AMERICAN LEGIONAMERICAN LEGION COMMANDER’S COMMENTS

Since 1922, Post 28 has facilitated local Memorial Day ceremonies. This year we had another abbreviated ceremony given the Covid-19 restrictions. Participa-

tion was greater than last year, and we reflected on this somber occasion to memorialize our fallen and departed veterans. God bless our men and women who died serv-

Jay Stevens, 1st Vice CommanderTBD, 2nd Vice CommanderJulie Johnson, AdjutantJeff Moody, Finance OfficerDuane Smith, ChaplainJack VanWeelden, Judge AdvocateHoyt Fonger (interim), Sergeant-at-ArmsDennis Siron, HistorianHoyt Fonger, Service OfficerGarrett Veihl, Service OfficerChuck Potter, Executive-at-LargeJerry Toogood, Executive-at-LargeHoyt Fonger, Executive-at-LargeBob Wydeck, Past CommanderMike Zeef, Past Commander

AUXILIARYDarlene DeHaan, Presidentmarcdarlene@gmail.commarcdarlene@gmail.com

Melanie Riekels, 1st Vice Pres.Diane Janusch-Johnson 2nd Vice Pres.Ginny Hebert, SecretaryMichele Stetts, TreasurerLinda Gieske, HistorianPam Medendorp-Peck, ChaplainBarb Kelly, Sergeant-at-ArmsKathleen Edwards, Membership

SALRoss Berens, Commander

salcmdrpost28@yahoo.comsalcmdrpost28@yahoo.comHans VanHorssen, 1st Vice CommanderTBD, 2nd Vice CommanderT.L. Lowe, Finance OfficerMarc DeHaan, ChaplainTBD, HistorianSteve VanderWall, Sergeant-at-ArmsScott Kelly, MembershipPaul Kubicek, AdjutantJeff Warner, Past Commander

LEGION RIDERSGerald Keen, Director

gerald.keen88@gmail.comgerald.keen88@gmail.comSteve Barnes, Assistant DirectorChase Kamhout, Sergeant-at-ArmsMichelle Lucas, SecretaryLarry Foose, TreasurerTBD, ChaplainSally Kemme, Membership Chair

Yale Pope, Post Manager(616) 842-5310

Sunder PelsKitchen Coordinator

Charles A. Conklin Post #28Charles A. Conklin Post #28

P. O. Box 439 P. O. Box 439 700 S. Harbor Avenue 700 S. Harbor Avenue

Grand Haven, MI 49417-1743Grand Haven, MI 49417-1743

HOURS: Mon - Fri 2 pm - 10 pm Saturday Noon - 10 pm Sunday 1 pm - 8 pm Issue # 1201 www.americanlegiongh.org www.americanlegiongh.org June 2021

Janet E. Fonger, Post 28 Commander jeflegion28@gmail.com

ing this great country, and prayers to the families missing their loved ones. Elections were held at the Post on May 18th and a new slate of officers will be inducted in the July membership meeting. Post Officers are elected to lead our organization forward using sound judgement and keeping our Post compliant with laws and regulations. This past year, many laws, regulations, and mandates were adhered to and kept our Post open during the worst pandemic of our lifetimes. The main focus throughout the past year was to keep our members safe, when open, and to protect our liquor license by following all mandates. We were successful on both counts! While July approaches, we all look forward to no more Covid restrictions and resuming a Post we all remember. Please thank the hard work of the past Executive Committee for following and enforcing the guidelines and bringing us through this challenging year. The hard work was done by those who were committed to our Post and stayed on board when difficult and unpopular decisions needed to be made. This next year will be more prosperous and hopefully, consistency with programs and din-ners will return. June Dates: June 14 – Flag Day – Let’s fly our flags with pride and recommit to teaching our kids and grandkids about the freedoms that we hold dear in America, and what it took to get them! LEST WE FORGET!! Retiring of worn flags by burning will be at the Post on Flag Day. See FB for a time.

Commander Janet

Below are photos from the Charles A. Conklin memorial service that was held May 7 at Lake Forest Cemetery Grand Haven

Left: Post 28 Chaplain, Duane Smith (r) and past Post 28 Commander, James Porenta conducted the Charles A. Conklin memorial ceremony, May 7 at Lake Forest Cemetery Grand Haven

Right: Post 28 Rifle Team led by past Post 28 Commander, David “Mack” Mackellar present a three-volley salute to namesake, Charles A. Conklin at the May 7 memorial ceremony

American Legion Post #28 www.americanlegiongh.org www.americanlegiongh.org Issue # 1201 June 2021

From Your Post Manager

I would like to thank all the new volunteers who have been coming out to help with all our Wednesday and Friday night dinners. Because of you, we have been able to offer more

dinners on a more consistent basis and hope to continue this going into the summer. I would also like to announce the hiring of a Kitchen Coor-dinator. Sunder Pels recently completed a four year hitch in the U.S. Marine Corps and comes to us from his home state of Florida. Sunder has grown up in the restaurant business since the age of eight and has extensive culinary experience. He will be assisting with the Family Unit dinners and offering up his own recipes as well. Please help in welcoming Sunder to his new employment at Post 28. Our upstairs deck and patio are open for your enjoyment and the upstairs bar will be staffed on a case by case basis depending on crowd size. Please remember to advise your bar staff if you are going to go outside so that they may provide you with plastic ware instead of glass. We are nearing an end to the Covid-19 capacity restrictions and we can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your continued patience and willingness to follow our posted guidelines. We are looking forward to a great summer and I hope to see you all in the Lounge.Thank you.Manager Yale

Sick List:George Bryant, Jim “Jimbo” Land, Charles Davis, Ken Kelly, Carl Kuzyk, Darrel Meyers, Mike Rippa, Jack Gardner, Norm Spring, Rick White, Dave Carlson (past commander)

Honor Guard Funerals :

Norm Brown US Army Frank Brechting US Army John Shay US Navy William “Bill” Byl, US Army (Army Assisted) Richard Boone USNavy Dale Blackmer USMC Larry Galombeck US Army Robert Hundersmark US Air Force (Air Force Assisted)

The Chaplain’s Corner

As we conclude another year of service to our veterans and the community, I find this prayer appropriate as we continue to move forward in 102nd year.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.Where there is discord, let me bring union.

Where there is error, let me bring truth.Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.

Where there is despair, let me bring hope.Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.

Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

O Master, let me not seek as muchto be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,to be loved as to love,

for it is in giving that one receives,it is in self-forgetting that one finds,

it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

In His and Your ServiceDuane “Smitty” SmithChaplain American Legion Post 28

New members (May 2021):

New members: Branch ConflictKatherine West, Navy Leb/GrenadaDavid R Fegel, Navy Viet NamSam Barnett, Army KoreaJames Burke, Army Viet NamDonald E Heilig, Army Viet NamThomas Schultz, Army Leb/GrenadaJeffery K Craine, Navy Other ConflictsMark Kitter, Navy Viet NamEdward J Gavin, Marines & Navy, WWII

TransfersRodney Johnson, Army Viet NamBrian Akre, Army Panama

Election Committee

I would personally like to thank the Election Committee for the hard work and very successful Election. More than 130 of our members came out to vote.

Thank you to Don Veeneman, Mike Ripka, Doc Walde, and a special thank you to my 2nd in command, Jerry Toogood. I could not have done this without your help and priceless input.

Thanks again.Julie Johnson, Adjutant

8&40 Salon 499Greetings, Partners What a year it has been! Thankfully, summer is upon us and brighter days are ahead. Thanks to our partners and donors, we donated $800.00 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Team Mabel). Children & Youth Chair, Noreen Sayranian, keeps in contact with our “adopted” CF children, Mabel Jane and Felix. They are both doing exceptionally well. Our next in-person meeting is Tuesday June 8th at 6:30 pm at the Post. The primary agenda item is to elect officers for the 2021-2022 year. Hope to see you there! - La Chapeau, Becky

American Legion Post #28 www.americanlegiongh.org www.americanlegiongh.org Issue # 1201 June 2021

AUXILIARY

Our fiscal year is winding down, which causes me to reflect on the past 12 months. I am VERY grateful for an amazing group of Auxiliary leaders (Executive Committee and Program Chairwomen) who have helped us navigate creatively through challeng-ing times, as well as several Auxiliary members who have taken on new projects this year. Thank you all for what you have

accomplished to support our mission, despite everything! We are forever impacted by the experiences of the past year, both person-ally and collectively, but the list of good outcomes is large! I think we all look forward to 2021-2022, including a return to in-person meetings at the Post, as well as a return to some of our traditional approaches to our programs - especially getting larger groups together to serve, and engaging in new ways with our huge group of 1675 members! However, I also look forward to continuing some of the new approaches we discovered during the past year’s journey! Communication with YOU, our members, is very important to us!- Please watch for the monthly “Grand Haven Auxiliary In-the-Know” Newsletter email. (Feel free to respond to this email with ques-tions and comments.- Check our American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28 Grand Haven, MI Facebook site for up-to-date information throughout the month. KEY DATES IN JUNE:- June 14: Flag Day - Join the entire American Legion Family in proudly displaying your flag!- June 15-16: Our Auxiliary will have a craft booth at the Spring Lake Heritage Festival Fleamarket. - June 22: Auxiliary Meeting, 7pm @ the Post (assuming capacity restrictions are lifted)

SAL

At the May SAL meeting, 5 new members and 1 transfer were approved. Please help me welcome these new members to Post 28: Jeffrey Hughes, Stephen Jackson, Henry Scheil, Michael Stearns, David Wierenga, and transfer James Dewitte. Also at the meeting, the election of new Officers for the 2021 – 2022 SAL year took place. The Officers for the coming year are

as follows: Commander - Jeff Warner, 1st Vice Commander - Rocky Johnson, 2nd Vice Commander - Ron Ribbink, Chaplin - Marc DeHann, Fi-nance Officer - TL Lowe, Sgt. At Arms - Steve VanderWall and Historian - Mike Brown. Commander Warner appointed Paul Kubicek as Adjutant and Scott Kelly as Membership Chairman. Paul and Scott both accepted their appointed positions. The SAL Annual Golf Outing was held on Saturday, May 29. It was a great success, and a shoutout goes to all the volunteers. Your help is always appreciated. Stay tuned for a potential Cornhole Tournament currently being planned for July. Our next meeting at the Post is scheduled for June 7 and will start at 6:00 p.m. Lastly, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity of serving as your Commander for the last two years. I want to thank all the officers than supported me. This past year has been rather crazy, and I hope the Post will be able to return to some of our traditional gather-ings soon. Serving Veterans and the Community

Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!!Serving Veterans and the CommunityRoss Berens, SAL Commander

Left: Lucy Boeve

National Award

Right:Kaylin Solack

National Award

The amazing winning poppy posters from this year’s contest are featured this month! The students have so meaningfully captured their understanding of the sacrifices made by our beloved Veterans! I would like to honor two students who were recently announced as National Auxiliary Poppy Poster winners for 2019-2020: Lucy Boeve and Kaylin Solack.

- Darlene DeHaan, President & PR Chair

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Father’sDay

Constitution

Day

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Meatball

Subs 5p-7p

National Go Barefoot Day

D-Day

Spaghetti Dinner 5p-7p

Army Birthday

National Camping

Month

Cataract Awareness

Month

Audiobook Month

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness

Month

FlagDay

National Go Fishing Day

Full Moon

National Give a Bunch of Balloons

Month

SAL Burger Night 5p-7p

Auxiliary meeting

7 pm

Summer solstice

Belmont Stakes

Succulent Swiss Steak Dinner 5p-7p

Chicken Dinner

SAL meeting6:00 pm

8&40 meeting6:30 pm

Hug Holiday

J U N E 2 0 2 1J U N E 2 0 2 1

Child Vision Awareness

Month

Great Outdoors

Month

National PTSD

Awareness Month

National Safety Month

Women’sGolf

Month

Dollar Domestic Can Beers & Pizza

Dollar Domestic Can Beers & Pizza

Dollar Domestic Can Beers & Pizza

Dollar Domestic Can Beers & Pizza

Dollar Domestic Can Beers & Pizza