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Free Transportation Within Washtenaw County For Veterans
Washtenaw County Veterans Affairs 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, visits to the VA and its outbuildings, etc. Call (734) 973-4540 to book a ride, preferably two days in advance. One of their personnel will answer the call and book a ride for you.
PTSD
If thoughts and feelings from past trauma are bothering you, take the first step in seeing if your symptoms may be related to PTSD. Take the PTSD self-screen. The self-screen can help you understand if your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may be related to PTSD.
If you have PTSD or believe you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is one of the best ways to learn about effective treatment options. You can share your results with your doctor, who can do a full assessment for PTSD, or refer you to someone who can.
If you are coping with PTSD or trauma and haven't met with a healthcare provider, make an appointment today. PTSD treatment works, and you have options.
From the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs
A few notes from a report to the Michigan Commanders Group on January 13, 2025:
According to HHS, there were 49,449 suicides in 2022 and 49,300+ suicides in 2023, which is about one every eleven minutes. The CDC said suicide is the second leading cause of death among ages 10- 14 and 20- 34, and the third leading cause of death for ages 15- 19.
Young women and teens have seen their suicide rates double. The highest suicide rate is among men seventy-five and older, or forty-four per one hundred thousand. And over half of these studies were accomplished through alcohol and drugs.
The War Department (now called the Department of Defense) has been keeping records of active duty suicides since the Civil War. And yet, the Pentagon reports that between the years 2014- 2019, 2,530 active duty Army members have died due to suicide. Also, the primary cause of death among U.S. soldiers is suicide, more than any other cause! The DoD also reported that for 2022, 493 active duty military members committed suicide, and for 2023= 523. That's a 9% increase.
If you have feelings of wanting to hurt yourself, please seek help. Use the above resources or call the Veterans Hotline.
Success Story- Again
Post 46 member Mick Worzniak seems to have a green thumb in hunting. At a recent pheasant hunt at Camp Liberty, he bagged two birds. He also lucked out because he had been an alternate to hunt, but someone else had to bow out, and Mick was then able to participate. Camp Liberty also skins and guts the birds after the hunt. Mick had previously bagged a deer during one of the deer hunts at the camp.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day
A Celebration at the Ann Arbor VA
On March 29, the Ann Arbor VAMC hosted a celebration of the National Vietnam War Veterans Day in their main lobby. Visitors were treated to breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and great coffee. Brigadier General Carol Fausone was on hand to pin any Vietnam veteran who hadn't already been pinned with the 50th-anniversary pin. Shown in the leftmost picture is one of Post 46's members, Ralph Henry, getting pinned. There were displays from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310, information tables for the VA, MyHealthEVet, and others. Other dignitaries attending were Congresswoman Dingell, VA Executive Director Creasman, VVA 310 President Vance McCrumb, and American Legion Post 46 Vice Commander Dave Draper.
New President and New Members
In February, we learned that one of our Post 46 members, Barbara Hughes (left), had been elected as the new Student Veterans of America President at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. All of our members are very proud of her and her accomplishments. Barbara has been a member of our post for two years.
As one of her first activities, she arranged an Open House at WCC and invited our post to set up a table. We were very fortunate to receive nine new members from this event.
Cub Scouts Entertain
Cub Scout Pack 131 recently entertained the residents of University Senior Living in Ann Arbor. They performed skits and sang songs to our elderly, several of whom are veterans.
Fisher House Dedicates Its 99th Facility
On November 26, 2024, Fisher House Michigan Dedicated its second Michigan Fisher House facility, and its ninety-ninth facility worldwide. Upon arrival, guests were shown the way to a tent that had been provided for the ceremony and later to serve food. There were many dignitaries on hand to honor the new facility. After the indoor ceremony, the official ribbon-cutting portion was held in front of the building with a couple of dozen people participating and about the same number of onlookers. The President of Fisher House Foundation, David Coker, cut the ribbon. Afterward, everyone was welcomed inside for a tour, and then light snacks were served to finish the day.
Meeting Happenings
(L) At our October meeting, we welcomed new member Chris Jones by presenting him with his official hat.
(R) We also presented Dale Throneberry, President of Veterans Radio, with a check to show our ongoing support for his radio show and work on veterans' issues.
Honoring Veterans from Past Eras
In September 2024, Post 46 honored our heroes from World War II and Korea who reside at StoryPoint Senior Living in Saline, Michigan. Each veteran was presented with a Certificate of Honor, a laminated copy of the Veterans Creed, a laminated copy of their Branch of Service Creed, a pin with a crossed American flag and their branch of service flag, and a Post 46 challenge coin. The WWII vets were pinned with the Ruptured Duck pin, and the Korean Vets with a Korean Service pin. Eleven veteran residents and nine American Legion Post 46 members were in attendance. The resident veterans were pinned by Post 46 members of the same branch of service as the resident. Residents from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps received awards that day. Afterward, many of the veterans stayed and told their stories of their service. StoryPoint Staff provided coffee, snacks, and an American Flag.
First All-Female Honor Flight
Post 46 member Melanie Nau had the honor, along with others, to escort the first all-female Honor Flight to Washington DC. Her story is below.
Mid-Michigan Honor Flight is one of 3 volunteer, non-profit organizations in Michigan to fly Veterans to DC to visit the memorials built to honor service men and women. The Mid-Michigan, Upper Peninsula, and Talons Out Honor Flights collaborated to organize mission #19, the first all-women veteran’s honor flight from Michigan.
The 2-day trip began on June 11th, departing from Bishop International Airport in Flint and arriving at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where the veterans boarded buses escorted by motorcycle riders into DC. The first stop was the breathtaking WWII Memorial, with a beautiful view of the Washington Mall. They proceeded on to the Vietnam, Korean, and Air Force memorials before heading to the hotel for a reception/dinner.
Day two began with a trip to the Women’s Military Memorial (WIMSA), where each veteran received a certificate containing information about their military service. Next, they visited the Marine Corps Memorial, where they paused for a group photo before heading to the Arlington National Cemetery. Witnessing the sentinels guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard was truly something to behold. The final stop before heading back to the airport was the Navy Memorial.
When we arrived at the airport in Flint, the corridors were lined with hundreds of people holding flags and signs, music, cheering, and thanking us. The 10-minute walk through the people welcoming us home was a very emotional experience. They had a seating area set up for the veterans and once we were all assembled and a few speeches were made and anthems sung, they did one last mail call where volunteers and scouts presented each of us with a bear and quilt from Project Hero Hugs, and an envelope filled with messages from students, veterans service organizations, Daughters of the American Revolution, and more.
More info on the MI Honor Flights and Project Hero Hugs is below.
HOME | midmichganhonorfligh (midmichiganhonorflight.org)
Talons Out Honor Flight, Inc. - Home
Upper Peninsula Honor Flight:: Home
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Project-Hero-Hugs/100063776148949/
Fisher House Ann Arbor
Four Years of Service to Veterans
In June of 2024, Fisher House Ann Arbor celebrated its fourth anniversary of opening. The inside was decorated with festive balloons and decor. Great food was prepared by volunteers on the inside, and brats and burgers were grilled by volunteers and staff outside. Yard games were set up on the back deck for entertainment. Many of the Fisher House Michigan Directors and members were in attendance, as well as Fisher House Ann Arbor staff and volunteers. The food was great, as well as the camaraderie.
Fisher House Gift Cards
Post 46 has a long-standing commitment to supporting Fisher House Ann Arbor and Fisher House Michigan. Post 46 donated ten Kroger gift cards to Fisher House Michigan. At the time, Fisher House Michigan had a matching campaign in progress, so our gift amount was doubled. Shown presenting the cards are Post 46 Vice Cmdr Draper (L), Fisher House Ann Arbor Assistant Manager Pete Owens (C), and Post 46 Chaplain Bull (R).
Membership Award
Post 46 received an award for meeting 100% of its membership goals. Shown in the picture at the left is District 2's Commander Mike Greene (l), First Vice Commander of the Department of Michigan Daniel Cooper (c), and accepting the award from Post 46 is Vice Commander Dave Draper. This is the second year in a row that Post 46 has achieved this award.
A Section of I-94 Renamed
A section of I-94 was recently named Washtenaw County Vietnam Veteran Memorial Highway. LTC Charles S. Kettles, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310 in Ann Arbor, worked for over a year to get this accomplished. Credit was given to State of Michigan Representative Jimmy Wilson for sponsoring the bill in Congress, and some direction was provided by Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo. An informal dedication ceremony will take place at the Washtenaw County Vietnam Veterans Memorial on March 29.
Bingo At The Ann Arbor VA Medical Center
Post 46 hosts bingo night once a month at the LTC Charles S Kettles VA Medical Center. Patients gather in the CLC (Community Living Center) to play several rounds of the game. Our post awards winners with crisp $2 bills: 3 for first prize, 2 for second prize, and 1 for third prize. The last game played is a cover-all. Whatever money is left from the previous rounds is given to the winner of the cover-all. Sometimes that could be as high as $50. Shown left is Adjutant Glen Johnston calling the numbers, and to the right is member Melanie Nau presenting winnings to a patient.
POST 46 CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
On August 30, 2023, the Ann Arbor American Legion Post 46 celebrated 100 years of service to veterans and the local community. The event took place at Washtenaw Community College's Morris Lawrence Building. The evening started with member Horace Frazier playing guitar and Hors D'Oeuvres being served at 1700 hrs. All twenty-five tables were sponsored by various organizations and individuals. At 1800 hrs, opening remarks were made by our Judge Advocate, Beverly List. Commander Scott Nichols made introductions, followed by the Posting of Colors by the Navy Sea Cadets, and an opening prayer by our Chaplain Bob Bull. Vice Commander Dave Draper then read the Missing Man Table Ceremony, which was followed by Taps being played via a video on the overhead screen. Our meals were then served. The culinary staff at the college prepared great meals with choices of steak, salmon, chicken, and vegetarian options. The food was plated well and was delicious.
Rebecca Spencer was our guest speaker, who delivered an emotional speech. Afterward, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, State of Michigan Representative Jason Morgan, and American Legion Department Chaplain Norman Soli presented certificates of acknowledgment of our 100-year anniversary. Then, a table Legion trivia game was played, awards were presented by Cmdr Nichols, and two 50/50 drawings were made. Multiple positive comments were made after the ceremony ended as guests packed up to leave. This was certainly a very memorable event.
Click HERE to see more pictures. Click HERE to see a related article on page 18 in the October MI Legionnaire.
Ann Arbor VA Medical Center Food Distribution
Partnering with Food Gatherers, the VAMC started a bi-monthly food distribution 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.
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 are 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 the 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 in 2019. 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. The park sits at the busy intersection of Maple and Jackson Roads. The intersection is highly visible and is the western entrance to the City of Ann Arbor. Military branches of service medallions and park benches have been installed since this video, financed by Post 46.
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.