddy to Buddy for seven years. Many attended our meeting to support Lindke including Executive Director of Fisher House Michigan Kate Melcher, President of Fisher House Michigan Mark Palmucci, Fisher House Ann Arbor Manager April LaRock, Lindke's wife and children, and others.
Giving Hope To Hope Clinic
Post 46 presented a donation to Hope Clinic to help them in their efforts to help those who are less fortunate. Shown here is Hope Clinic Director of People Lynn Mullins receiving the donation from Post 46 Commander Dave Draper. Hope Clinic provides free services to the underprivileged. Those services include free dental, legal advice, mental health advice, and food insecurity resolution. Hope Clinic is located at 518 Harris Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
30 Year Member
Recently Co
mmander Draper visited Mancino's Grinders in Ann Arbor. He went there to present owner Patrick McDevitt with a continuous-years-of-service a
ward and pin for being a member of the American Legion for 30 years. Patrick has only been a member of our post for a couple of years but we are proud of his loyalty to the Legion family. Mancino's has been providing grinders for our monthly meetings for several years.
Post 46 Receives Fisher House Patriot Award
On August 11 Commander Dave Draper and Vice Commander Scott Nichols accepted an award from Fisher House on behalf of our post for the post's large financial contribution to the construction of the Ann Arbor facility. 
It was a 
Patriots Award trophy shown here on the right. Several other individuals and organizations also received the same award for their financial donations to Fisher House for the construction of the Ann Arbor facility. The event was held at Yankee Air Museum. The evening started with drinks, hors-d'oeuvres, mingling with the attendees, and touring the museum. Then light food was served. After that, the awards were presented. The National Fisher House President David Coker was the emcee and provide the opening speech. Then the Assistant Director of the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center said a few words. The evening ended with some inspiring words from Fisher House Michigan Executive Director Kate Melcher and the presentation of a $500,000 check to Fisher House for the construction of the new Detroit Fisher House. Because of limited space on the property that they purchased, Fisher House has decided to build a 20-suite facility instead of 16. The awards were intended to be presented shortly after the Ann Arbor facility opened but due to COVID it was delayed to the present.
2022 Boys Nation President Tamarus Darby Jr.
Post 46 sponsored a young man named Tamarus Darby Jr. to Boys State from Washtenaw County in Michigan. Near his completion, he was elected as the new President to Boys Nation. Tamarus attends Washtenaw International High School. At our August meeting, he was a guest and introduced himself, and thanked our members for sponsoring him. He has lofty political aspirations which include being a U.S. Representative and later, hopefully, President of the United States. Our post congratulated him, wished him the best of luck in his future endeavors, and we gave him a small donation to offset his fuel costs for upcoming visits to other high schools in Washtenaw County to make students aware of the Boys State program.
As worn, tattered American flags need to be replaced, or as American Legion posts need flags to place on veterans' graves for Memorial Day, Emblem Sales advises to order early and please be patient with the time of delivery. Emblem Sales is shipping flag orders as soon, and quickly, as production is received.
The purchase of gravesite flags, as well as other outdoor American, military, POW/MIA, and state flags, flagpoles, and accessories can be made through American Legion Emblem Sales at americanlegionflags.com.
When you purchase your flag(s) and designate Post 46 at checkout, our post earns rewards that allow us to offset part of the cost of future purchases that we make.
Ann Arbor VA Medical Center Food Distribution
Partnering with Food Gatherers, the VAMC started a food distribution by-monthly event where veterans in need of food can drive up to the front of the VAMC and pick up boxes of food items. You will have to show some sort of proof that you are a veteran. The food will be available every month on the first and third Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm. At their first event, they passed out around 40 boxes of food. More recently they loaded up 52 vehicles. Legion Post 46 has committed to helping on the first Thursday of each month.
Veterans Memorial Park Bench
One of the two benches at the Veterans Memorial Park in Ann Arbor, Michigan now has a new plaque memorializing its namesake (and former Legion Post 46 member) Cpl Erwin Prieskorn. Cpl Prieskorn was Ann Arbor, Michigan's first WWI casualty.
Guitars For Vets
The Ann Arbor Guitars for Vets is a national organization that helps veterans with PTSD cope through music. Students meet once a week for ten weeks to learn the art of playing a guitar. At the end of the ten weeks, the students receive a free acoustic guitar. The organization normally meets at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center but because of COVID, they are currently meeting at the Ann Arbor VFW Post 423. Click on the logo at the left to see more pictures.
Space Force veterans and the active-duty military now welcome in the American Legion
Whe
n the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act was signed by the president in 2019 and became Public Law 116-92, the Space Force was added to Section 101(a)(4) of Title 10, which now reads: "(4) The term 'armed forces' means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard. "Since Section 21703 stipulates only "Armed Forces" and U.S. Code now includes the Space Force in its definition, no actions are required by The American Legion to accept Space Force servicemembers into the organization.
(From The American Legion Magazine)
Check out a unique look at Veterans Memorial Park in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here is presented a "birdseye" view of the flag and flagpole that was installed last year. The project was financed by American Legion Post 46, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 423, and the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department.
FOOD INSECURITIES?
Need food in these trying times. No one should go hungry. Click HERE to see a list of food pantries in Washtenaw County. This list is provided by Food Gatherers in Ann Arbor.
Landmark Presidential Signing of the POW-MIA Flag Act
Law now requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, Office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation, each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each U.S. Postal Service post office.
Read more here POW/MIA Flag Act
Congress Approves LEGION Act
7/23: The U.S. House passed the bipartisan LEGION Act on Tuesday, extending the recognized wartime era back to Dec. 7, 1941.
The LEGION Act — Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service Act — fills in the gaps of war eras and redefines The American Legion’s membership eligibility dates, beginning with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and continuing until it is determined the United States is no longer in a state of war.
President Trump is expected to sign Senate bill S.504 into law later this week. When it becomes law, the legislation opens the door for hundreds of thousands of veterans to access American Legion programs and benefits for which they previously had not been eligible.
Comments From The Ann Arbor Legion Post 46 Commander Dave Draper
We have been a little busier over the last few months with increasing events. We have donated to and held a food drive for Food Gatherers where we were able to collect many pounds of goods that will be distributed to the needy. Our Post continues to co-host the VRC, opening the post doors on Wednesdays and Saturdays to veterans who want to come out and socialize with other veterans, drink a little coffee, play some pool, and darts and watch football on a big-screen TV.
Over the coming months, we will also have been busy fielding calls for direction and support and booking many free rides for veterans within Washtenaw County through our Legion Free Ride program. We will also be providing scholarships to the University of Michigan ROTC cadets and midshipmen, financially supporting the Boys State program, sponsoring a Poppy Drive to raise money for an organization that helps veterans and their caregivers with PTSD, and sponsoring fifteen wreaths that will be placed on gravesites by us at Great Lakes National Cemetery during Wreaths Across America week.
We are always looking to find more ways to serve our veterans, active-duty military, and our local community. We hope you will feel inspired to join us and help us to serve. Recently passed legislation allows all honorably discharged veterans to join our organization- whether you served in a combat zone or were a desk clerk at a stateside base. You served a purpose and helped keep our Nation safe, no matter how large or small your part.
Dave Draper
Commander
Erwin Prieskorn
American Legion Post 46
Ann Arbor, Michigan
