Please support your veterans
I am a member of the Fox River-Geneva Post 75 auxiliary, as well as a wife of a Vietnam veteran.
Post 75 has been a fixture in Geneva for decades. However, like many American Legion Posts and VFW halls, we are facing a crisis of gaining support for our veterans.
World War II veterans, which were the core of our Posts, are dying daily. Those that are still alive require the very services that our Post tries to provide. In addition, we are finding it difficult to make the connect with younger veterans of Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our American Legion Posts were always, and still remain today, a retreat if you will for all those men and women and their families, who served the United States in conflict. It is a non-partisan group -- where neither political parties, religion, race nor gender, play any role in defining membership or support. The bond that so strongly holds us together is our families' service to their country, and their sacrifices.
In the past, this bond has always spread into our community. The Legion Post has been a strong and vital part of Geneva, from the weekly fish fries, to the color guard so proudly displayed at the Geneva High School sporting events. Our leadership is vital in the Memorial Day Parade and services, as well as our remembrance ceremony on Veterans Day at the corner of Third and State streets. The Post hall has seen memorial services for the passing of a beloved member, anniversary parties, reunions, local school functions and traditional pancake breakfasts.
Most of our events are open to the public, and very inexpensive. However, participation at these events are dwindling. Either those in the community are too busy or they have forgotten that the Post serves as a gathering place for families with fun, inexpensive community activities. Not only can they share an evening with their family in a safe, clean environment but they can also reap the history from those veterans in their community.
It would be sad to see the Post in Geneva begin to eliminate their community activities, or even close their doors for lack of support. I am reaching out to Geneva and the Fox Valley.
With Veterans Day around the corner, this seems like an excellent time to reach out to our community. Our upcoming Turkey Raffle on Nov. 17 used to be standing room only. This is one of our largest fund raisers for supporting our veterans -- particularly those who are hospitalized during the holidays.
Leann Enneking
Geneva