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Volume XXVI Issue VIII THE POST Jul 28, 2026

Jr. Vice Commander’s Call

The August meeting will introduce the new officers of our Post. It has been my pleasure to serve as your Jr Vice Commander for the past eight years. It is time for a change, new thinking, and younger members to take the Raines. I am moving on. I have been voted in and accepted the position of Senior Vice Commander.

The new Junior Vice will be Cliff Brown. Even thou I have a new position, I will be assisting (not micromanaging) Cliff up through the Post Picnic, Veterans Day fund drive, and the Christmas Party/Banquet. Please give Cliff the assistance that you gave me.

I want to thank all who manned the stores, and assisted with the fund drives, the Post Picnics, and the Christmas Banquets. In order for these functions to work and be successful, we need your assistance.

We are planning to have a Barbecue for our August Meeting Chili Dogs, or Burgers on the grill before the meeting. I have herd comments that Sea or K rations or MRE’s might be good. A remembrance of the past for some of us.

Next on our calendar is the picnic to be held September 5th at the Post. Bring desserts.

Place: American Legion Post 111

14671 West Ave, Orland Park, IL

Time: 11:00 am until 4:00 p.m.

Included Lunch will be served at Noon. If possible, please bring a dessert to share.

Cost: All Legionnaires, Spouse (significant other), and members of the immediate family will be Free (If Dues paid by September 1st), any additional Guests attending there will be a $9.00 per person, including children if not immediate family.

Please return this form with your reservation and/or payments to Bob Reger no later than Wednesday, Sept. 2nd, 2025, either by mail or in person at the post, so that we can get a fairly accurate count for the event. On site payments will be collected at the sign in table at the park. Please try to be as close to accurate on your guest count when turning in your reservation.

Printed Name___________________________ Phone #__________________

No. of adults_____________ children____________

Foe guests, please pay by check or cash. Make checks payable to Orland Memorial Post 111, and mail to the Post at P.O. Box 413, Orland Park, IL 60462. Any questions please contact Bob Reger at 708-349-3384 or cell 630-926-2498. Note:

Respectfully,

Bob Reger, Junior Vice Commander

Senior Vice Commander’s Call

End of tour final report. 130 proud Veterans present and accounted for. Thanks to all through these past years who made my job simpler by submitting your dues in a prompt manner.

Best wishes to incoming officers Cliff Brown, Ray McElree and Chuck Krezwick. These are good men, and I know they will handle their responsibilities with honor and dignity.

We have several unsung heroes in the post. One of them is Tom Bakota, our newsletter editor and website provider. Most of you do not know that few if any posts have a newsletter and if they have a website in some instances, it is not up to date. We are lucky to have Tom. Thank you for a great job.

Finally, I tried to find a way to end my last report in an eloquent manner. Try as I may I could not find a way to do so. Instead let me share one of my favorite memories with you. In 2008/2009 I was the Post Commander. We still had a few WWII and Korean War Vets on our duty roster. As you would expect as these men aged some health problems magnified and deteriorated. Some issues that would require assisted living. In the years prior we had made several visits to the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno. We made charitable donations of dollars. clothing and other sundries. Although it was an older facility it was well kept and clean.

Imagine my surprise when members from our post who desired and needed admission there were informed there was up to a 2 year wait for admission and 3 or more if there was a memory related illness. Something did not seem right, so I scheduled an appointment for a visit there. I was well treated and given a thorough tour of the facility. Imagine my surprise to find that a large portion of the facility with up to 50 beds was unoccupied. When I mentioned when the need was so great and the wait a long time why were these beds unused, I was told that the State of Illinois only funded this facility at 80% and a moratorium of hiring nurses was in place.

This did not sit well with me. I brought my findings to a district meeting. Some of your peers were enthused and wanted to pursue the matter. A few were lukewarm about what was going on there and 1 or 2 said it was a political thing. Fortunately, I was able to enlist the journalistic services of one of the top award-winning investigative reporters in the area. He wrote a series of hard-hitting pieces critical of what was befalling our older Veterans.

It appears that monies that were being appropriated were being directed into other areas by some legislators who felt that older Veterans were not a top priority. Naturally these articles justly caused a bit of fury not only with the public but with the powers that be, and I was asked to meet with leaders of both parties. After receiving permission from then State Commander Bill Hudson I proceeded to do so. We returned with over a million dollars in grants and funding which resulted in the opening of more beds, the hiring of nurses and a quicker turnaround for entrance into the facility.

One of our members wives grabbed my arm and thanked me profusely for my effort on her husband's behalf. It was a very humbling experience for me. When I became Commander, I took a vow that "no man left behind would not end on the battlefield". I kept my promise. Duty, honor and courage. Till we meet again.

Take care and as always God bless,

Dean Morrell, Senior Vice Commander