Nonprofit org. U.S. Postage PAID Pensacola, FL Permit No. 385

1. The American Legion Warrington Post 240 8666 Gulf Beach Highway Pensacola FL 32507-2639 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Nonprofit org. U.S. Postage PAID Pensacola, FL Permit No. 385 TheVictor’s Voice FOR GOD AND COUNTRY JANUARY 2011 COMMANDER Jimmy Martin 982-1947 ADJUTANT Michael Munoz 292-1464 1ST VICE COMMANDER Marsha Martin 982-5750 2ND VICE COMMANDER Cecil Russell 457-1153 3RD VICE COMMANDER Jake Taffaro 251-987-5848 FINANCE OFFICER Hal Eyerly 944-7741 HISTORIAN Chuck Krahn 458-0530 SERGEANT-AT-ARMS John Gilkerson 455-3740 CHAPLAIN Delbert Murray 429-9836 Cell 404-729-7972 SERVICE OFFICER Greg Grover 450-3702 ALR DIRECTOR J.D. Ellis 554-5257 SAL COMMANDER Mark Seaman 453-4357 HOUSE COMMITTEE Phil Gist 456-2914 Al Rogers 455-2741 Bill Eastman 457-8419 Ken Shepherd 457-7238 Frank O’Neal 910-0326 LOUNGE MANAGER John Mille 455-6111 Post 240 website: www.americanlegion240.org Commander’s Corner I would like to thank everyone who helped me make the Christmas Dinner a success for our members who didn’t have anywhere to go on Christmas. A big thanks to Debra Ellis for coordinating the Wreaths Across America last month and all the Post, Aux, SAL and Riders who helped place over 2400 wreaths on grave sites of our Post members and other Veterans buried at Barrancas. We need a 2nd Vice Cdr to handle the inside activities of the Post ie: Dances. Cecil Russell’s health hasn’t been good enough to attend meetings. Thanks for your help Cecil. With it late in the year I will appoint someone to fill this position. You must be able to attend the Executive Board and General Membership meetings and other Post functions. I am hoping to do a Friday dance at least once a month. If you are interested in this position, please let me know. Our Post sign out front is looking dismal. I’m working on a fund raiser to get money to pay to have the sign repaired. It is what people see driving down Gulf Beach Hwy and I feel it reflects on us and our American Legion. I will probably be the Chairman of that committee, so if you have any ideas please let me know. If you haven’t paid your 2011 dues yet, please come to the Post and pay them. Post 240 hasn’t reached 100% membership in a lot of years. I’m hoping this is the year. Please support the Ladies of Unit 240. For God and Country Jimmy lee Martin Post ChaplainI want to clear up a few things about my duties as Chaplain. Our Chaplain’s Handbook says that we are to “participate” in funerals for Legionnaires, and it gives a formal service for “participation”. As we all know the WWII veterans are passing away quickly and the Korean and even Vietnam vets are not faring much better. Consequently, I am called upon frequently to attend the funerals of Legionnaires. However, a dilemma is introduced into this responsibility. If you walk up to almost anyone on the street, particularly in the South, and ask, “Are you a Christian ?”, they will invariably respond, “Yes, of course.” If you then ask them where they attend church, you will, for the most part, draw a blank stare. It is a fact that the number of church going veterans is shrinking at an alarming rate. Some of that is the church’s fault and the purpose of this brief article is not to make comment on that fact or their lack of attendance, I will do that later. However, when that “non church going” veteran dies, his family is placed in a difficult position about what to do for a proper funeral service. The deceased said he was a Christian, they want a proper Christian burial, but he has no regular minister and left no instructions as to what he wanted done when he dies. Most ministers are not willing to do a funeral service for people who do not attend their church. I am. Hence, when I call upon the family as Chaplain to express our condolences, and they discover that I am a Bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church, they immediately ask me to give the man a proper Christian burial. This means that I must of a necessity take off my Legionnaire’s hat, and put on my Episcopal robes. So, we will all have to make some adjustments in our perception of what is the proper role of the Chaplain in these funerals. There are 2 things we can learn from all this. 1. Sometimes I will be there on behalf of the Legion and some times I will be there on behalf of the family as a Christian minister. 2. Make a “will” and leave instruction as to what you want done upon your death so that your family does not have to make that decision. For God and CountryDel Murray LADIES AUXILIARY PRESIDENT Mary Taffaro 251-978-0420 CHAPLAIN Mary Fahrforth 261-7040 1st Vice CommanderWe are currently at 81% and need 87 members to meet our goal of 90% by Feb11. Please welcome our new members: Robert McElroy, Geoffrey Bostwick, Alan Egebrecht, Harry Scruggs, Bobby Williamson and Rex Wyers. Happy New Year to everyone!For God and Country Marsha Martin 3rd Vice Commander Many thanks to all of you for supporting Post 240’s fish fry this past year. It has been rewarding to each member of your cooking staff to provide you with a good quality meal each first Sunday of the month. Now, that 2010 is about to end and the start of another new year, right around the corner, we look forward to returning to the cook shack in February. There will NOT be a fish fry for the month of January because of the holidays and family time. For God and Country – Jake Taffaro Auxiliary President – December has been a very busy month; on the 11th we had a Christmas Party for the children and it was a huge success. We had 27 children attend along with their moms, dads, aunts, uncles & of course the grandparents. There are pictures on the Post 240 website for you to see. We are also taking care of 6 children with the Angel Tree donations. Thank you so much for your donations! Remember to renew your membership as we are almost at our goal of 95% and we want to make 100% real soon. February 26th is our Mardi Gras Ball and we will have tickets on sale real soon at $15 per person which includes dinner, show and dance. I would also like to welcome two new members Zenaida Rees and Mary Lou Platt and a transfer Kim Edens. For God and Country Mary Taffaro