Millerton's American Legion takes good deeds on the road

MILLERTON — Soldiers looking out for soldiers. Veterans helping veterans. Military families supporting other military families. That’s what an upcoming trip the Millerton American Legion Post 178 is planning to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., is all about.

“This is an opportunity to give back to these veterans, the gals and guys who have given parts and pieces of their bodies,†said 42nd Infantry Division Command Sgt. Major Robert Jenks. “It’s a small way to say thanks. We stand on the shoulders of all those who proceeded us.â€

The trip entails busing down American Legion members to Walter Reed and two military housing facilities for families of  the ill and infirm. There the legionnaires will cook a steak luncheon for nearly 300 wounded soldiers and their families. The Legion will bring down gifts as well, all of which have been donated, along with the food, to the military community. The housing facilities at the focus of the excursion are the Fisher House and the Molonge House, two institutions Jenks said are irreplaceable.

“The impact of those are significant,†he said. “They’ve touched thousands of families for many years and they don’t cost anything. That’s the last thing a husband or wife needs to worry about — how am I going to pay for a hotel? Everybody we ever talked to about this has so many great things to say about the services those houses have. There’s a lot of noise in the background when a loved one is injured. There you don’t have anything to worry about, they’re going to take care of it. They’re just great organizations.â€

The trip is set for May 30 and 31. The American Legion bus will make a few stops along the way. It will stop at the main mall in D.C. so the 50 or 60 members making the trip can see some historic monuments and perhaps take in a tour. That will take up much of the day Saturday. On Sunday morning the group will head to Walter Reed and get the grills fired up.

“I think it’s very important,†Jenks said. “When you’re down in Walter Reed you get a lot of high-end brass. But for a Legion post or VFW to show up and come down and provide a world-class lunch and give a special thanks to them, I think that will go a long way.â€

Practically all of the food has been donated for the barbecue; $1,800 of the estimated $2,000 cost has already been raised as well. The Legion has continued to fund-raise, however, as it’s still gathering money to purchase gifts: phone and gas cards, gift cards to Walmart and Target, and other practical items that will help the wounded and their families while at Walter Reed and the Fisher and Molonge houses. To get an idea of what might be most useful, the Legion tapped wounded veteran Stephen Valyou, of Millerton, for suggestions.

Dave MacMillan, of WHDD in Sharon, who has the Sunday radio talk show, Hometown Sunday Morning, will also participate in the event. He and station co-owner Marshall Miles are planning to do a live broadcast from the hospital during the luncheon from 9 a.m. to noon, on May 31. It will air on WHDD so local listeners can hear how things go at the event.

“We expect to interview the wounded warriors, their families, caretakers and people involved with making these people better,†MacMillan said. “I never had the service experience. But with all of the freedoms we enjoy in this country, it doesn’t matter who, because of the sacrifices of generations of people who stood up and served our country, each morning I start out with a troop tribute. This is a way to give back and we’re excited. If we don’t say thank you to these fine men and women, as far as I’m concerned, we’re just being lazy.â€

“When you look back at what happened when guys came back from Vietnam and Korea, this is one way where the veterans from all the conflicts still surviving can get together and we can show our gratitude for their sacrifices to them and their families,†said Army 1st Lt. Sean Klay. “This is one way to show our appreciation for their services and their families.

“They are really unsung heros,†Klay added. “A lot of Americans don’t realize services like the Fisher and Molonge houses provide this very essential and critical mission of helping families of service members. This is our own small way to try to represent our community and go down there and say thank you.â€

To make a contribution to the Walter Reed trip, send a check to the American Legion Post 178, specifying in the memo line whether it’s for WRAMC food or gifts, and send it to the American Legion Post 178, PO Box 22, Millerton, NY 12546. Donations can also be dropped off at the Legion Hall located on Route 44 in Millerton. For more information, log onto the Legion’s Web site at legionpost178.org.