Front from left, David Patch, Commander Post 36, Albert Lake, Sgt.-at –Arms Post 68, Richard Grover, Adjutant, Post 81, Norm Clanton, 1 st Vice Post 81, 2 nd Row: Angelina Henderson, USN (Ret.), JoAnne McMahon, Post 20 – Co-Chair Veterans No Boundaries, Harry G. Orcutt, Commander Post 68, Raymond Hakala, Finance Officer Post 68.

STATE — Another successful collaboration between Maine Adaptive’s Veterans No Boundaries, and Posts 20, 36, 68 and 81, demonstrating veterans helping veterans, was held on Saturday, January 25, at Jackson-Silver Post 68 Locke Mills. Bethel’s Veterans No Boundaries brings scores of veterans who are experiencing personal challenges, along with spouses and their children, from all corners of the nation together to experience a weekend of Maine Winter activities, including a fabulous supper, games, quizzes, and prizes at Post 68 on their Saturday night. The various Posts who participate in this endeavor enthusiastically look forward to enjoying a like occasion next year.

Oxford County Post 68 in Greenwood and Mundt-Allen Post 81 in Bethel enjoy a close cooperative working relationship. Whenever their mutual activities require a large venue, with ample parking, it usually occurs in Post 68’s Great Hall, at 595 Gore Road, Locke Mills. The members of each Post are veterans of the US Armed Forces who have served in Federal duty for at least one day, and are either currently still active Service personnel, or those with honorable discharges. Membership gets a bit more complicated for National Guard and Reservist members, as they must have, during their respective tenures, been activated for Federal Service under Title 10 Subsection 672 or 12301 (the latter created after Operation Desert Storm to replace 672).

Since the passage and signing into law of the Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service, (LEGION) Act, on July 30, 2019, the American Legion’s many periods of eligibility, based on US Declared Conflicts was reduced to two periods: April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 (WWI); and from December 7, 1941 to a time later to be determined by the Federal Government. The US Congress thereby recognized the Legion’s advocacy that, as more than 1,600 Service members had been killed or wounded by adversaries while serving in the interim periods between declared conflicts that, the United States had been in a state of Armed Conflict since the unprovoked attack at Pearl Harbor. Such eligibility will continue until the Congress declares such conflict no longer exists.

It is truly fitting that December 7, 1941 (the onslaught of WWII) was chosen as the starting point of modern Legion eligibility for membership. As the attacking naval aircraft of the first wave on that day of infamy were departing to return to their aircraft carriers, the first volunteers to respond in Honolulu to the attack were 400 Legionnaires. These veterans of WWI reported to their Legion Posts to then serve in putting out the many civilian property fires caused during the attack, transporting the wounded to hospitals, and providing hot meals to those in need of such assistance. These Legion volunteers continued to serve wherever they were needed, and in doing so, made it possible for their younger active Armed Forces comrades to concentrate on creating defenses to avert possible invasion. These Legionnaires exemplified the rendering of continuing service to the community in which they resided, one of the pillars on which the
Legion was founded more than a century ago.

That call to service within the community continues throughout the Nation today in thousands of Legion Posts. In a rural place like Oxford County, such service to the community translates to helping family, extended family, and neighbors live a better existence, and when natural or other disasters strike, to be there to respond with the training they received while protecting the Nation. It is a commitment that comes naturally to the very few men and women who have experienced the comradeship of service in the US Armed Forces.

The Veteran men and women of Posts 68 and 81 look forward to welcoming their newly eligible service connected comrades into membership of the American Legion. We are easily approachable. Write to Jackson-Silver Post 68, 595 Gore Road, Locke Mills, ME, 04255, leave a phone message at 207-875-2375, or come on down to the Post when we are holding a Friday Night Bingo, a Texas Hold’em Tournament, our Executive Committee Meeting on the second Wednesday or our General Meeting the third Thursday evening
of every month. For those who write or call, provide us with contact info, and we will mail you an application.

Each Post serves a particular geographic area: Post 68’s area is Greenwood, Woodstock, and Milton Township; Post 81’s area is Bethel, East and West Bethel, Mason Township, and Newry. Post 81 meets on the second Wednesday evening of the month. We in Post 68 will forward information to those seeking membership in Post 81 to them for processing. Dues at either Post are presently $35 annually. After the application is completed, verification of active duty service separation (DD214), or other appropriate document under honorable conditions, needs to be examined by a Post Officer.
In other areas of Oxford County American Legion Posts are situated at Rumford (24); Buckfield (58), South Paris (72), Norway (82), Oxford (112), and West Paris (151). Their contact information can be found on the Department website at legionme@mainelegion.org ; many are on Facebook, or can be Googled. For membership information at Fryeberg (137) or Peru (199), contact the Department Adjutant, Paul L’Heureux, paul@legionme.org , or send an inquiry to the Department website.