Mt. Prospect VFW Post 1337 wins 'All American' honors

Posted July 31, 2019 11:00 pm

Submitted by Mount Prospect Post 1337

Commander of Mount Prospect VFW Post 1337 Les Durov; newly installed VFW National Commander In Chief William J. "Doc" Schmitz; and Service Officer Dutch DeGroot pose for a photo at the commanders celebration dinner during the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando, Florida. courtesy of Bob Knudsen

Les Durov, commander of Mount Prospect VFW Post 1337, is a very happy and proud man. He recently returned from the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando, Florida, with a major prize from the VFW.

"All American" is a national award - one of the highest a post can receive - marking it as one of the very best in the country.

Additionally, Joe Scanlon, also of Post 1337 and the commander of District 4, received "All American" honors for his district, composed of VFW posts in the West and Northwest suburban area.

This past June, both men also accepted "All State" awards for their groups at the VFW, Department of Illinois, convention, held in Springfield. These are remarkable "double barrel" achievements.

Keys to being named an "All American" VFW Post include a substantial increase in membership over the past year; donations to and participation in many of the VFW's programs for veterans who served in combat areas; and a number of local competitions for schoolchildren and teachers that emphasize the importance of good citizenship, patriotism and our national flag.

Student programs encourage high school students to speak publicly ("Voice of Democracy") and junior high students to write ("Patriots Pen") about these issues. Post 1337 sponsored several local students in both categories whose entries advanced to the District 4 finals.

Another such program is the Citizenship Education Teachers' Award. From numerous entries, Post 1337 selected two local teachers for submission to the district finals: Catherine Glombicki of Robert Frost Elementary School and Trina Courtney of Lincoln Middle School.

To receive its "All American" recognition, Commander Scanlon led 13 of the 15 posts in his district to increases in membership. Also, all of the district's winners in the student and teacher competitions advanced to the state finals.

This outstanding record of leadership was a principal reason District 4 was the only one in Illinois to be rewarded with the "All American" title.

One other requirement for being named an "All American" Post is that it must have a post service officer. Among other things, the holder of this important position helps post members through the complicated ins and outs of applying for and receiving veterans' benefits through the VA.

The Post 1337 service officer is Mount Prospect resident Dutch DeGroot, and the job keeps him busy. In addition to working with his post, DeGroot is the Service Officer for District 4 and also works to help veteran students at Harper College with advice and assistance in obtaining their benefits.

Any active duty, reservist or veteran interested in becoming a member of Post 1337 may contact DeGroot at service_officer@vfw1337.us.

Commander 4th District VFW Department of Illinois Joe Scanlon receives his "All American" district hat, certificate and recognition from outgoing VFW National Commander In Chief Vincent "B.J." Lawrence during a ceremony at the Orlando Convention Center in front of thousands of veterans and families. courtesy of Bob Knudsen

Commander of Prospect VFW Post 1337 Les Durov receives his "All American" post commander hat, certificate and recognition from outgoing VFW National Commander In Chief Vincent "B.J." Lawrence during a ceremony at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando, Florida. courtesy of Bob Knudsen

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