1 Dates to Remember Greetings Legionnaires of Post NL01! 21/28 Nov - Post Bowling League These last few months have been our busiest to date. We started out October doing some fundraising at the Schinnen Commissary. We also ran a vigorous member- ship effort that has put us well over 100% of our goal and #1 in the Department of France!

The Post also participated in several remembrance Ceremonies. One being B-17 42-3195 75th Anniversary Located practically in our own back yard. The following 3/4 Dec – VA One-on-One Week we participated in the Retirement Appreciation Day at USAG Schinnen and had our Monthly Meeting! I have been very impressed with the Posts participation since having the honor of being your Commander! It warms my heart when I hear all the happy comments especially at the end of a busy week.

Once again Margraten Post had the privilege of hosting the 2nd Department Executive Committee (DEC) meeting at the Van Der Valk Hotel in , NL. I couldn’t be prouder of you guys and all the support you gave towards the event. We had over 18 8 Dec - Post NL01Oratorical Contest members and family take part over the weekend! It was a stellar event and went very smoothly throughout the two days.

For Halloween we did our 2nd Trunk or Treat and USAG Schinnen, NL. We had a wonderful time and were thankful for the break in the weather that allowed us to stay dry. We had over 7 legionnaires and their family members hand out candy to over 1200 kids! Lessons Learned from last year, we made sure we had enough candy! Next year we’re going to step up our decoration game! ;-)

Now in November the Post continues to drive forward! We just finished up Veterans 8 Dec - Gen Membership Meeting Day Weekend. The Post really stepped up this weekend. We had representatives at Geilenkirchen Airbase, Rotterdam, Margraten, and Henri-Chapelle. For Margraten and Henri-Chappelle we had 24 of our Post family taking part. We even picked up a friend from Houston, Texas. On this 100th Anniversary of Veterans Day, I want everyone to ~ Commander Ray remember that no matter if your Active Duty, Non-Active, or Retired; we all continue to serve. Our organization more than most exemplifies this. This last weekend we paid direct tribute to over 20k of our fallen heroes. Our Post is full of pride and happiness.

As we continue into the last couple of months of the year, we have several wonderful 14/16 Dec - Bastogne NUTS! events coming up. Please look over to the left and checkout the events in the coming months. The VA One-on-One is always fully booked! We also have our second Oratorical Contest, at Schinnen Classroom A. We will be killing two birds by having a meeting afterwards. We will have a great lunch available to!

14-16 December the Post will be at Post NL01 HQ in Bastogne for NUTS Weekend. That weekend will be one for the books. Will be a great lead in to next year’s 75th Anniversary!

As always remember these three things:

If you have an article you wish to submit, This is Your Membership Your Way please send it to the Post Commander @ [email protected] You will always have a Voice and a Vote As always special thanks to Historian Dennis Owens, Andy Clevenger, and all the others If you care enough about something, you will do something about it who provided pictures for this newsletter!

2

CONTENTS

Message from the Commander 1

Executive Director GK Visit 2

Monthly Meeting Minutes 4

Wereth 11 Ceremony 7

Faces of Margraten 8

B-17 Joker Remembrance 9

Oud Beijerland Remembrance 11

Henri-Chapelle Memorial Day 13

Margraten Memorial Day 15

Legionnaire Spotlight 16

Words from SO Ron 18

Letters To Dad 19

Latest News & Assorted Stories 20

Floral Tribute to General Patton 21

Photos provided by: Andy Clevenger, Ray Perez, Dennis Owens, and Others. Please send all submissions to [email protected] Editor: Commander Ray

3

2nd Department Executive Committee Meeting @ Heerlen, NL

We had the honor and privilege to host the 2nd Department Executive Committee Meeting @ the Van Der Valk Hotel in Heerlen, NL. It was a wonderful experience for our Post and we truly treasured the opportunity to share it with the best of the American Legion! Many thanks to Col. Sean Kuester, Benelux USAG Commander for taking the time to stop by and give the opening remarks to kickoff the meeting! ~ Commander Ray

4

2nd Department Executive Committee Meeting @ Heerlen, NL

5

Veterans Day at Margraten ~ Through skies of grey Margraten Post NL01 rallied at our namesake to lay a wreath and pay our respects to our fallen heroes. Twenty plus came to participate in this 100th Veterans Day. The respect and comradery were felt by all. ~ Commander Ray

Through skies of grey Margraten Post NL01 rallied at our namesake to lay a wreath and pay our respects to our fallen heroes.

Top Left: Kiara Valencia did a wonderful job on the bugle. Middle Right: Commander Ray and Service Officer Ron had the honor of laying the wreath. Bottom: Pride, Respect, and Honor runs deep in Post NL01. There was nowhere else any of us wanted to be. #LegionStrong

6

Veterans Day at Margraten cont.

7

Veterans Day at Henri-Chapelle

Post NL01 had the privilege of laying a wreath at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery. 2nd Vice Harvey Briggs and Finance Officer Dale Snyder did the honors. We also laid floral tributes for David B. Todd, Ralph S. Snyder, Due Turner, Nate Moss, George Moten, Adam Curtis, Thomas Forte, James Stewart, George Davis, William Nellis, Ysmael Perez, and Frank Pipher.

8

Veterans Day at Henri-Chapelle cont.

eterans Day at Henri-Chapelle

9

Remembrance Day Oud Beijerland 1st Vice Jim Brotherton

The American Legion Post NL 01 attended several remembrance ceremonies this past weekend. One of the ceremonies we were invited to attend was in Oud Beijerland the , just south of Rotterdam. There is a monument to honor the 87 aircrew members who crashed and died in the area of Hoeksche Waard from 1940 to 1945. 10 of these crew members were Dutch Air Force flying from , another 10 were Americans assigned to the USAAF, 7 of which are interned at the American Cemetery located in Margraten the Netherlands, from where we take our name from.

Part of the monument complex is an area of 'digital' tiles of some of the aircrew who died there. This year saw the addition of two more tiles of English aircrew members. Family members of the Marshall and Cox families traveled from England to attend and place the tiles. Aside from the American Legion Post NL01, there was in attendance members of the Dutch Veterans organization, representatives of the five Hoeksche Waard municipalities, officers and members of the Royal British Legion.

A thank you to the Scouting group of Oud Beijerland and the children of the Oud Beijerland school De Klinker.

This was the third such ceremony we have had the honor of attending and look forward to participating in future events. Thank you, Anton De Man, for inviting us and letting us be part of this wonderful ceremony you organize.

10 was already liberated. theI recentlymacabre had work the great of the pleasure troops of difficult.attending a Unstoppabletour of the Alfa rain Brewery m the at theloose invitation soil impassable, of The American filled Europe the burialFriendship pits and theAssociation. coldest winter The AEFA in the is last ran by30 their years President, the spades Mr. Arthur on the Lieuwen, frozen aground great organization break off. and It strongcould supporterbe dangerous of our Post!because theWhile Germans going fromdid nottable hesitate to table Ito happened hide booby upon Wil.traps From from time corpses to time or you to meet place people sharp that grenades you know under are going the to armp be greatits of thefriends. dead. For me Wil Jansen is definitely that guy. Wil is a retired newspaper man and was instrumental in bringing the Dutch newspaper production into the digital age. Through our conversation that night, I learnt that Wil as a young boy of nine was an Fromeyewitness December of the onwards,development it ofwas Margraten mainly Cemetery. black Americans He also told who me dugthat he and wrote buried. articles For about many it. Of residents course, I itasked was if the I could put his story in our newsletter and Wil was happy to acquiesce to my request. ~ Commander Ray first time that they saw a colored person in the flesh. The soldiers buried their dead companions without a coffin because they would later be dug up for a final resting place. They were identified on the basis of the identity plates. One was nailed to the wooden cross or Star of David, a second went into the grave together with personal belongingsMargraten: that were To placed Become in a glass Silent jar. The dead of other allies also found their destination as well as that of the Germans. By Wil Jansen

Until Berlin, the fallen soldiers were fetched with journeys of up to 1200 km. back and forth. Sometimes the GMCThe silencearmy truckson the American brought war500 cemetery body bags in Margraten a day. They is overwhelming. stayed there You for do daysnot know before why, they and youdisappeared cannot escape into it. the You ground.feel small. In theThe springgrassy fieldsof 1945 are browned, I saw how and the8301 stacks marble of crosses nameless and David corpse stars bags light wereup. Spotless dragged white. out The of deadthe loadingsoldiers of bins the Second World War lie there forever in the line; Gathered together on the battlefields of the Ardennes offensive, the Ruhr area andand mounted Limburg. on the ground. Muddled, thudding and sometimes a crack like it was frozen surplus.

AsThe a nine Americans-year- oldexpected boy, many I had deaths driven in theto Margratenautumn of 1944 by onbike. their At advance home, to in Maastricht, we received American soldiersBerlin andalmost they didevery not eveningwant to bury after victims the liberation.in enemy territory. There South was Limburgeaten, drunk, and American army records turned up onwas our already gramophone. liberated. JazzCaptain and Shomon all kinds was instructedof songs. to W finde got a su greenitable cemeterycans of turkey meat and corned beef. For the first for the American 9th Army. Initially it would be in Sittard, but when the timeAmericans I got acquainted deployed their with heavy peanut excavators, butter the that Germans came thoughtin blocks that of a large green, tank greaseproof paper, with bananas, chocolatebattle had and begun. white Their bread. shrapnel Then forced there Shomon were to of sea courserch further. the Incigarettes some and the chewing gum. The Americans exchangedvillages he themknocked against in vain. our He silverdid not dimes. understand The him. residents But in early also October benefited. he Especially the volunteers who helped. Theylanded received in Margraten shoes, where washing the municipal powder, secretary soap, spokecigarettes, English bread and pointed and remnants out from the army kitchen, often in exchangea wide area for of a beet, warm potato shelte andr, stubble a homely fields. atmosphere, In total almost washing 27 ha (66 clothes.acres). The For those who suffered from fleas there decision fell to the Dutch government to make the land available to the United wasStates DDT. forever. Shamrocks Some poor were farmers gratefully could just grasped save the forlast theharvest. manufacture For various of curtains, aprons, shirts, tablecloths and garmentsfarmers with which large was families a major an important shortage. source Even of incomeused body was lost.bags But found the a new destination. farmers understood. "Even the best ground is not good enough for our boys," In ShomonMarch said.1945, Only the ten backlog years later of didburial the farmerswas so of great the government that it appealed receive to the local population. The stench was blowingcompensation to the for village. which theyThe also mayor had toof pay Margraten tax. went home to mobilize the people. The inhabitants came to the rescue,In November dug tombs the construction and carried of the the cemetery corpses began. to it. BarbarousMiscellaneous conditions got made a trauma of the horrors they saw. Huub Bessemsthe macabre from work Margraten, of the troops now difficult. 86 years Unstoppable old and rain then made 15, the says loose that soil he was only able to talk in interviews during 2009impassable, about what filled hethe hadburial seen pits andin his the father'scoldest winter field: in "Hundreds the last 30 years see mthe to be in a row. Those who died from their mutilationsspades on the on frozen the operating ground break table off. were It could almost be dangerous naked. because " Then, the on Germans May 30, 1945, the first Memorial Day broke. Theredid not were hesitate then to more hide booby than traps20,000 from victims corpses. or 17,742 to place Americans, sharp grenades 700 under Russians, 3075 Germans and 300 allies of the armpits of the dead. other nationalities. The population of South Limburg was carrying a sea of flowers. AtFrom the sameDecember time onwards, a citizens' it was initiative mainly black was Americans born to adopt who dug the and American buried. graves. A year later, all 18,764 graves had beenFor adopted.many residents it was the first time that they saw a colored person in the flesh. The soldiers buried their dead companions without a coffin because they would In later1948 be it dug began up for to a befinal reburied resting place. in c rates.They were Again, identified a huge on jobthe basisthat ofoffered the work to many local residents. identity plates. One was nailed to the wooden cross or Star of David, a second Approximatelywent into the grave 10,000 together American with personal deaths belongings were repatriated that were placed to the in US.a glass The Russians and Germans had already been transferredjar. The dead to oftheir other own allies cemeteries. also found their Slowly destination "Margraten" as well as got that itsof thefinal shape. The rectangular boxes were replaced byGermans. a brilliant range of white-marble crosses and David stars. There came a tower, a staff building, a promenade with ponds and the Walls of the Missing, the travertineUntil Berlin, walls the infallen which soldiers the werenames fetched of 1722 with journeysAmericans of up were to 1200 chiseled km. back by and four fort Germans.h. Sometimes the GMC army trucks brought 500 body bags a day. They stayed there for days before they disappeared into the ground. In the spring of 1945 I saw how the stacks of nameless corpse bags were dragged out of the loading bins and mounted on the ground. Muddled, thudding and Queensometimes Juliana a crack officially like it was opened frozen the surplus. cemetery on June 7, 1960. In 2005, President George W. Bush attended the ceremonies with Queen Beatrix. Many citizens' initiatives have led to the publication of books and documentaries. Last year a project started that allowed 3000 photographs of the liberators to be placed near their graves and they were given a face. All 8301 graves and the 1722 missing have been adopted. And with that, all other American cemeteries are surpassed. Self of Normandy. The Foundation Adoption Graves American 11 Cemetery helps the adopters to come into contact with relatives in the US. There are warm friendships, and many have stopped at the graves, found their loved ones, wept and prayed, often together with the inhabitants of the region.

THE SILENCE IS CRUSHED

The silence on the American war cemetery in Margraten is overwhelming. You do not know why, and you cannot escape it. You feel small. The grassy fields are browned, and 8301 marble crosses and David stars light up. Spotless white. The dead soldiers of the Second World War lie there forever in the line; Gathered together on the battlefields of the Ardennes offensive, the Ruhr area and Limburg.

The Americans expected many deaths in the autumn of 1944 on their advance to Berlin and they did not want to bury victims in enemy territory. South Limburg was already liberated. Captain As a nine-year-old boy, I had driven to Margraten by bike. At home, in Maastricht, we received American soldiers almost every evening after the liberation. There was eaten, drunk, and American army records turned up on our gramophone. Jazz and all kinds In ofNovember songs. We thegot greenconstruction cans of turkey of the me cemeteryat and corned began. beef. ForBarbarous the first time conditions I got acquainted made thewith macabre peanut butter work that of came the introops difficult.blocks of Unstoppable green, greaseproof rain paper,made with the bananas,loose soil chocolate impassable, and white filled bread. the Then burial there pits were and of coursethe coldest the cigarettes winter and in thethe last 30 chewingyears the gum. spades The Americans on the frozen exchanged ground them break against off. our Itsilver could dimes. be danger The residents also benefited. Especially the volunteers who helped. They received shoes, washing powder, soap, cigarettes, bread and remnants from the army kitchen, often in exchange for a warm shelter, a homely atmosphere, washing clothes. For those who suffered from fleas there was DDT. Shamrocks were gratefully grasped for the manufacture of curtains, aprons, shirts, tablecloths and garments which was a major shortage. Even used ousbody because bags found the Germans a new destination. did not hesitate to hide booby traps from corpses or to place sharp grenades under the armpits of the dead. In March 1945, the backlog of burial was so great that it appealed to the local population. The stench was blowing to the village. FromThe Decembermayor of Margraten onwards, went it homewas mainlyto mobilize black the people.Americans The inhabitants who dug came and toburied. the rescue, For d manyug tombs residents and carried it was the corpses the firstto timeit. Misc thatellaneous they sawgot a a trauma colored of the person horrors in they the saw. flesh. Huub The Bessems soldiers from buried Margraten, their nowdead 86 companions years old and thenwithout 15, says a coffin that he was only able to talk in interviews during 2009 about what he had seen in his father's field: "Hundreds seem to be in a row. becauseThose whothey d iedwould from later their mutilationsbe dug up on for the a operatingfinal resting table place.were almost They naked. were " identifiedThen, on May on 30, the 1945, basis the of first the Memorial identity Day plates.broke. One There was were nailed then more to the than wooden 20,000 victimscross .or 17,742 Star ofAmericans, David, a700 second Russians, went 3075 into Germans the gr aveand 300together allies of with other personal belongingsnationalities. that The were population placed of in South a glass Limburg jar. wasThe carrying dead of a othersea of flowers.allies also found their destination as well as that of theAt Germans. the same time a citizens' initiative was born to adopt the American graves. A year later, all 18,764 graves had been adopted.

In 1948 it began to be reburied in crates. Again, a huge job that offered work to many local residents. Approximately 10,000 UntilAmerican Berlin, deaths the fallenwere repatriated soldiers towere the US. fetched The Russians with journeys and Germans of up had to already 1200 beenkm. transferredback and toforth. their Somown cemeteries.etimes the GMCSlowly army "Margraten" trucks brought got its final 500 shape. body The bags rectangular a day. Theyboxes werestayed replac thereed byfor a brilliantdays before range ofthey white disappeared-marble crosses into and the ground.David stars.In the There spring came of a 1945tower, I a saw staff howbuilding, the astacks promenade of nameless with ponds corpse and the bags Walls were of the dragged Missing, theout travertine of the loading walls in bins andwhich mounted the names on theof 1722 ground. Americans Muddled, were chiseled thudding by fourand Germans. sometimes a crack like it was frozen surplus.

Queen Juliana officially opened the cemetery on June 7, 1960. In 2005, President George W. Bush attended the ceremonies with AsQueen a nine Beatrix.-year- oldMany boy, citizens' I had initiatives driven tohave Margraten led to the publication by bike. Atof bookshome, and in documentaries. Maastricht, weLast received year a project American started that soldiersallowed almost 3000 photographs every evening of the afterliberators the toliberation. be placed near There their was graves eaten, and theydrunk, were and given Amer a face.ican All army 8301 gravesrecords and turned the 1722 up on missingour gramophone. have been adopted. Jazz andAnd allwith kinds that, all of other songs. American We got cemeteries green cans are surpassed. of turkey Self meat of Normandy. and corned The beef. Foundation For the first timeAdoption I got acquainted Graves American with Cemetery peanut butter helps the that adopters came to in come blocks into of contact green, with greaseproof relatives in the paper, US. There with arebananas, warm friendships, chocolateand many an haved white stopped bread. at the Thengraves, there found were their lovedof course ones, weptthe cigarettes and prayed, and often the together chewing with gum.the inhabitants The Americans of the regi on. exchanged"Interest in them adoption against remains our high", silver says dimes. Ton Hermes, The residents chairman ofalso the benefited. foundation, Especially"Not only in Limburgthe volunteers because whothere arehelped. Theyadoptants received from shoes, Rome towashing Amsterdam. powder, The waiting soap, list cigarettes, has 300 requests bread ".and remnants from the army kitchen, often in exchange for a warm shelter, a homely atmosphere, washing clothes. For those who suffered from fleas there wasThe DDT. next MemorialShamrocks Day wereis on Maygratefully 28th A tributegrasped with for wreath the manufacturelayouts, speeches of, curtains,the "Last Post" aprons, and theshirts, flyover tablec whereloths formations and garmentsof four Dutch which and was American a major Starfighters shortage. each Even bring used a thundering body bags salute found by flying a new low destination.over the cemetery and the thousands of people present and end with the formation 'missing man'. Right above the cemetery, a device suddenly breaks loose and rises skyward perpendicularly. In March 1945, the backlog of burial was so great that it appealed to the local population. The stench was blowing to the village. The mayor of Margraten went home to mobilize the people. The inhabitants came to the rescue,Then thedug silence tombs falls and again carried over "Margraten"the corpses and to thousandsit. Miscellaneous go home quietly. got a trauma of the horrors t, on May 30, 1945, the first Memorial Day broke. There were then more than 20,000 victims. 17,742 Americans, 700 Russians,

3075 Germans and 300 allies of other nationalities. The population of South Limburg was carryingWil Jansen a sea of flowers. At the same time a citizens' initiative was born to adopt the American graves. A year later, all 18,764 graves had been adopted.

In 1948 it began to be reburied in crates. Again, a huge job that offered work to many local residents. 12 Approximately 10,000 American deaths were repatriated to the US. The Russians and Germans had already been transferred to their own cemeteries. Slowly "Margraten" got its final shape. The rectangular boxes were replaced by a brilliant range of white-marble crosses and

Post NL01 Legionnaire Spotlight

From the Viet Nam era to active duty folks, our post is blessed with many incredible people representing all the services. Putting a few of our Legionnaires under the spotlight is a regular feature in our newsletter. I think it’s important to learn more about our comrades and benefit from their stories. ~ Commander Ray

Allen B. Wusterbarth

They say once you get Offutt you never get off it. Well after THE SILENCE IS CRUSHED serving there for 11 years as my first duty station I was able to From December onwards, it was mainly black Americanscome who to dugGermany. and buried.Since I have For beenmany here residents my family it and was I havethe first time that they saw a colored person in the flesh. Thehad soldiers quite a wonderfulburied their experience. dead companions So much so that without I extended a coffin my because they would later be dug up for a final resting place.time Theyhere beyond were theidentified 4 years I onoriginally the basis agreed of to.the identity plates. One was nailed to the wooden cross or Star of David,My story a second begins inwent Southern into California.the grave Whiletogether growing with up personal in belongings that were placed in a glass jar. The dead of otherPalm alliesDesert also(near foundPalm Springs) their destination I became interested as well in as flying that of the Germans. besides playing the Tuba in Marching Band, during my sophomore year I went to the AF Academy. I found out that my Until Berlin, the fallen soldiers were fetched with journeyseyesight of up wasn’t to 1200 good km. enough back to beand a pilot.forth. After Sometimes graduating the from High school, I then went on to the local community college and then transferred to Collins College, Tempe AZ, and started my GMCpath army down trucksbecoming brought a professional 500 body Computer bags Geeka day. by Theyearning stayed my Associates there for of daysApplied before Science they in PC/Networking disappeared intoin 2002. the ground.Shortly In before the spring my graduation, of 1945 the I sawdot-com how bubble the stacks crash had of fulnamelessly engulfed corpse the tech bags industry were and dragged no one wasout hiring,of the in loading-fact they bins andwere mounted downsizing, on the drastically. ground. I Muddled,looked into servingthudding in the and Air sometimes Force again, a partially crack likebecause it was of 9/11 frozen as well surplus. as to fully scratch that itch to fly (I learned from one of my college classmates that Enlisted could fly!). I signed up in Phoenix, AZ to join in late 2002, As buta nine I broke-year my- oldwrist boy, mountain I had biking driven and to the Margraten Doctor said by I wouldn’t bike. At be home, able to indo Maastricht,push-ups for at we least received six months American let alone all the other tasks that Basic Training would require. I then delayed entering until October 2003. soldie rs almost every evening after the liberation. There was eaten, drunk, and American army records turned up on Myour further gramophone. exploration Jazz of the and world all kindsbegan onceof songs. I graduated We gotAF BMTgreen in cans November of turkey of 2003, meat after and technical corned school, beef. I finallyFor the first timearrived I got at acquainted my first duty with station, peanut Offutt butt AFBer located that came in Bellevue, in blocks NE. Whileof green, there greaseprooffor the next 11 paper, years I withworked bananas, as an Airborne chocolateSystems andEngineer white 1 aboard bread. the Then RC- 135there V/W were Rivet of Joint, course becoming the cigarettes an Instructor and and the Evaluator. chewing I gotgum. to workThe inAmericans multiple exchangedsquadrons them finishing against in the our38 Reconnaissance silver dimes. Squadron. The residents While on also multiple benefited. TDYs IEspecially earned 4,954 the hours volunteers flying around who the helped. world in support of many operations, including Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. I left Offutt AFB in March They2015 received for NATO shoes, Geilenkirchen washing Air powder, Base. I worksoap, in cigarettes,Squadron 1 asbread the Operations and remnants Superintendent from the and army fly on kitchen, the E-3A often AWAC inS as exchangea Systems for Technician a warm withshelter, about a 700homely hours atmosphere,on the E-3A. I washingearned my clothes.Instructor For rating those a couple who of suffered months ago. from Working fleas inthere this wasinternational DDT. Shamrocks environment were is greatly gratefully rewarding, grasped learning for aboutthe manufacture all the other cultures of curtains, and other aprons, viewpoints shirts, of basically tablecloths anyth anding has garmentsbeen quite which the eye was-opener a major as I expected. shortage. Even used body bags found a new destination.

Enough about me, now to talk about my family and hobbies. I married Amber, my better half, in 2011 and we have a son and a In Marchdaughter; 1945, Abe who the isbacklog four and of a half, burial and was Athea so who great is a that little it over appealed a year old. to Wethe werelocal only popul ableation. to bring The over stench one of wasour pets, blowingour cat toPeppey the village. La Pew, Thenamed mayor after the of cartoon Margraten character went except home it's tohis mobilize belly that isthe white people. instead The of his inhabitants back. We enjoy came to the rescue,travelling dug andtombs seeing and the carried history thatthe Europecorpses has to to it. offer. Miscellaneous Just recently we got went a trauma on an epic of theroad horrors trip to Berlin, they Poznan,saw. Huub Krakow, Prague, and Munich. Last year we were able to go to Normandy and see Omaha Beach in December.

For fun, I continue to educate myself about information systems. I am currently working on learning the Python programming language as part of my aspirations to become a full stack web developer (that involves designing web pages and the systems behind the scenes too); I earned my Bachelors of Science in Information Systems a couple of years ago. Before I get to mess around on my computer I try my hand at woodworking (I have many projects Pinterested), playing video games on my Xbox (currently Battlefield 1 at the moment, and am a huge fan of the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series), trying to play the Piano and Trumpet (nowhere near as good as when I played the Tuba), and playing with my son’s toys while he tries to take apart what I’ve made. I currently am the Community Director for the Top 3 for the Tri-Border area and the President for Catholic Parish Advisory Council at Geilenkirchen.

I look forward to becoming more involved with the American Legion post and seeing all of my fellow comrades at meetings and functions.

13

William Leonard Eagle Scout Ceremony

It was a great honor and privilege to present the Good Citizenship Citation to BSA Troop 100 newest Eagle Scout William David Leonard!

An OUTSTANDING achievement and a true credit to his wonderful family! Leonard gave thanks to his Mother Jodi and father Terry. He also thanked his scouting mentors, especially Scout Master Billy Raine! Huge thanks to Post Historian Dennis Owens for the photos! Post NL01 looks forward to providing continue support to Troop 100! ~ Commander Ray

14

B-17 42-3195 75th Commemoration Post NL01 had a killer night at Trunk or Treat! What a th great crew! Thanks to Ron, Dale, Lita, Karlijn, Kiara, and On October 14 Legionnaires Andy Clevenger and Historian Melissa! We decided that next year, we need to step up Dennis Owens supporting the B17 42-3195 75th our spooky presentation game!! Commemoration. The ceremony started at 13:50hrs which was the time of day the B17 crashed. Always remember.

THE AMERICAN LEGION – WHO WE ARE The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, and community service organization, which now numbers 2.4 million - men and women - in more than 14,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. These Posts are organized into 55 Departments – one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The American Legion has its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in Washington, D.C. In addition to thousands of volunteers, serving in leadership and program implementation capacitiesyears werefrom thealso communities a time of tolegal the Legion’sracial discrimination, standing national commissions and committees, the national organization has a professionalmarginalization staff of about of women250 employees. and an ever-present fear of nuclear annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union. Membership eligibility in The American Legion is based on honorable service within the U.S. Armed Forces between April 6, 1917 and November 11, 1918 (); December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (World War II); June 25, 1950, and January 31, 1955 (Korean war); December 22, 1961, and May 7, 1975 (Vietnam War); August 24, 1982, and July 31, 1984 (Lebanon/Grenada); December 20, 1989, and January 31, 1990 (Operation Just Cause – Panama); or August 2, 1990, until the date of the end of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States.

PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITIUTION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION For God and Country we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the great wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the

classes and the masses; to make right the master of

might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to

safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate Legionnaire Andy Clevenger represented Margraten Post at the and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to International Fraternity Remembrance at Linnich. mutual helpfulness.

15

Bagger for a Day

The Post did a great job doing “Bagger for a Historian Visits Irish Posts Day” at USAG Schinnen Commissary. We also had a Awareness Table going! Many Thanks to Post Historian Dennis Owens visited the Irish Posts as part of his Krista Davis, Kiara Valencia, Ron Macauley & Department officer duties. He was able to mount our Post license plate on Son, Harvey Briggs, Jim Brotherton, and Andy the wall of a historic pub on the 100 year anniversary of the end of the Great War. Clevenger. ~ Commander Ray

years were also a time of legal racial discrimination, marginalization of women and an ever-present fear of nuclear

annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union.

The Department of France Commander James Dennis and Department Chaplain Harvey Briggs III pay tribute to late veteran Robert Lee Smith at the start of the 2nd Department Executive Committee.

16

The American Legion Extension Institute has been rewritten, updated, streamlined and enhanced with videos, digital photos, clickable links, a historical timeline and additional features. The program should take less than two hours to complete. It is divided into six sections, with a quiz at the end of each one, followed by a final exam.

The course is free for members. The training took me a little over 2 hours to complete, but there is no time limit on the course. You can return to where you left off anytime you wish for as many times as you want. Once complete you will get a printable Certificate of Completion and the opportunity to order the redesigned lapel/cap pin pictured above.

I found this training to be a great jumping off point for any new legionnaire. Anyone who participates in Awareness Drives should have this information in their toolbag!

As an Historian I of course foun d the History & Organization module to be the most interesting and fun but the section on Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation was very eye- opening.

This Basic Training package is an outstanding gateway of knowledge into the nation’s largest veteran’s service organization and an opportunity not to be missed.

After taking the course it opens your eyes to what we really can accomplish and do, I never really knew how much the Legion was involved in.. Should have joined years ago! ~ Post NL01 Sgt-at- Arms Mark Chernek

17

Words from Service Officer Ron

We consider ourselves quite lucky to have Ron Macauley as our SO. As you read in our last newsletter, Ron’s civilian job carries many of the responsibilities and tasks asked of a Legion Post Service Officer. Part of Ron’s job entails keeping veterans’ informed of their benefits and any change in policy that could affect those benefits. ~ Commander Ray

Make a One-On-One Appointment!

DATE: 3 & 4 December 2018 TIME: 9 am-4 pm PLACE: JFC Library Conference Room

The Veteran's Administration (VA) will have a representative at the JFC Brunssum library on 19 & 20 Sep 2018 from 9 am - 4 pm to meet with anyone who would like a one-on-one appointment. If you have any questions about your *Veteran's benefits, now or in the future, this is the person to speak with.

*To those who are looking for answers specifically on disability and compensation there will also be a VA representative present who specializes in this area.

To schedule an appointment, please call DSN: 314-606- 244-3848 or CIV 045-526-3848 -or- E-mail: [email protected]

November is Military Family Appreciation Month! Throughout the month, military families are honored and recognized for their commitment and contributions in support of our military and nation.

18

Margraten Post NL01 Monthly Meeting Photos

Top Left: Max participations during October Meeting! Top Right: SO Ron and Warren T enjoying the Brisket!

Middle Left: Commander Ray presenting Jim Scott his Eifel Pin!

Middle Right: Presenting Rosalie Smith the Post POW/MIA Coin as a memento to honor her late husband Robert Lee Smith.

Bottom: MARGRATEN STRONG FRONT AND CENTER!

19

Faces of Margraten Initiative

Almost two-thirds of all soldiers now have a face! Ever since Sebastiain Vonk and the Faces of Margraten (FOM) Group allowed our Post to actively participate in and help with the setup and recollection efforts of FOM last May, we have been actively looking for the remaining faces of our fallen heroes. We will post on this page all the faces we have found as part of this effort. If you are interested in joining the effort, please contact us at [email protected]

We would like to thank Carbon County School District in Utah for their months of searching and finding the picture of TSgt. John Mancina!

20