“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
>>> by Gary Lanham

Flags have gone up and then put away, thanks to a hearty group of volunteers.  Babo has done a remarkable job once again, this year heading the effort.  But the Hominy community also pitched in with help and financials to replace those flags that inevitably get damaged by weather every year.  Special thanks to Jerry Sebert along with Charlie O’ and his daughter Susan Evans, with grandkids Sebastian (age 4) and Natasha (age 8), along with Babo who got off his sick bed to help.  They collected all of the flags and are now stored.  Some of the flags were damaged by the storms we had with the flags out for two weeks, but Babo has a plan for replacements.  My salute goes out to those that helped with this, as well as our new Air Conditioning.

The past few weeks I have been focusing on our WWII history, I came across something I had not seen before I though interesting.  On July 16, 1943 President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill appealed to the Italian civilian population to reject Mussolini and Hitler and “live for Italy and civilization.”  As an “incentive,” American bombers raided the city, destroying its railways.  Panic broke out among the Romans. Convinced by Mussolini that the Allies would never bomb the holy city, civilians poured into the Italian capital for safety.  The bombing did more than shake their security in the city-it shook their confidence in their leader.  The denizens of Rome were not alone in such disillusion. In a meeting in northern Italy, Hitler attempted to revive the flagging spirits of Il Duce, as well as point out his deficiencies as a leader.  Afraid that Mussolini, having suffered successive military setbacks, would sue for a separate peace, leaving the Germans alone to battle it out with Allied forces along the Italian peninsula, Hitler decided to meet with his onetime role model to lecture him on the manly art of war.  Mussolini remained uncharacteristically silent during the harangue, partly due to his own poor German (he would request a translated synopsis of the meeting later), partly due to his fear of Hitler’s response should he tell the truth-that Italy was beaten and could not continue to fight. Mussolini kept up the charade for his German allies:  Italy would press on.  But no one believed the brave front anymore.

On another note, we have our American Legion State Conference starting the 26th of July.  I will report the results after I return from OKC, with our Commander.  We will be looking to approve a new Constitution.  Details will follow.

Don’t forget when you get your Post membership renewals in the mail, do not mail them in. Just bring them to the Hut, and give them to Jack Cross or Steve Swinford; and Jack will get your membership card to you.  You can also mail them to: Post 142, 118 S. Wood, Hominy, OK 74035 and Jack will get them that way also.

Our regular meetings are the first and third Thursdays. We meet at 1900 hrs. An added plus is that quarterly the meeting will be a shared event with the Auxiliary (more details to follow).  Monday morning Koffee Klatch meetings for July are still up and running starting around 0700 till about 0900.  Come by where we catch up on each other’s mischief and storytelling.  If you are a veteran come on by.  If you have a good story it may end up in print!