The American Legion Post 18 News 700 Adams Street * Bay City, MI 48708-5834 * 989-895-5231

2019 Member of N.A.L.P. - M.A.L.P - P.A.L.S. 2019-2020 Leadership Commander Tim Eckstein

Commander Commander’s Corner Tim Eckstein 616-822-9498

Senior Vice Commander Those of you who have visited the Post in the past 6 Tony Lyle 989-359-9739 weeks have seen the stunning remodeling job in the club room. It was a monumental task of tearing down, ripping Junior Vice Commander up and carefully reassembling. Jason Sansburn 989-992-3337

Adjutant It has a nice clean appearance, and the feeling is Mike Pergande 989-316-1476 richly warm and inviting. The lighting effect has brightened up the table seating Chaplain area over an impressive new flooring. No more carpeted walls and floors to dis- Charles Campbell 989-450-4563 color and absorb odors and spills. The atmosphere seems to have lifted the mood and attitude of the many who have already seen and enjoyed the new digs. Even Finance / Service Officer the two support posts have taken on a new life of their own, sporting the rank Mark Kaczmarek 989-239-2846 insignias of each of the uniformed services with a pleasant and attractive color scheme. Sergeant-at-Arms Stan Musial Contributing their time, talents and ingenuity toward this project over a two-

Historian week period of time in August while the club was shut down were members of Jerry Crow 989-220-7654 the American Legion Post 18 and Sons of the American Legion Squadron 18. Ed Glaza, Mike Pergande, Rick Scheel, Dave LaPointe and Dennis Boggs all Judge Advocate had a major role in contributing to this major renovation. Bill Miller 989-662-6559 Gentlemen! Please accept my humble words of gratitude for the exceptional ex- Webmaster, IT ercise in volunteerism that will prove to be a lasting benefit to our Post and the Vacant community. Executive Board Ed Glaza 989-892-4444 Bill Nieman 989-892-2739 We continue to have success with the weekly entertainment accompanying our Phil Matthews 989-894-4646 fish fry every Friday night. A great selection of seafood combined with excel- lent entertainment from the Dixie Hi-Way Variety Band lends itself to the per- Trustees fect experience for Legionnaires and their guests who want to relax and dine, Terry Spencer 989-450-5476 Troy Stewart 989-225-1037 dance, or just listen to the fine music. Jason Sansburn 989-992-3337

Bar Chairman Ed Glaza 989-892-4444

S.A.L. Commander Rick Scheel 989-225-1310 Auxiliary President : Karen Jarmer First Vice: Jean Moreau Treas/ Sec: Amy Wurdock Chaplain: Sue Smith Please come on out and join in the fun with me. See you there!! Tim Eckstein

Welcome USS Beale (DDE 471) Reunion On September 14th I had the chance to catch up with Paul Barry, Secretary of the USS Beale Association in the club room of American Legion Post 18th where about 45 former members and their guests were enjoying great food and music for their annual reunion. The group chose Bay City as this year’s reunion site to enjoy the legend and lore of the USS Edson courtesy of Legionnaire Michael Kegley, and the atmosphere of American Legion Post 18 courtesy of the Sons of the Legion and the La- dies Auxiliary. The storied history of the famous USS Beale is one that even the most water-fearing landlubber could appreciate.

NAVY LOG Commissioned in 1942, USS Beale was deployed to the Pacific Theater where she sank a German U-Boat and fought in engagements at the Battle of Gulf and San Bernadino Straight (both in the ), as well as the Battle of Okinawa in Japan. Beale was instrumental in the rescue of two US Naval warships off Okinawa, the USS Newcomb and the USS Leutz, both of which were hit by . An interesting piece of naval trivia…after conclusion of hostilities in WWII, the Communications Officer Rudy Tichy who was also an architect built a club in Sasebo Japan.

Decommissioned in 1946, the USS Beale was recommissioned and returned to service in 1951 for the Korean Conflict. The Beale was subsequently involved in a clandestine operation for the Bay of Pigs Inva- sion (April 1961). Overpainting its hull number and camouflaging the Ensign (US Flag), Beale served as an escort to the Bay of Pigs landing area. During the in October of 1962, during which the United States stood down Nikita Khruschev and the Russians, the Beale formed part of the naval block- ade of nuclear weapons aboard Russian trawlers headed for Cuba. Beale is credited with having tracked and forced a Russian nuclear armed B59 to surface as a direct result of the Beale’s hurling concus- sion grenades in the direction of the B59 sub. There is a report that the subs skipper was prepared to launch nuclear weapons but couldn’t get all three of the “key” officers onboard to concur. Close call, indeed!!!

In 1966 the Beale transited the from its homeport in Norfolk, VA and headed to Vi- etnam where it patrolled the Gulf of Tonkin as well as the South China Sea from Danang to the Demilita- rized Zone (DMZ), firing several thousand rounds in support of ground operations. Beale served as “chase vessel” for the USS Intrepid into North Vietnam waters, the purpose of which was to rescue errant pilots missing the flight deck during plane recovery operations. Fortunately, it is reported that none of Intrepid’s pilots missed the flight deck.

Other ports-of-call and sea service actions include: Singapore, India, Greece, , Red Sea, .

USS Beale (DDE 471) was decommissioned in 1968 and sunk as part of submarine target practice off the east coast where it rests as an artificial reef.

Sailors of the USS Beale have earned many decorations, in addition to the following distinctions:  Order of Magellan for global circumnavigation.  Sons of Neptune Shellback for crossing the equator.  Order of the Domain of the Golden Dragon for crossing the International Dateline.

All Hail the Hardy Crew of USS BEALE!

For more information, check out a great website: www.usssbealedd.dde471.org

2019 Calendar Auxiliary Unit 18 ****Dates are subject to change*** The Auxiliary resumed their monthly meetings Tuesday, September 17th with much being accom- Oct. 11 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm plished. Plan to join us at our next meeting, Tues- Oct. 15 Auxiliary Meeting, 6pm th Oct. 18 Fish Fry, 11am-8pm day, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. Oct. 20 ALA Open House 1-3pm Oct. 23 Marine Corps League, 7pm MEMBERSHIP Oct. 25 Fish Fry, 11am-8pm The American Legion has voted to extend member-

Nov. 1 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm ship in the American Legion Auxiliary to male spouses of US veter- Nov. 2 Aux District Meeting, ans and service members. During the American Legion National Farwell Post 558 Convention delegates in the American Legion voted to replace the Nov. 3 VVA, 7pm word "wife" with "spouse" in their constitution and bylaws, opening Nov. 5 Election Day up membership in the American Legion Auxiliary effective immedi- Nov. 8 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm Nov. 11 Veterans Day ately. This new membership eligibility has much promise for growth Nov. 11 Luncheon at the Post in the American Legion Auxiliary, leading to new resources, in- Nov. 12 Legion Mtg., 6:30pm creased funding opportunities, and additional diversity and talent Nov. 15 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm among our leadership as well as general membership. Our Member- Nov. 19 Aux. Mtg., 6pm ship Goal for 2020 is 104 members. That is only 5 additional mem- Nov. 21 Thanksgiving, Post closed Nov. 22 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm bers! We can meet this goal! You should be receiving your Nov. 24 SAL Prime Rib Dinner, 5pm 2020 Membership Renewal Notice soon. When completing these Nov. 27 Marine Corps League, 7pm please insert your phone number and email address so we can Nov. 29 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm update our records. Thank you!

Dec. 1 VVA, 7pm Dec. 6 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm YOU ARE INVITED!! Dec. Legion Kids Christmas party You are invited to a “Come & Go Open House, Sunday, October th Dec. 10 Legion Meeting, 6:30pm 20 from 1 to 3 PM.” We are using this as our Kick Off event cele- Dec. 13 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm brating the Auxiliary's 100th Anniversary! November 10, 2019, Dec. 17 Auxiliary Meeting, 6pm marks the 100th Anniversary date that the American Legion passed Dec. 20 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Article XIII of their Constitution establishing the Women's Auxiliary Dec. 25 Christmas, Post Closed of the American Legion, later to be renamed the American Legion Dec. Marine Corps League, 7pm Auxiliary. Mark your calendars now to join us for this celebration! Dec. 27 Fish Fry, 3pm-8pm Additional information we be sent out prior to this event. Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve DISTRICT MEETING -SEPTEMBER 14TH Jean Moreau and I attended the District Meeting held at Oscoda Post 274. It was a small but informative gathering! A member of the Auxiliary was presented with an award and we had an Americanism Essay winner! Patricia Jaynes received a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition and appreciation of being the most Senior Member of Unit 18 having been a continuous member since 1962! Congratulations and thank you, Patricia, for your 57 years of service! Americanism Award – Grace M. Sayles was awarded 1st Place in the National Americanism Essay Contest Class 5 (this is for the 11th & 12th grade entrants). Her winning essay was titled “No Veteran Left Be- hind”. In addition to the certificate, Grace was awarded $75! Grace was a Senior, at John Glenn, when she submitted her essay and is now in the “Directed Nursing Program” at the University of Michigan Flint. She is the daughter of Mark & Mary Ewald-Sayles. Congratulations Grace! Grace and Patricia both plan on at- tending the Open House so please join them!

When returning from the District Meeting, Jean and I, representing the ALA, helped at the USS Beale Con- vention buffet. This was short notice so we didn't reach out to other members. We are compiling a list of those members that want to be contacted when opportunities such as this arise! If you want to be added to the volunteer list please let any of the officers know and we can add you to either the email blast or the phone call listing! Thanks to those that have already reached out to be added to the list! Looking forward to meet- ing you all either at our Open House or a future meeting!

Karen Jarmer, President

Member Profile of the Month This month’s profile features longtime Sons of the American Legion member Dennis Boggs. Dennis hails from the south side of Bay City and his first exposure to the American Legion Post 18 and the Sons was in 2001 when his brother-in-law invited him to join. Dennis’ mother was able to locate his father’s DD-214 and Dennis reported to the Post to make cole slaw for a fish fry for his first encounter with the Post. Someone informed him that he had the makings of a fine Commander for the Sons of the Legion, and he was soon wearing the hat of the SAL Commander, a distinction he held for 16 consecutive years!

In the course of his tenure as Skipper, Dennis was able to reconstitute the SAL which was floun- dering at the time he took the helm, and he built it into a service arm of the Legion that now boasts 125 members at this time in its history. When asked “why” he was willing to commit to such a de- manding role of service, Dennis states that he has had the opportunity through his service to meet so many “great people”. In addition, he expresses his “great respect” for veterans of all stripes who have served and fought while wearing the country’s uniform and that he truly enjoys taking care of them through his commitment with the Sons of the Legion.

Dennis cites as some of the most notable accomplishments during his years as SAL Commander the following: Establishing a Palliative Care Room at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Hospital in Saginaw. Starting “Send Santa to Baghdad” program, which subsequently became “Send Santa to the Troops”.

While working in the kitchen of Legion Post 18 is the one activity he seems to enjoy the most and possibly the activity for which he is most easily recognized, Dennis also points to some of the memories of personal recognition that remain meaningful. He was made an Honorary Life Member of the Sons of the American Legion in 2018 by his comrades at Post 18. Another great memory was being invited to stand for a group photo with Vietnam Veterans Association Chap- ter 494 at Post 18. Dennis is easy to spot wearing an apron or carrying a pan of freshly cooked dinners around the club room. He will be working during the SAL Meat Raffles which will run on first Fridays January through May (if you haven’t attended a Meat Raffle then you don’t know what fun you’re missing).

When you see Dennis, stop and ask about the Sons of the American Legion and their rec- ord of service in the community.

Thanks Dennis, for all you do for American Legion Post 18 and the community. Chaplain’s Corner Rev. Charles Campbell Did you know that your chaplain is an Ordained Minister? Not just a layperson, but have trained at Destiny School of Biblical Studies, and Leaders for Christ Training Center. Having served as pastor at several non-denominational churches, I am able to do weddings, funeral, and pastoral care. My contact information is: Please notify me if any member is ill or in the hospital. Reverend Charles Campbell, Chaplain, I will send a card, make a phone call or visit. God Bless. 525 S. Huron Road, Linwood 48634. Phone 989-450-4563 Please say a prayer for the safety of Email [email protected] our military and the well-being of their families. Scout Troop 101

Jason Sansburn Troop 101 Scoutmaster – Bay City American Legion 10th District Scouting Representative Chartered by American Legion Post 18 in October, 2018

Meetings held at Grace Church East Campus 510 Fremont Ave, Bay City, Sundays: 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Troop 101 enjoyed at week at Camp Rotary, earning the Gold Award of Camp Excellence, L.E.A.F. Award and Camp Rotary Duty to God Award. We hiked the Tobico Marsh Trail and learned about local history at the River of Time in September.

We are celebrating our 1st year anniversary October 1st and would like to thank American Legion Post 18 for being our Chartering Organization and continuing to provide an excellent foundation for Citizenship and Patriotism for the youth of our Troop. Troop 101 is participating in the 1st annual American Legion Camporee at Wilwin Lodge, Oct. 18-20.

We will be exploring the finer points of cooking and Duty to God in the upcoming months with outings in November & December. If you are interested in sharing your knowledge or lending a hand, please contact Scoutmaster Jason Sansburn at (989) 992-3337 / [email protected]

HISTORIAN—Jerry Crow LETTERS OF THANKS!!!!

Our post received 4 nice thank you notes from the four young men we sponsored to Boys State this summer. All said they enjoyed the program and were very grateful to have had the chance to attend Boys State thanks to the American Legion.

The post also received a nice thank you card from the World War One Centennial Commission for our $300 donation to- wards the building of the World War One Monument, Pershing Park, Washington,D.C.

William Roy McMorris Jr. (1890-1939) First Commander of American Legion Post #18 (1919-1920)

William Enlisted at start of WW1 in the Bay City Ambulance Co., accepted into Officers Training, graduated & assigned as Captain of Co. M,16th Infantry, First Division (Big Red One). Departed U.S. at New York, 27 Dec., 1917 on ship “Andania”. Veteran of Belleau Wood, Chatieu-Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne. Awarded Distinguished Service Cross and the French “Legion of Honor” and Croix de Guerre with palm, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Argonne Forest, October 4,1918. He directed the advance of his company through an intense artillery barrage and against heavy machine-gun fire. When the battalion commander had been wounded, he assumed command of the battalion and led it to its objective, after which he consolidated the new position. While personally resisting an enemy counter attack he was wounded. He was chosen officer of a Regiment of picked men, all of whom had been wounded in service, and composed of men six feet or more tall, paraded in Victory celebrations in France, Belgium, England, and Italy. With the Army of Occupation until discharge in October 1919.

William owned McMorris Service Station and then McMorris Chevrolet dealership. Married Ruth Perkins Sept., 1922. Lived at 215 S. Henry St. Buried in Elm Lawn Cemetery. POST SERVICE OFFICER / COUNTY SERVICE OFFICER—Mark Kaczmarek Training: I had the pleasure to attend the annual Richard Morrison Higgins Lake Veterans Advocacy & Post Service Officer Train- ing a couple of weeks ago. When I first attended this training three years ago, I didn’t know what a service officer was or what they did. It was all a jumble of 3 letter/number ‘words’ like OEF, OIF, 526, etc. This year I attended the county service officer track. We received training from the VA on the new Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), and MVAA regarding ratings and how they are scored. Both days were filled with classes and training from after breakfast to dinner time.

I was also able to meet with many service officers from the various counties in Michigan and renew some friendships with folks I met when in accreditation training. It was also a great opportunity to meet face to face, rather than talk over the phone, with the amazing staff at the American Legion at the Detroit Regional Office. What? You didn’t know the American Legion has a staff of Department Veteran Service Officers at the VA Regional Office in Detroit? They are an amazing group and have helped Kristal and I tremendously. Gary Easterling and his staff are ex- tremely knowledgeable and very helpful not only on compensation, pension, and spousal benefits, but they can advise you on the best way to file a claim and what to include to support your claim. They also helped our office with status of claims, trying to figure out why a claim was denied, etc. The list goes on. They are an invaluable resource for not only County Service Officers, but to all veterans.

New Offices: Speaking of offices, we are moving! Several of you know that Bay County has shifted some offices around in the county building this summer. Since before Memorial Day, we have been working out of one office and a corner of a room. Not the best situation, but it worked for the most part. We have been waiting, ok sometimes not patiently, for the county treasurer’s office to move and our new space could be built for our needs. Kristal and I will have our own offices again and it will be a great space to better serve veterans and their families. We will be down on the 1st floor across from the Register of Deeds. We should be moved in by the time this goes to print. Come and check us out. Even just to say ‘hi’. We will be having an ‘office warming’ event in the near future. Don’t worry if you go to the second floor out of habit (I’m sure I will as well), the great folks at Bay County Equaliza- tion Department and Department on Aging will direct you down to our new space.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Kristal – Bay County - (989) 895-4108 If a veteran is in need of financial assistance for shut offs, etc., the veteran needs to speak with Kristal in the office here before speaking with the service officer. For shut offs, you need to bring her the denial from DHHS before it can be considered for pay- ment. Any requests for assistance (food or gas cards, shut offs) the veterans and family will need to fill out a form with all of their income and expenses on the form. If Kristal is unable to assist you, she may then be referred to the Post Service Officer. Remember: I am here to help you with any paperwork with the VA.

If you have any questions about services, health care, compensation, pension, Aid and Attendance, or appeals; stop by my office. NO appointment needed.

POST SERVICE OFFICER / COUNTY SERVICE OFFICER (Continued) Mission Act: This continues to be a hot topic both in the office and around the Legion.

Aleda E. Lutz VA Provides Additional Information On Urgent Care Benefit for Veterans Veterans have a new option for care under the MISSION Act for the treatment of minor injuries and illnesses by utilizing Urgent Care in the community. Although this benefit is new to Veterans, Veterans may still seek treatment through their Primary Care Team, of which the VA offers same-day services during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. When seeking Community Urgent Care services, a flu shot is covered, however, other vaccines and preventative care ser- vices are not. It is important to understand, Urgent Care is not a replacement for VA Primary Care. If you receive services not cov- ered under the urgent care benefit, you may be required to pay the full cost of the care. Remember, a visit to an urgent care is for immediate care needs which are non-life threatening. When in doubt about your health condition or symptoms, Veterans should always seek a higher level of care as they may have symptoms related to a serious health condition that an urgent care provider may not be able to adequately address.

If you feel you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911 or present to your local emergency depart- ment for immediate treatment. IMPORTANT: VA can only pay for care an eligible Veteran received from a community emergency department in certain circumstances and under specific conditions. Please ensure you identify as a Veteran and request the local emergency department, or a representative, contacts the VA within 72 hours of presenting to the emergency depart- ment. For more information about emergency care you may visit: https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/veterans/ Emergency_Care.asp How Do I Know if I’m Eligible for Community Urgent Care? To be eligible for the Urgent Care Benefit, Veterans must be enrolled in the VA healthcare system AND have received care from either a VA provider or from a VA approved community care provider in the past 24 months. If you are unsure of your eligibility status, either you or the urgent care clinic can dial 833.4VETNOW (833.483.8669) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The urgent care provider will verify the Veteran’s eligibility before providing care. If a Veteran arrives at an urgent care network location and has any difficulty receiving care, they can call 866‑620‑2071 to receive assistance. How Will I Locate an Approved Urgent Care Facility? You do NOT need pre approval to seek urgent care, however; you will need to utilize an urgent care facility which is within the VA network. To find the closed in-network urgent care facility you can visit https://vaurgentcarelocator.triwest.com/ or contact your local VA facility for assistance in locating the closest facility to your location. NOTE: you must inform the urgent care provider that you would like to utilize your VA benefit for the visit. Will a Copayment Apply? Veterans may be charged a copayment for an urgent care visit. This copayment is different from other VA medical copayments. This is dependent on the Veteran’s assigned priority group and the number of times per calendar year the Veteran utilized their urgent care benefit. If a copayment is applied, you are not required to pay at your time of visit; you will receive a bill directly from the VA. What About Medications Prescribed by a Community Urgent Care Provider? VA will pay for or fill prescriptions for urgent care for up to a 14-day supply if filled by an in-network pharmacy or at the VA. If the medication supply is longer than 14- days, the prescription must be submitted to the VA for filling. If a prescription is filled at an out-of-network pharmacy, the Veteran must pay out-of-pocket then file a claim for reimbursement with the local VA facility. To file a claim, a copy of the prescription and a copy of the receipt is required. Some Veterans may be required to pay a copayment for medications. To find an in-network phar- macy, you can visit https://vaurgentcarelocator.triwest.com/ or contact your local VA facility for assistance in locating the closest facility to your location. To learn more about the Urgent Care Benefit, please visit: https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/veterans/ Urgent_Care.asp

The Aleda E. Lutz VAMC in Saginaw, Michigan operates an 81-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation Community Living Center, with an additional 8-bed acute medicine and telemetry wing. It provides care to over 36,700 Veterans in a 35-county geographic area, from mid-Michigan to the Mackinac Bridge. Veterans also receive care at one of our nine VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics located throughout Michigan. More information about this VA can be found at www.saginaw.va.gov.

TRANSPORTATION Do you require a ride to your Saginaw VAMC appointment? Bay County offers free transportation for any Bay County Veterans to the Saginaw VAMC. The number to call is 989-525-5164.

MEMBERSHIP Legion and SAL membership cards are in. Please stop by and pay Starr or see Mike Pergande to renew your membership. CLUB HOURS & INFO The club is open six days a week (Tuesday through Sunday). We are closed on Monday.

We have short order food (burgers and wings) from noon until closing

FISH FRY: The Friday Fish Fry will now be from 3p.m. until 8 p.m. as opposed to 11am. To 8 pm. There was no business from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The bar will now open at Noon on Friday

SAL PRIME RIB DINNER FUND RAISER: The Sons of the American Legion will have a Prime Rib Din- ner on November 24th at 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time. The cost is $20.00 per person. Menu is Prime Rib, potatoes, salad, vegetable, and dessert. For more info contact Mike Pergande, Dennis Boggs, or Starr.

RENOVATION: Thanks to the SAL members and the Limited number of Legion members that helped out with the renovation of the clubroom. If you haven’t seen it stop by and take a look.

HELP RUNNING THE BAR: Volunteers are needed to help run the bar. Mike Pergande will be taking time off to enjoy his retirement. Ed Glaza will also be taking time off. If there are no volunteers, it is entirely pos- sible that the bar will be closed except on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is also possible that we will have to hire a paid bartender. USS EDSON (DD-946) USS EDSON (DD-946) is open every day from 10AM until 5PM for tours. Tours usually take about 1.5 hours. Their website is http://www.ussedson.org/

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS If you have Veteran information, Pictures, or Community Events you’d like included in our Newsletter, send Submissions to : Tony Lyle, Vice Senior Commander: Email: [email protected] [email protected]

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