DECEMBER 2014 • First Call 1

Chris Urban, Commander DECEMBER 2014 Jack LaPaglia, MembershipFirst Call!

The American Legion Utica Post 229

Utica Post 229 • 409 Herkimer Rd., Utica, NY 13502 • 315.793.9377 • uticapost229.org • nylegion.org

Post Meetings are first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. (optional dinner at 6:15)

InsideCommander’s Call 2Chaplain 2Renew Membership 2Auxiliary 3Valentine Dinner Dance 3Vets Day Observance 4-6Bingo Report 7

December2 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.3 Bloodmobile, noon-54 Monthly Dinner, 6:15 Post Meeting, 7:30 pm Auxiliary, 7:30 pm7 Sunday Bingo, 4 p.m.8 VVA, 1 p.m.9 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.14 Children’s Party, noon16 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.20 DAV, noon 23 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.30 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.

JANUARY1 New Year’s Bingo, 4 pm4 Sunday Bingo, 4 p.m.6 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.7 Bloodmobile, noon-58 Monthly Dinner, 6:15 Post Meeting, 7:30 pm Auxiliary, 7:30 pm12 VVA, 1 p.m.13 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.17 DAV, noon20 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.27 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.

FREEDOM SHINES BRIGHTLike a beacon of freedom, the morning sun bursts through the Utica Post Color Guard during Veter ans Day ceremonies at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The Color Guard presented the colors and helped lead the Veterans Day observance at six monuments around Utica as well as at Utica Post. Color Guard members include (from left): Curtis Green, Steve Currie, Mike Cavanaugh (team captain), Dave Valentine, and Dick Valenti.

SANTA IS COMING ON DEC. 14Santa and his helpers will be at

Utica Post 229 on Sunday, Dec. 14, for the post’s annual Children’s Christmas Party.

The party will run from noon to 3 p.m., and is for members’ children and grandchildren, ages 10 and under. Sign-up sheets are in the lounge area. The last day to sign up is Dec. 3.

First Call • DECEMBER 20142

www.legion.org/renew

Commander’s Call

Chris Urban

NEW BUDGET VOTEThe Budget Committee and the

Executive Committee have prepared next year’s budget; we will pres-ent and vote on it at the December general meeting (Thursday, Dec. 4th at 1930 local). This year’s budget is leaner (we cut costs again this year) yet we are able to maintain our dona-tion levels.

We added a $15K expense to this year’s budget; we need to replace the air conditioning system in the spring. However, we will be able to cover that expense by increasing revenue; we entered into a contract with the Animal Protection League (APL) of Utica to rent them the hall every Wednesday for $300 per week. This is a two-year contract. After paying for a new air conditioning system, we plan to save the revenue from the APL contract so that we can put a new roof on the Post in 2016.

BRAVO ZULU Bravo Zulu to Jim George (above)

for leading the Veterans Day Wreath Laying Ceremonies at all the Utica monuments.

NO COOKIES NEEDEDOur sponsored platoon is home

safe and sound. We have not been given another platoon at this time.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS I hope that each of you enjoys a

very Merry Christmas and the New Year brings you health and happiness!

For God and Country.

I knocked when the wind of adversity blew

and longed to pilot yousafely through

I knocked when your heartwas bowed down with griefand yearned to bring you

sweet relief

I knocked when your lifelay tattered in shreds

and wanted to help youpick up the threads

I knocked again yet

when you were near despairand waited in vainto hear your prayer

I’ve knocked many times

you have heard Me I’m sureyet still keep me waiting

outside your door

I won’t force an entrancebut long to come into give you new life

and sweet peace within.

Chaplain’scorner

Paul Wojcik

THOUGHT FOR THE DAYIt’s where we go and what we do whenwe get there that tells us who we are.

DECEMBER 2014 • First Call 3

Auxiliaryrosaria haggerty, president

President’s MessageROE HAGGERTY

Dear Auxiliary Members,The Auxiliary will be helping at the Children’s Christmas

Party on Sunday, December 14. Let me know if you would like to help. Please sign your children up in time so Santa can check his list. The gifts will be wrapped on Thursday, December 11, at 6 p.m. Please bring your scissors.

At the December 4th meeting we will have our annual Christmas Party. There will be a short meeting, and please bring a snack to share. I am looking forward to seeing ev-eryone.

I would like to extend my sympathy to Camden Unit 66 and the Oneida County American Legion. Shelby So-bolowski was an inspiration and friend to many Auxiliary members.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and healthy holiday sea-son.

Yours in service.

Utica Post 229 will host a Valentine’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, Treasurer Jim Haggerty an-nounced.

Cocktails at 5 p.m. will be followed by dinner at 6, and then dancing to a live four-piece band.

With an open bar, the menu includes tomatoe pie hors d’oeuvre, tossed salad, relish tray, roast beef, baked chicken, kielbasa and sauerkraut, broasted potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert.

Post PlansValentine Dinner Dance

Auxiliary members join veterans at Veterans Day Observance.

Why We Matter

The 2013 estimated value of one hour of volunteer service is $22.55, according to the Independent Sec-tor, a coalition of charities, foundations, and corpora-tions that publishes research important to the nonprofit sector.

American Legion Aux-iliary members have vol-unteered more than 9.3 million hours for a collec-tive value of service to our veterans, servicemembers, and their families of more than $2.1 billion.

That’s quite an impact, and a powerful number that accentuates who we are, what we do, and why we matter!

JAN. MEETING TO BE ON2ND THURSDAY

Due to New Year’s Day falling on the first Thursday, the monthly post meeting will take place on the 2nd Thursday, Jan. 8.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. An optional dinner starts at 6:15. Call the post to make dinner reservations.

POST TO HOSTCOUNTY CONVENTION

Utica Post 229 will host the Oneida County American Legion Convention on Satur-day, June 6.

The current county com-mander is Anthony Palladino, a member and former com-mander of Utica Post.

First Call • DECEMBER 20144

‘never forget the debt we oweto vets for securing freedom’

“As a nation, we must never forget the debt we owe” military veterans “for securing the many freedoms we often take for granted,” First Vice Commander Jim George proclaimed at the start of Veterans Day ceremonies at Utica Post 229.

“Service personnel who are serving and those who have served in the active and reserve components are (in a sense) service personnel for life – permanent members of American’s military.”

He added: “Whether in Normandy or Okinawa, Korea or Vietnam, Grenada or Panama, Iraq or Afghanistan, or elsewhere around the world, our military served willingly and nobly by answering our nation’s call. Through their support, their families have served, too, and equally deserve our respect and appreciation.”

George served as emcee for Veterans Day ceremonies, which began at the post with a wreath-laying and then proceeded to six monuments around Utica, starting at 11 a.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Oneida Square. This Civil War monu-ment, George pointed out, was unveiled before thousands of people on Oct. 13, 1891.

“Its primary inscription reads: ‘We keep in mem-ory the men of Utica who risked their lives to save the Union’…To proclaim the uni-fication achieved by the war

is the inscription around the top of the circular monument: ‘One Flag, One Land, One Heart, One Hand, One Na-tion Evermore.’ On one side is the year, 1961, designating the start of the conflict, and on the other, 1865, the year it ended. The four 6-and-a-half-foot statues surrounding the monument represent soldiers, sailors, peace and victory, with a fifth on the very top, repre-senting the City of Utica.”

Utica City Court Judge Ralph Eannace and Oneida County American Legion Commander Tony Palladino placed the wreath, and retired Chaplain (Col.) Gary How-ard and retired Chaplain’s As-sistant (Sgt. First Class) Tim Morrell offered prayers. The

Jim George under the flags at Purple Heart Park.

Retired Chaplain (Col.) Gary Howard and retired Chaplain’s Assis-tant (Sgt. 1st Class) Tim Morrell at Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

DECEMBER 2014 • First Call 5

Mary Wheeler and Tom Buono at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Parkway.

crowd of veterans and fami-lies then reboarded two city buses (provided by Centro) and headed to the Parkway to conduct ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the POW/MIA Monument, and the World War I/World War II/Korean War Memo-rial (aka Central New York War Memorial).

“The Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in 1985” to the “men and women from Oneida County who served in Vietnam between 1959 and 1975,” noted Jim George. “It also lists all of the casu-alties from the county and bears the inscription, ‘Gone and Not Forgotten’.” Gold Star Mother Mary Wheeler took a moment to reach out and touch her son’s name ( Jo-seph Wheeler) inscribed on the memorial, after she and Vietnam Veterans of Ameri-can Chapter President Tom Buono placed a wreath.

“Erected by the New York State POW/MIA Action Group in 1992,” the POW/MIA Monument is “dedi-cated to all prisoners of war and those missing in action,”

George told the crowd. “It bears the inscription, ‘We speak for those who can’t’.” Placing the wreath were Ed Jackson of Harold Provost Post 1686 and Steve Campisi of Utica Post 229.

“The Central New York War Memorial” was erected in 2000 by the NY State POW/MIA Action Group “in remembrance of those who fought and served dur-ing World Wars I and II and the Korean War,” George said. World War II Veterans Tom Talerico and Joe Rosi-tano laid the wreath.

Next the crowd traveled

to Purple Heart Park in West Utica, where a wreath was placed by Congressman Edward Hanna, Hanna aide/Air Force veteran Shirley Eadline, and Joe Fraccola, Phil Capraro and Joe Rosita-no representing the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The last stop was at the All Veterans Memorial at the Capt. George A. Wood Postal Facility in East Utica, where George called on Ben Nowell to unveil a memorial stone to Russell Huther Jr., an Air Force veteran and vice presi-dent of the Letter Carriers union. Russell and Roseanne

Huther placed a wreath at the main memorial along with Congressman Hanna, Shirley Eadline, Mary Wheeler, Tom Buono, and County Execu-tive Anthony Picente.

Utica Post 229 capped off the day by hosting a luncheon for veterans and their families. Veterans Day Observance was coordinated by Utica Post with other vet-erans organizations; among them, Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Polish Legion of American Veter-ans.

Joe Fraccola, Phil Capraro, Joe Rositano, Rep. Ed Hanna and Shirley Ead-line at the Purple Heart Park in West Utica.

Memorial Stone to Russell Luther Jr. at the Postal Facility in East Utica.

First Call • DECEMBER 20146

VETERANS DAY SNAPSHOTS

DECEMBER 2014 • First Call 7

Bingo Report for September & October 2014

Date Income Prizes Expenses 3% Profit

9/2/14 $2602 $1986 $25 $17.73 $573.279/9/14 $2575 $2078 $14.91 $482.099/16/14 $2634 $2013 $493 $3.84 $124.169/23/14 $2635 $1983 $464 $5.64 $182.36

9/30/14 $2812 $2012 $24.00 $776.00

10/5/14 $2450 $2450 $0 $010/7/14 $2633 $2635 $0 -$2.0010/14/14 $2709 $2034 $25 $19.50 $630.5010/21/14 $2361 $2161 $6.00 $194.0010/28/14 $2750 $2019 $21.93 $709.07

September Expenses - Trash - $204.59; Water - $893.47.September Donations - Utica Unit 229 - $100; Mohawk Fire Dept Raffle $100; De-

partment Commander’s Dinner $160.

October Expenses - First Call - $521.35.October Donations - Utica Unit 229 - $100.

BINGO WORKERS - Jim George, Bill Sequin, Tom O’Toole, Carl Cathey, Chris Urban, Vin Zaleski, Frank Jakubowski,Tony Pallidino, Regie Carter, Jack LaPaglia, Frank Cassella, Ted Zaniewski, John Kurtelawicz, Stew Bailey, Jim Haggerty, Phil Cap-raro, Dan & Virginia Pieloch, Gerry & Grace Welpe, Pam Vogel, Scott Sebation, Al Kohler, Wayne Dapre, Jim McGuire.

NEW YEAR’S ANDSUNDAY BINGO

The Post will continue test-ing and offering special bingo games on the first Sunday of the month in the first quarter of 2015, Bingo Chair and First Vice Commander Jim George announced

The first-Sunday bingo pays out $3,000, he noted. “The cost is $50, and we will have eight $50 games, six $100 games and two $1,000 games.”

The games will be on Dec. 7, Jan. 4, Feb. 1 and March 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. The doors open at 2, card sales start at 3 and the games start at 4. Re-freshments will be available.

These Sunday games are in addition to the weekly Tues-day Bingo at the post.

The post will also offer a New Year’s Day bingo at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1.

Because of the New Year’s holiday, the monthly Post meeting will be held the fol-lowing Thursday on Jan.8.

First Call • DECEMBER 20148

Utica Post #229The American Legion

409 Herkimer Rd.Utica, NY 13502

First Call is a monthly publication of Utica Post 229 American Legion,

409 Herkimer Rd., Utica, NY 13502, whose mission is to serve veterans, members and local communities.

Yearly membership includes First Call, published 10 times a year.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

-PAID-Utica, NY

Permit No. 566

Since its founding in Paris in 1919, The American Legion has been an advocate for America’s veterans, a friend of the U.S. military, a sponsor of community-based programs for young people and a spokesman for patriotic values.

Editor: Robert Stronach. Send news, announcements and photos to FirstCall@uticapost229.org.

VETERANS DAY SALUTE