for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
>>>by Gary Lanham

This was a special week for our Post. Post Commander Jim Frazier and Steve Swinford were presented an American flag and Oklahoma State flag this past week at our State Capitol in Oklahoma City. These flags were flown over our Capitol for one day and were presented to honor our Post for the service of our veterans and the community service of our Post. The distinguished presenters were our own hometown hero House Representative Sean Roberts and one of my personal favorite heroes, Major General Rita Aragon (Ret). Though retired from the military she continues to fight for veteran’s rights for Governor Fallin as the head of Oklahoma Veteran’s Affairs. Jim and Steve were presented the flags and an official proclamation of recognition which will soon be displayed at the Post framed.

The ceremony took place in the historic Blue Room at the Capitol. It was a beautiful setting for an impressive presentation. Afterward Ms. Aragon shared details of her efforts in championing veteran’s medical issues for the state. She also mentioned that per capita Oklahoma contains the highest population of military veterans. This says a lot about the patriotism of our state but also magnifies the amount of issues that veteran’s deal with on medical terms. She has taken her mission on with a passion. With no budget and no staff she has marshaled support and resources that has garnered her recognition on a federal level. Oklahoma has become the benchmark for all other states to follow.

Monday mornings continue to be my favorite time of the week. Most working stiffs cringe at the first day of the work week as I did for so long. I found that driving in and sitting among the Hominy Heroes over breakfast sparks me to take on the rest of the day in a way I find surprising. Monday has replaced Friday as my favorite day. If you are a veteran you really need to drop in.

Our Post Commander Jim Frazier wants to remind everyone that the American Legion District Convention for District 1A and 1B (NE Oklahoma) this year will be held April 27^th in Pryor Oklahoma. He emphasized that a good showing goes along way when voting takes place.  o of our favorite are tax deductible. Contributors should consult their tor concerning the financial benefits of making such a donation.

Our regular meetings are the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of each month at 1900 hours (7:00 PM) and our Monday morning Koffee Klatch meetings over biscuits and gravy (or waffles) where we keep up on each other’s mischievous doings run generally from 7 am to 9:30 am if it “ain’t” freezing.