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The Richard H. Stewart, Jr. Post 543, Inc. Annual Report

Fiscal Year July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020

The Richard H. Stewart, Jr. American Legion Post 543, named in recognition of one of the first Americans to perish at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and launched in October 2011 with seventeen members, is now over two hundred and thirty strong. Who are we? We are veterans still serving America.

Our Vision Serve veterans under the four pillars of the American Legion and take care of one another.

Our Mission Advocate patriotism and honor, to mentor youth, and to promote a strong national security, all the

while devoting ourselves to our fellow service members and veterans.

Goals • Nurture a culture of service to veterans and their families.

• Strive to meet the needs of our fellow Post members and local area veterans.

• Provide support and assistance to veterans’ programs.

• Grow membership participation in the ongoing efforts of our Post.

• Partner with external organizations to improve Post programs.

• Comply with Department, Division and District requirements.

Summary of Achievements In realization of these worthy goals, Post 543 remarkably supports over seventy different programs and activities highlighted in the following report. The 2019-20 Fiscal Year highlights included:

• A spectacular growth in our numbers and an attendant expansion in membership involvement

• Successful execution of formal agreements codifying the regularization of Post relationships with important community partners

• Streamlining our organizational structure and updating our Post Constitution & By-Laws

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• Unstinted support of our fellow veterans and active duty personnel

• Vivid demonstrations of our firm commitment to Americanism and youth

• Proudly presenting our Colors at commemorative and honorific ceremonies

• Amplifying communications within the Post membership and the community at large

• Standing firm and responding to the needs of others in the face of a horrific pandemic

• Standardized uniform procurement making it easy to meet the needs of all members

• Created the Post 543 “101 Class” to educate members on all the activities and programs of the Post and making it easier for them to plug in and serve

• Reduced overhead expenses to ~7% with 93 cents of every dollar raised serving others

Notable Accomplishments 2019-2020 Reorganization: Our mission and the organizational framework for Post 543 programs and activities are guided by the Four Pillars of the American Legion’s 1919 Congressional Charter -- Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. The Four Pillars served as the guidepost for a major reorganization of the Post’s command structure implemented in July 2019, restructuring the executive committee, changing some titles, formalizing the chain of command, and providing a framework for delineating officers’ responsibilities and the accountability of the committees they are responsible to oversee. Once instituted and disseminated to the members, the reorganization plan was incorporated into an orientation course for new and prospective members accessible from the Post website. The plan succeeded in widening members’ involvement and fostering new opportunities to more effectively utilize the huge pool of talent within the Post membership for the larger benefit of the Post and the communities we serve.

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Membership: Thanks in large measure to the energetic and effective leadership of the Vice Commander for Membership and his Membership Committee, Post 543 membership this year expanded by 17 percent, far exceeding the goal set by the American Legion Department of North Carolina, raising our numbers to 232 members at the end of June 2020. To codify and regularize important operational and ceremonial procedures the Post Commander and Judge Advocate negotiated formal agreements with two vital community partners: The NC Post 543 and Cape Fear Memorial Park Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) signed in February 2020 formalizes a heretofore informal arrangement initiated several years ago by Post 543 Legionnaires to support “Wreaths Across America,” a nationwide effort to lay wreaths at the graves of all veterans interred in our national cemeteries. The MOA further extends the association between the Post and Cape Fear Memorial Park, entrusting Post 543 to promote, monitor, and maintain the proper display of all flags, including the continuous flying and maintenance of the flag of the United States and the rotation of Service flags and the POW-MIA flag on the cemetery’s three flagstaffs. Post 543 will maintain a standing Honor Guard to provide honors at the time of a Veteran’s internment and be permitted throughout the year to conduct various ceremonies to honor veterans, including placement of wreaths,

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small American flags and Service flags at individual burial sites during various holidays. This area also serves as a “live” training facility for the Post and those we mentor including the Cape Fear Civil Air Patrol and South Brunswick High School JROTC Color Guards. This agreement further assures and endorses the firm and lasting imprint of Post 543 on major honorific ceremonies in our immediate community.

[Pictured above: The Post 543 Honor Guard salutes, as the Post Bugler sounds “Taps” in memory of fallen comrades. Memorial Day 2020 at the Cape Fear Memorial Park.]

The NC Post 543 and the Town of St. James Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) executed in June 2020 grants Post 543 sole responsibility for the maintenance of the St. James Veterans Memorial, including the monument, existing brick walkway, landscaping, and electrical illumination. The St. James Veterans Memorial, a striking black and gray granite monument located in front of the St. James Town Hall, is revered by residents as a sacred place to honor the sacrifices of their friends and family members who served in the armed services. The Post is now responsible for raising the necessary funds to maintain the Memorial which is done largely through the sale and installation of additional memorial bricks. The MOA also permits the Post to hold various ceremonies to honor veterans, including but not limited to Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and 9/11. The Town of St. James has granted the Post all necessary access to the Veterans Memorial and, very significantly, permitted the Post to store property for sustainment and ceremonies in the Town’s Community Center. Thus, for the first time in the brief history of Post 543, we have a duly authorized official Post address and physical “home”, for our property at the St. James Community Center.

[Pictured above: The presentation of colors by the Post 543 Honor Guard at the November 2019 Veterans Day Ceremony in

front of the St. James Veterans Memorial.]

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To heighten communications within the membership and to familiarize and regularly update the community at large with Post 543 programs and activities, in October 2019 the Post inaugurated the publication of a splendid new quarterly Post 543 Newsletter, which brilliantly compliments our award-winning www.NCPost543.org website. To broaden our appeal to prospective donors, the Commander and Finance Officer, working with a local brokerage and investment banking firm, opened an investment account, a Legacy Account enabling our Post to receive donations in the form of stocks and to be “named” by individuals as an estate beneficiary. In September 2019 the Post 543 Ministry Team, consisting of six members under the direction of the Post Chaplain, was chartered to care for the needs of members and local veterans. The COVID-19 Pandemic forced cancellation, postponement, or modification of many Post activities, but it did not dampen Legionnaires’ spirits or stifle our commitment to serve. Answering our commander’s call to “face a new enemy, as deadly as those we encountered when we served overseas or on the home front during a time of war,” Post 543 mobilized its resources to assist small businesses, community groups, and individual veterans in need. These highlights speak to only a few of the significant Post 543 accomplishments of the past year. Let us now look at the Post activities under the guidance of our officers and key committees.

Veterans’ Affairs and Rehabilitation The Service Officer, responsible for advising Veterans and their dependents on their rights and benefits granted to them by law, chairs the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Committee, which is tasked with validating and coordinating assistance for Post Veterans and other Veterans throughout the community. Post 543 fortunately has a Service Officer uniquely qualified for the position, a man who served forty-two years in the federal government with service as a Veterans Administration representative. With his guidance the Post has seen an impressive increase in both the range and depth of assistance to veterans and their families. What does a Service Officer do? During the period covered by this report, the Service Officer and Veterans Assistance Team had forty-two separate “contacts” with Veterans in need of assistance, logging over five hundred hours of service. Eight of the forty-two contacts involved some financial outlay from the Post. One story tells a lot. A call came in from a local Social Worker: “A Veteran needs help, can you assist?” The Service Officer and the Judge Advocate were directed to an extended-stay hotel in Shallotte, NC where they found a female Veteran from Tennessee with a 100 percent service-connected disability. She had experienced a mental health crisis, resulting in a three-day involuntary hospitalization and the impoundment of her vehicle. After release from the hospital, she had no funds to retrieve her vehicle. Our Judge Advocate completed her application and expedited disbursement of a loan through the Army Relief Fund that arrived within a couple of hours via Western Union. The two Legionnaires then negotiated release of her vehicle for less than the amount due, arranged transportation to take her to her car the next morning, saw her safely off, and contacted her local Legion Post in Tennessee for follow-up following her arrival back home. Job well done! The Service Officer and his committee work closely with Veteran Affairs (VA) officials to assist Veterans in filing claims and registering for benefits. This year, to cite just a few examples, the Veterans Assistance

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Team: aided a Korean War Veteran from Oak Island, NC secure burial benefits; helped a Vietnam War Veteran reopen a benefits claim that boosted his disability rating from 50 percent to 100 percent and added special monthly compensation; and, helped yet another Vietnam Veteran apply for VA care for multiple medical issues and for an increased disability rating. Until contacting our Post Service Officer, over the last 50 years this Veteran paid private doctors for medical care, including nine operations and knee and ankle reconstructions caused by severe war wounds. . The Service Officer and his team regularly met and worked with VA benefits staff personnel in Winston-Salem, NC and with medical staff at the Wilmington VA clinic, the Fayetteville, NC VA Medical Center, and Brunswick County, NC Veteran Services representatives. The Post Judge Advocate contributed his professional expertise, assisting the Service Officer in reviewing veterans’ medical records, analyzing the implications of certain injuries and illnesses in regards to benefits, and sharing his understanding of the applicability of laws and regulations regarding the award of benefits based on purported service-connected injuries and illnesses. One case required over 20 hours of legal research and subsequent drafting of a legal argument for a veteran’s appeal to a higher level of review at the Winston-Salem, NC VA offices. Each year Post 543 assists in arranging the NC Veterans Experience Action Center (VEAC) that connects local veterans with representatives of the VA. The Post puts veterans in contact with representatives from the VA and assists with filing claims, registering for benefits, securing Veteran Identification Cards (VIC) and, in general, learning more about the VA. At past events local veterans have immediately been qualified for retroactive benefits totaling over one million dollars. Unfortunately, the April 2020 event was rescheduled for a later date because of COVID-19. Post 543 serves veterans many ways. For example, Post 543, in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity and the Seabees, coordinate the building of access ramps to make life easier for disabled veterans and their families. And this year, working with the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition, the Veterans Assistance Team was successful in assisting six Veterans in finding housing alternatives. Finally, there was the case of a World War II Veteran, Alex P. Moskowitz, a resident of Supply, NC who saw action on Okinawa and the Battle of Leyte Gulf and was unable to properly celebrate his 97th birthday because of the pandemic. Post 543, in partnership with American Legion Post 503 of Shallotte, NC, and with the support of various local law enforcement agencies, arranged a “Birthday Drive By.” Over one hundred vehicles drove past the revered veteran’s house, as riders waved and wished him Happy Birthday!

Americanism and Children and Youth The Deputy Vice Commander for Americanism supervises both the Americanism and Children and Youth Committees. The Americanism Committee strives to instill patriotism and citizenship through education and leadership, working with educational institutions and other organizations supporting Americanism and citizenry in our communities. The Children and Youth Committee, working with educational institutions and various community organizations, fosters self-improvement opportunities and implements programs to help youths accomplish their goals. Post 543 Legionnaires have volunteered many hours in the local schools teaching over twenty different courses ranging from the history of each armed service, the U.S. Constitution, leadership, financial

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management, and writing. The Post provides financial assistance for uniforms and equipment to the South Brunswick High School (SBHS) Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and a Post 543 Legionnaire who was an Army Sniper while on Active Duty serves as their coach. Other Post members work with and mentor students attending the Brunswick County Early College High School (BCECHS) supporting the Schools Robotics Team and the Post provides financial support to students enabling them to attend statewide competitions. In January 2020 Post 543 conducted its seventh American Legion Constitutional Speech Contest. Two Legionnaires mentored three students who competed for the top prize in the Post 543 contest in which each contestant speaks about the U.S. Constitution. Dallas Russ, a ninth grader from the Brunswick County Early College High School (BCECHS), won the Post contest. Dallas went on to win the District 9 level contest, finishing third in the Division Level competition. With all three of this year’s competitors returning next year, the Post contest promises to be even better looking forward.

[The 2020 Post 543 Constitutional Speech Contest scholarship winners. Pictured from left: Post member Dr. Jim Hilty, District Vice-Commander Mike Fegan, Aubrey Sherrod (Third Place $500), Dallas Russ (First Place, $1,000), and Andrew Jackson (Second Place, $700), and Post 543 Commander George Freeman.]

The Post provides financial and in-kind support for numerous youth groups. For example, in July Post 543 supported the Eagle Scout project of Chandler Kurth, who created an outdoor classroom for the Southport Christian School; in September the Post provided scholarship funds to Scout Troop 262/1262 for Sarah Long to attend a week-long National Youth Leadership Training Program; and in March selected Hunter Lee as its Eagle Scout of the Year. At the November 2019 meeting the Post awarded $400.00 to support Computers for Kids, an organization that collects and refurbishes computers that are then donated to local schoolchildren.

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[Pictured above: Commander George Freeman presents Doug Koontz, founder/president of Brunswick County Computers for Kids, with a check. On the right is Chuck Blackburn, Vice Commander for Americanism, Children and Youth.]

In February, the Post made a $350.00 donation to the United States Air Force Auxiliary, Brunswick County North Carolina Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron for the purchase of new uniforms. In addition to the funds, members of the Post Honor Guard assisted with the initial stand-up of the Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadrons’ Color Guard by providing the necessary equipment and training to CAP personnel. The Post continues to provide ongoing training to CAP Cadets.

[Pictured above: Post 543 Commander George Freeman, CAP Squad Commander Karl Noffke, and Chuck Blackburn, Post 543 Deputy Vice Commander at the February 2020 Post meeting.]

Post 543 recognizes the value of our first responders and law enforcement officers. Each year we submit nominations for the North Carolina American Legion Law Enforcement and EMT Officer of the Year Awards. This year the Post nominated Southport Police Chief Todd Coring and Brunswick County EMS Training Coordinator Rich Burns for the honors. Assisting students in attaining their educational goals is one of the principal purposes of the Children and Youth Committee. This year the Post awarded approximately eight thousand dollars thousands in scholarships and assisted students in securing additional funds. In September 2019 our Post nominee, Kelley Whitehurst, won one of the highly prized Colon Furr Memorial Nursing Scholarships, named in honor of a former Department of North Carolina Commander and VA Hospital worker. The Richie Stewart Hat Trick Scholarships are awarded each year to students who successfully demonstrate extraordinary achievements in scholarship, community service, and extra-curricular activities. In June 2020 the Post awarded a total of $6,500.00 in scholarships to South Brunswick High School students Owen Herring, Elizabeth Pratt, Anhelys Barajas-Rivera, Jackson Boldt, Lucas Boldt, Robert Hampton, and Braydon Williams.

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The Post annually sponsors high school students from South Brunswick High School and the Brunswick County Early College High School to attend Boys State and Girls State, two separate week long retreats where students develop leadership skills and learn about the workings of state government. We also sponsor the NC Trooper Program, which gives high school students a first-hand look at the daily duties of State Troopers. Nicholas Berry, a 2020 graduate of Brunswick County Early College High School (BCECHS), offered his assessment of his experience at Boys State in 2019. “NC Boys State,” Nicholas said, “provides an amazing education in government and politics.” Participants, he related, gain firsthand experience in drafting legislation, debating, voting, upholding the rule of law, and appropriating finances. “Boys State,” he concluded, “changed my goals in life.” Now determined to go to law school, Nicholas hopes other NC students will take advantage of this “once in a lifetime opportunity.” The Post also supports Youth and Family assistance programs. At the November 2019 Post meeting Post Commander George Freeman, with Deputy Vice Commander for Americanism, Chuck Blackburn, presented Mr. Charles Jackson, Director, Operations & Outreach, Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA), with a check (pictured below) to support their holiday Angel Tree program.

Another highly successful annual event is the repeated success of the Post 543 “Chili Chicks” (Betty Pratt, Jean Sessa, Barb Blackburn, Judy Freeman, and Lesley Bennet) in winning the Civitan’s annual Chili Cook off three times in the last four years. In the spirit of supporting others, at the November Post meeting the winners (pictured below with Commander George Freeman) graciously donated the $1,000.00 first prize winnings back to the Civitans to assist in providing iPads for the over one hundred exceptional children in Brunswick County classrooms.

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Resource Development Under the direction of the 1st Vice Commander (Resource Development) the St James Military Appreciation Day (SJMAD) Committee’s mission is to plan and conduct the principal fund-raising events that Post 543 undertakes to generate its annual operating funds. This normally consists of three events: the annual Poppy Sale, a Patriotic Concert in the Woodlands Park, and the St James Military Appreciation Golf Tournament. Revenue from these events is the main source of Post 543’s annual income. On July 13, 2019, the Post held its annual St James Military Appreciation Day (SJMAD) golf tournament (participants pictured below). Donations from St James, Arbor Creek and other local area residents, local businesses, and tournament participants, combined with other SJMAD activities, yielded a net $49,000.00 donation to the Post. The annual Poppy distribution was held on November 9, 2019 at Lowes Hardware. Without these funds the broader mission of Post 543, to serve our veterans and our community, would be severely impacted.

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Honors and Ceremonies The Honors and Ceremonies Committee, comprised of the Post Honor Guard and our newly added Bagpiper, are responsible for conducting military funeral honors for fallen veterans; planning and conducting the annual Memorial Day, 9/11 Remembrance Day and Veterans Day ceremonies; representing the Post in various local parades; and presenting the Colors for civic organizations and at monthly Post meetings.

[Pictured above: Post 543 member Dennis Ryan plays the bagpipes at the November 11, 2019 Veterans Day service.]

This year the Post Commander and Honor Guard Chairman conducted an extensive outreach program to all local funeral directors in southeast Brunswick County to educate them on the Military Funeral Honors ceremony available to any fallen veteran. However, because of restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the Honor Guard conducted only four funeral honors ceremonies, a lower number than expected. The Honor Guard, with their still-sharp military bearing, make a memorable impression at patriotic events across the region. On September 11, 2019, the Honor Guard coordinated the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in conjunction with the St James Fire Department before a standing room only audience that filled the Town of St. James Community Center. The guest speaker (pictured below) was Post 543 member, Kirk Davis, US Army Colonel (Ret.), a survivor of the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon.

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On November 11, 2019, the Honor Guard conducted the annual St James Veterans Day ceremony, a moving tribute to all who have served. Opening remarks were provided by Post Commander George Freeman with Colonel Heather Carlisle, Commander of Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal, serving as the guest speaker (pictured below).

On December 11, 2019, the Honor Guard continued a thoughtful tradition instituted initially by a Post member of placing a service flag (pictured below) and holiday wreath at the grave of every veteran at the Cape Fear Memorial Park.

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The Post Color Guard was honored to lead the St James Founders Parade on July 1, 2019 and to march in the Southport July 4th Festival parade. On November 9, 2019, the Color Guard marched in the annual Wilmington Veterans Day parade and in December turned out for the annual Oak Island “Christmas by the Sea” Parade. Being a member of the Color Guard requires stamina and good shoes.

[Pictured above: Post 543 proudly stepped off at the 2019 Southport 4th of July parade, followed by Post Commander George Freeman riding in a Korean War-vintage Jeep.]

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[Picture above: The Post 543 Color Guard, with bagpiper leads the Southport July 4, 2019 Parade.]

The Honor Guard is a patriotic presence at numerous events in the community. They present the colors at every monthly Post meeting and they raise the flag to start the SJMAD Golf tournament. In November 2019, the Color Guard participated with the leadership of Brunswick Community College to recognize and honor their veteran students. And on November 11, 2019, the Color Guard presented the colors for a veteran recognition ceremony held at the Carillion (now Elmcroft) Assisted Living Center, honoring veterans of WWII and Korea. When a young area service member-- Army SPC Antonio Moore--made the ultimate sacrifice while on duty in Syria, Post 543 members turned out in Wilmington on a chilly rainy February day to honor his return. As a somber funeral procession carried Moore from the airport to the funeral home, Legionnaires (pictured below) lined Gardner Boulevard and, at the command of the 1st Vice Commander to present arms, saluted as the procession passed.

Memorial Day, May 25, 2020 was memorable because of the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. With only the Honor Guard and the Post Executive Committee participating, two abbreviated ceremonies were conducted. At the first ceremony, held at Cape Fear Memorial Park the Honor Guard

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quietly and respectfully placed an American flag on every veteran’s grave, then solemnly gathered at the flagpole and came to attention as the bugler played “Taps.” This was followed by a brief Memorial Day ceremony at the St James Veterans Memorial, again with only a few attending and each maintaining proper social distance. After the playing of the National Anthem and appropriate honors, prayers were offered for the country and its fallen heroes; a memorial wreath was placed at the Memorial, followed by “Taps” from the bugler and “Amazing Grace” by the bagpiper. Said the Vice Commander who served as ceremony coordinator, “We hope our nation remembers those who loved freedom and their countrymen enough to die for them.”

National Security

Directed by the Deputy Vice Commander for Active Duty Support, the Active Duty Committee provides support to active duty members stationed near Post 543 to improve service members’ morale and demonstrate community support. Coordinating with military leadership, the Active Duty Committee hosts active duty members at various events and provides personal support and mentorship. Maintaining liaison with the Coast Guard Station Oak Island is an integral part of the Active Duty Support Committee’s mission. The Committee, therefore, was delighted with the positive response and good will created by the Post’s gift of a bugle to the Station for use at Coast Guard ceremonies at sea and for funerals. The Post contributes to a number of organizations assisting disabled and active duty military and their families. In July 2019 at the 12th annual St. James Military Appreciation Day golf tournament the Post donated $1,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project through the Golf Balls as Gifts Program. The Post has contributed funds to Operation at Ease to provide “R&R” to military families, helped feed soldiers in town for summer training at the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, and assisted disabled and active duty military and veterans and their families with donations to organizations such as Fisher House of Charleston, the Folds of Honor, and Special Operations Warrior Foundations.

[Pictured above: From the left, Deputy Vice Commander Dan Bennett and Post member Tom Picinich, with Wounded Warriors Will Stewart and Ted Jernicain, enjoy ‘Peer’ fishing at Ocean Pier on Oak Island.].

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A highpoint of the year was the Wounded Warrior 'Peer' Fishing at Ocean Crest Pier on Oak Island, coordinated by Operation North State (ONS), the all-volunteer organization offering unique support services for North Carolina's deployed troops and veterans-in-need. The annual fishing event uses a play on the words “peer” and “pier” to underline the special bond between veterans and their wounded-in-action comrades. Nearly one hundred veterans participated in the October event. Post 543 volunteers found it a highly rewarding day assisting disabled veterans getting together for a day of camaraderie. ONS Founder and Director, Terry Snyder (pictured below with Commander George Freeman) was a guest speaker at the November 2019 Post meeting and received a $1,000 check to further ONS programs. In December, the Post collaborated again with ONS to identify North Carolina service members away from home during the Holidays and to provide funding to send them holiday gift packages of North Carolina-made goods as reminders of home.

The 244th birthday of the Marine Corps was celebrated in style with the arrival of a bus load of active duty Marines from Camp Lejeune for a day of golf, dinner and camaraderie, sponsored and arranged by Post 543 Legionnaires. Troon paid for the golf fees and the Post covered the dinner. Another bus load of Marines, along with other service members away from home enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in the homes of Post members. Both events graciously organized and coordinated by the Active Duty Support Committee spurred on with the unflagging dedication of a dedicated Post member.

Finance The Finance Committee, led by the Finance Officer, prepares the annual budget, monitors budget execution, and recommends necessary changes to the budget, as well as overseeing the yearly audit, submitting annual renewal of the Solicitation License, and reporting regularly to the Executive Committee and the membership. Significant accomplishments this year include securing a higher interest rate for a CD holding Post reserves and opening a brokerage account with an investment firm to enable receiving stocks as donations. The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the postponement of our major fund-raising events, posed a huge challenge financially and brought a great many budgetary adjustments toward the end of the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year. The Post proactively addressed this financial crisis and successfully mitigated its adverse impact. The chart below illustrates the timeline of financial planning events which led to the ability to sustain support to all essential mission areas.

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Post Ministry The mission of the Post Ministry Team is to encourage, comfort, and service the physical, emotional and/or spiritual needs of Post members, their family members or others, as determined by the Commander. The Ministry Team, established in September 2019, is led by the Post Chaplain, with an Advisory Committee comprised of past Post Chaplains and a Working Committee of volunteers. The Ministry Team identifies and reports the names of members that are ill or deceased and extends appropriate comfort and/or condolences. The Ministry Team visits ailing Legionnaires who are hospitalized, in a nursing home or confined to their homes.

Honoring a tradition extending back to World War I, in October 2019 the Chaplain and the Ministry Team organized a special Post ceremony to honor twenty-three "Blue Star" families from St James. Each family (pictured below) was presented a blue star garden flag, each blue star emblematic of the number of family members currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces.

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In December 2019, in an extraordinary gesture of comradeship, the Post Ministry Team adopted the Elmcroft Assisted Living Facility in Southport, where five veterans of World War II and Korea resided. Every three weeks a two-person team visited the five veterans for "social" interaction, chatting and listening. Regrettably, the pandemic virus forced suspension of the visits in late February. But the Post did not forget the veterans at Elmcroft. Acting on a suggestion from the Post Commander, the Ministry Team, with assistance from the Elmcroft staff, created a “Veterans Wall of Honor” to recognize veterans in residence at Elmcroft. This special wall includes a picture of each veteran resident in uniform at the time of his/her service, bracketed by a formal Dedication Certificate from Post 543 on one end and the framed Veteran’s Prayer on the other end. The Wall of Honor is intended to be a daily reminder of our heroes who agreed to pay the ultimate price for our freedom, raise morale of the residents and serve as an eternal notice that they are not forgotten.

[Pictured above: Post Commander George Freeman and Post Chaplain Tom Bednarczyk present framed Dedication Certificates and Veteran’s Prayers to the staff at Elmcroft Assisted Living Facility for their “Veterans Wall of Honor.”]

At the January 2020 Post meeting the Ministry Team conducted a moving candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate the "Four Chaplains," who knowingly sacrificed their lives to save others aboard the sinking USS Dorchester troop carrier torpedoed by a German U-Boat in February 1943. To freshen our memories

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of such unsurpassed valor the Ministry Team read brief biographies of each chaplain followed by the lighting of a candle in front of the Chaplain’s portrait. With the cessation of Post formal activities in March 2020, the Ministry Team instituted a Post "Buddy System" to check on post members who may require assistance during the pandemic. Partnering with a local woodworkers guild the post designed and secured beautiful handmade solid wood American internment flag cases that it presents to the families of fallen heroes during internment ceremonies.

House and Entertainment Committee To broaden members’ experiences and to foster camaraderie and conviviality among our membership, the House and Entertainment Committee creates events that appeal to wide audiences. The Sergeant at Arms chairs the House and Entertainment Committee that coordinated a truly memorable and enjoyable series of events for the pleasure of our Post members. An enthusiastic and fully engrossed Woodlands audience of Post members, spouses and friends thoroughly enjoyed the October 2019 presentation (pictured below) of “Letters from Home,” a highly entertaining show featuring singing, dancing and even some audience participation, all intended to honor veterans and to stir our patriotic souls. In November a substantial portion of the Post membership turned out for the Veterans Day picnic at Woodlands to enjoy great food and the ever-popular sounds of Mike’s Garage Band and later for the “Thank you Veterans Concert” at the Woodlands featuring the “Back Porch Rockers.”

A sizable and vocal gathering turned out at Bella Cucina in December to inject themselves into the traditional bantering and intra-service heckling that occurs when veterans gather to watch the Army-Navy Game. At the St. James Service Club Holiday Celebration in December the Post again displayed our unique Christmas tree, decorated and surrounded by service memorabilia highlighting Legionnaires’ active duty service. In February a group traveled to Wilmington for a laugh-filled evening at Veterans Comedy Night and again in March for a UNCW baseball game.

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Sadly, by late March 2020 most fun events were curtailed or cancelled and the Post members, if they ventured out at all, turned to helping others. The Post looked to support those who had helped us in the past. One area being hit the hardest were small restaurants and specifically the servers who worked there. The Post supported two such Southport establishments by publicizing a special night to bring in added business and to generate generous tips for the servers. Members of Post 543 volunteered directing traffic and running orders from inside the restaurants to customers who remained inside their vehicles. The outpouring of support by our Brunswick County family was deeply moving and much appreciated by the restaurant employees.

Public Relations

Post 543 enjoys a sterling reputation in St. James, Southport and across Brunswick County due in large part to the efforts of our seemingly inexhaustible Public Relations Officer and his team of talented associates. In a few short years they have exceeded all expectations in sparking the public’s awareness of the many exceptional services the Post provides to the community. This year those efforts included the inauguration of a quarterly Post 543 Newsletter, which alongside our award-winning website strengthens the intensity of communications within the Post and broadens the message to the outside world. With assistance from the Judge Advocate and other members of the Post, who wrote press releases to accompany the hundreds of photographs taken by the Public Relations Officer, a wealth of news stories about Post activities appeared in the State Port Pilot, The Brunswick Beacon, South Brunswick Magazine, Cat Tales Magazine, and The Legionnaire (Department of North Carolina monthly newspaper). Patriotism is never out of style across the area served by Post 543. To thank those organizations that regularly fly the American flag and who support patriotic events, this year the Post 543 Commander has presented patriotism appreciation awards to the Town of St. James, the St. James Property Owners’ Association, St. James Fire Department, and to Troon Golf, among others. Finally, in response to the wrath created by COVID-19 on local businesses Post 543 sprang into action, serving others who have historically supported our Veterans. The Post organized drive-through events at local restaurants to raise funds for their Servers who were most significantly adversely impacted and other similar support efforts to boost business across the community. Thank you to our over 230 members who are daily making a positive impact on those we serve across a myriad of programs, activities, and events. Very Respectfully,

GEORGE R. FREEMAN

Commander

State of North Carolina

Richard H. Stewart, Jr.

American Legion Post 543