Oro Valley Post 132  Newsletter,  June 11, 2024.

Oro Valley Post 132 and Family activities/notices and information.

Hamburger on bun with pickles, ketshup and mustard.
Chili dog in bun with cheese and onions
Hot Dog With Mustard.

Post membership meeting, Note Date Change!:

Thursday, June 13, 6:30 pm at Vistoso Memorial Chapel, 2285 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd, Oro Valley. A pre-meeting meal will be available from 5:00 pm through 6:00 pm. This month we are offering a choice of any two of the following items, a chili dog, a regular dog, a regular hamburger, or a chili burger, with all the fixings and chips. As always donations are appreciated. Serving from 5:00 pm through 6:00 pm or until sold out. Post POC: Garry Lawrence, phone 520-245-8521 or email faretired@gmail.com.  No Auxiliary meeting in June, July or August.

Mark your calendar. Upcoming Dates, activities and events to remember:

June 13, member initiation ceremony:

A member initiation ceremony will be held during the June 13 Post general membership meeting. If you have an interest in being formally initiated as a member of the American Legion, please contact Ray Baldwin at 443-624-9747 or by e-mail at c130flier@gmail.com. We will be conducting initiation ceremonies periodically. Initiated members will receive an initiation certificate and an American Legion pin.

United States Army Birthday banner.

June 14, United States Army Birthday:

49 years ago, the Second Continental Congress founded a united army to bring the 13 colonies together in the fight for independence from Great Britain. The U.S. Army was officially born. The Army was founded just months into the American Revolutionary War and predates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Over its nearly 2½ centuries of service, the Army evolved from a ragtag militia hastily formed to fight against Britain to the largest branch of one of the most powerful militaries to ever exist. Today, over 450,000 active-duty service members, as well as about 300,000 National Guard soldiers and 175,000 reservists make up the Army — the largest of the six military branches.

Flag Day banner in red, white and blue.

June 14, National Flag Day ceremonies:

Post 132 will again partner with the Catalina Mtn. Elks Lodge to celebrate National Flag Day. An Elks Flag Day ceremony, beginning at 11:00 am, will be followed at about 12 noon by the formal American Legion Unserviceable Flags Ceremony. The Post Color Guard will perform and the ceremony will conclude with the dignified and respectful burning of the ceremonial flag. Location: Vistoso Memorial Chapel (same location as our monthly meetings) 2285 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Oro Valley.

2024 Legion Convention Hotel.

Last Call! June 20-23, the 105th American Legion Department of Arizona Convention:

Post 132 is again the host Post of this major event for members of the Legion, Auxiliary, SAL, and Riders. If you wish to attend any portion of the convention, you must be registered. The registration fee is at no cost if you register in advance. Post members contact Stu Lind at email stewart.lind@yahoo.com. Auxiliary Unit members contact Onita Davis at email ovunit132@gmail.com and SAL members contact Ed Davis at email ovsquadron132@gmail.com. Riders are members of one of the aforementioned groups. More than 900 attendees, from across the state, are expected. The Oro Valley El Conquistador Resort on Oracle Rd is the venue.

Past Activities and Information:

American Legion Riders banner, red, white and blue.
Rear view of eight Legion Riders on motorcycles with United States flags mounted on poles on their motorcycles.

Our Riders Chapter members have had a busy month:

Bob Britton, “Murph”, was recently elected as the Chapter Director. Many members participated in the 50th anniversary Oro Valley parade, they actively supported the recent Missing In America Project mission (MIAP) held at the Arizona State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Marana, and were participants in the Base Camp for Veterans, Inc. (BCI) poker run fundraiser. Base Camp is a local program for Veterans suffering with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The Chapter made a $1000 donation to BCI.

Six members of Post 132 and Auxiliary Unit 132 volunteering to hand out Poppys for Memorial Day.
Four members of Auxiliary Unit 132 vollunteering to hand out Poppys for Memorial Day.
Three members of Post 132 and Auxiliary Unit 132 volunteering to hand out Poppys for Memorial day.
Three members of Auxiliary Unit 132 volunteering to hand out Poppys for Memorial Day

May 25, a 105-year tradition continues:

More than 1700 poppies were distributed to the public in front of the Frey’s food stores in Oro Valley the Saturday before Memorial Day by members of Auxiliary Unit 132. Members of the Post, SAL, and Riders assisted. An additional 1,100 poppies were distributed to the public by other means. Members of the American Legion Auxiliary have been distributing poppies to the public for 105 years. In addition to the poppies, miniature American flags and book markers, printed with the story behind the poppy and its symbolism, were handed out. Many individuals make a special trip each Memorial Day weekend to get their poppy from a member of the Oro Valley Auxiliary Unit. A special thank you to those who made donations to the Auxiliary’s poppy program and who volunteered to distribute the poppies.

Eight members of Post 132 Honor Guard, standing at attention with ceremonial rifles held in front, honoring veterans lost in service to our country.
One Post 132 Honor Guard member and one Auxiliary Unit 132 member at attention, saluting memorial wreath at Memorial Day services.

May 27, Memorial Day service at Evergreen Cemetery:

Members of the Post 132 Legion Family attended the Memorial Day service at Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson. The Post’s Color Guard posted and retrieved the colors and the Post’s honor guard performed a rifle salute. During the service, a Remembrance Wreath was placed on behalf of the Post by Post member Dee Mahony and a wreath was placed on behalf of the Auxiliary Unit by Unit member Onita Davis.

Contact Information:

Facebook: Please like, follow, and share with others to help spread the word about our Post. www.facebook.com/ovamericanlegionPost132 Post.

Website: www.ovamericanlegion132.com.

Post Mailing address: Oro Valley Post 132, PO Box 69665, Oro Valley, AZ 85737.

Auxiliary Mailing Address: Auxiliary OV Unit 132, PO Box 69246, Oro Valley, AZ 85737.

Post 132 general information: Bob Franke, phone 520-909-2070.

Post 132 commander:  Steve Didio, phone 520-332-9481 or email stevedidio@comcast.net.

Squadron 132 commander: Ed Davis, phone 520-229-1064 or email egdavis@att.net.

Riders Chapter 132 Director: Bob Britton, phone 626-277-7360, or email DirectorALR132@gmail.com.

Service Officer: — Jeri Harwood, phone 208-351-9945 or email jjakita@aol.com.

Auxiliary Unit 132 president:  Lori Oehlert, phone 920-319-6700 or email 15oehlert@gmail.com.

Ed Davis, Past Commander/Newsletter Editor: phone 520-229-1064 or email egdavis@att.net.

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