THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF

PARIS POST #1 NEWSLETTER

http://www.legion.org http://www.amerlegiondeptfrance.org http://www.parispost1.org JANUARY 2010

PARIS POST HOME 22—24 BOULEVARD DIDEROT, 75012—PARIS, FRANCE TELEPHONE: +33-1-44-74-73-42 VOL 1, NO 1 MEETINGS AND CEREMONIES CALENDAR POST OFFICERS We hope that you can arrange to participate in the following planned meetings and ceremo- NOV 2009 TO NOV 2010 nies. Check our website www.ParisPost1.org or send us an email for updates. Commander Clarita Geoghegan 16 January: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM followed by a Cocktail with Galettes for the Fete de Rois (Three Kings Day). 6:00 PM ceremony at the Arc [email protected] du Triumphe in honor of Benjamin Franklin’s birthday hosted by the VFW

Adjutant 20 February: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM. VACANT 20 March: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM. 1st Vice Commander Carl W. Hale 20 March: Department of France 3rd Executive Committee Meeting, hosted by the Omar [email protected] Bradley Post, GR42, at their Post Home: Eurbacher Str. 4—8, Schweinfurt 97424, Germany. Any Paris Post member interested in representing the Post at this meeting must first confirm 2nd Vice Commander with Commander Geoghegan and bring the signed memo confirming your representation and Robert Troiano authority to vote on behalf of FR01. Two voting members per Post.

Finance Officer 17 April: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM John Aust [email protected] 8 May: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM. Victory Day ceremo- nies in Paris

Chaplain 29 May: Memorial Day ceremonies at the Claude Dahan 30 May: Memorial Day ceremonies; detailed program to be provided. [email protected] 6 June: Ceremonies in Normandy; detailed program to be provided. Historian Gary Nadolski 16—20 June: Department of France 4th DEC / Convention / 1st DEC meetings hosted by JFK Post, IR63, at the Royal Hotel, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. Any Paris Post member Service Officer interested in representing the Post at this meeting must first confirm with Commander Geog- André Humbert hegan and bring the signed memo confirming your representation and authority to vote on be- half of FR01. Two voting members per Post + 1 vote extra per 50 members. To reserve your Sergeant-at-Arms hotel room contact the Convention Chairman, Liam Kane [email protected] Michele Crosley 26 June: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM.

4 July: Independence Day ceremonies at the Place des Etas-Unis, and the Arch de Triumph; detailed program to be provided.

10 July: Ceremony in Vichy at tomb of 1938 Paris Post Commander Aubrey

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by U.S. Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit veterans service organiza- tion. The Paris Post meetings are scheduled to begin at 1030 AM every third Saturday of each month at the Post Home at Boulevard Diderot, 22 - 24, just down the street from the .

Brussels to Paris by train: see the website www.Thalys.com for current times and ticketing informa- tion. You can purchase a round-trip ticket with good advance planning for as little as 50 Euros. Thalys now has the electronic ticket travel option. There is no need to collect your ticket at the station - just purchase your ticket online. You will receive email confirmation of your reservation. One hour prior to the train departure you will receive a SMS to your cell phone reminding you of your seat assignment. The online registration process takes about ten minutes. www.Thalys.com

Photos by: Carl HALE Normandy: visiting Point du Hoc, Utah Beach and the Nor- mandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Never forget those who served and sacrificed.

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY—STILL SERVING MEETINGS AND CEREMONIES CALENDAR CONTINUED

August: WWII Liberation Ceremonies throughout towns in France

18 September: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM.

16 October: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM.

20 November: Membership meeting and annual election of Post Officers; start at 10:30 AM.

18 September: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM.

16 October: Membership meeting at the Paris Post Home; start at 10:30 AM.

11 November: Armistice Day Ceremonies in Paris

20 November: Membership meeting and annual election of Post Officers; start at 10:30 AM.

11 December: Post Christmas Holiday Party; detailed program to be provided.

21 November 2009: the annual Paris Post 1 Election Day. The Post Officer elections were conducted by Department of France Vice Commander at Large, Liam Kane with supervision by the Department of France Commander Robert Gray. Two eligible members were nominated for the position of Post Commander: former Post Adjutant Ed Canady and incumbent Post Commander Clarita Geoghegan. Secret vote ballots were submitted after both members presented their credentials and reasons why they should be elected to the eligible voting members of Paris Post. The ballots were collected by Dept VCAL Kane and counted by him and Dept Cdr Gray. The photo above is the moment when Department of France Commander Gray announces the results: Clarita Geoghegan is elected 2010 Paris Post Commander. Ed Canady immediately packed his belongings and quit the Paris Post 1 after the election of Commander Geoghegan; his transferred his membership out of the Post. Questions concerning the election proceedings may be directed to Dept VCAL Kane by email [email protected] Photo by: Jean Marc CRESSON