A flag folding ceremony at the 2021 Memorial Day ceremony, which drew participants from VFW Post 4203, American Legion Post 147 and AMVETS.
ELLERBE — The newly-chartered American Legion Post 73 is looking to expand their membership as they recruit from Ellerbe, Hoffman and Norman.
JoAnn Blyther, organizer for the Post, said that this expansion has been in the works for over a year now. They received a charter in November of 2021.
“The primary thing is the camaraderie,” Blyther said of the benefits of being a member. “Having a place where you can come together and just talk, especially about different experiences that you’ve gone through that an everyday citizen hasn’t gone through.”
Blyther said this new post will be able to offer their services and support to veterans in closer proximity to those in the area who could benefit. Blyther served 34 years in the army, with 13 years on active duty, before retiring in 2015.
“We help the veterans, we help the youth, we plan on helping the whole community,” Blyther said, adding that they hope to partner with other veterans organizations throughout the county.
Post 73 is running a constitutional essay contest with a class of eighth-graders. The top three competitors will receive a trophy, and a small educational scholarship is available to those who present their essay at a meeting.
They’re also handing out flags and copies of the flag code to two classrooms, one elementary school class and one in middle school, at this time.
Currently, Post 73 has 27 members. They’ve been having virtual meetings recently due to COVID-19, but in March they will resume in-person meetings at the Ellerbe Lions Club. Post 73 meets on the first Sunday of each month at 3:30 p.m.
A grand-opening ceremony will be held for the post sometime in the spring. For future events, Blyther said that they would like to get involved with American Legion baseball and potentially build a memorial for veterans in Ellerbe.
If you would like more information about the Post, they can be reached at P.O. Box 812, Ellerbe, NC, 28338. Blyther can be reached at [email protected] and co-organizer William Birt Fraser can be reached at [email protected]
“Come out and be a part of the organization and let’s get busy in the community,” Blyther said, citing the four pillars of American Legion: Americanism, Children and Youth, National Security and Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation.
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Reach Matthew Sasser at 910-817-2671 or [email protected].
