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Veteran and Family Resource Fair

November 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 66 is conducting a Silent Auction & Raffle on Wednesday, November 9. This is a major fundraising event for Auxiliary Unit 66. The funds raised from this event are used to support the programs of Auxiliary Unit 66.

More raffle prizes are needed and your donations will be very appreciated.

This is the night of our Membership Dinner (cost: $15.00 per person.) and Joe Navoni Pork Chops will be served for dinner. 

VETERANS DAY
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

BLOOD DRIVE

(Advanced Appointments Recommended)

or call (805)542-8500

Open 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

1661 Mill Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

FACTS ABOUT BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS*

• Blood helps keep us alive and healthy. It is pumped by the heart through miles of blood vessels in our bodies, and carries the necessities of life – oxygen, water and food – to all cells of the body. Average-weight adults have 10 to 12 pints of blood.
• The safety of blood for transfusion is protected by the screening of donors and extensive testing under stringent laboratory conditions.
•  There are four major inherited groups of blood – A, B, AB and O. Blood groups are determined by the presence or absence of an A or B substance on red blood cells. AB blood has both substances, while O blood has neither substance.
• The Rh factor is another inherited substance on red cells. Those with the Rh factor are considered “Rh-positive (+)” and those without the Rh factor considered “Rh-negative (-).”
• Over 400 other substances (or factors) may be found on red blood cells. Blood is defined as rare if a factor on the red cell occurs in fewer than one person out of 200. A national donor registry is maintained for the purpose of matching rare blood types.
• About 10 percent of patients requiring a blood transfusion need whole blood.

For more information on The American Legion, Blood program read: Blood Program Booklet

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VALife is Coming Soon!

Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) provides guaranteed acceptance whole life coverage of up to $40,000 to Veterans with service-connected disabilities.  Lesser amounts are available in increments of $10,000.

VALife will take effect January 1, 2023. The application will become available on our website at that time. In the meantime, you can SIGN UP FOR FUTURE EMAIL UPDATES ABOUT VALIFE to stay informed

A Sense of Humor

San Luis Obispo— On November 11, 2022 the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum (CCVMM) and American Legion Post 66, are hosting their annual Veterans Day Celebration, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at 801 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo. A day for veterans and community members to gather in celebration of the men and women who have served our nation.

Veterans Day Community Celebration, November 11

Visitors to the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum (CCVMM) can add a photo or special note (a photo is suggested) to honor their special veteran to the Museum’s Interactive display, “Hometown Heroes Photo Wall.” There will also be an activity station set up for adults and children to create short letters or drawings for local veterans.

A hot dog community lunch will be served from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm @ no cost, donations suggested. In addition to the lunch, American Legion Post #66 will host a bounce house for kids, and an onsite blood drive through Vitalant; please register ahead of time at www.vitalant.org. Also, various veteran and historical organizations will be in attendance with info tables & activities set up outside.

With free admission, the Museum will be open for tours, featuring a temporary exhibit, “Snapshots of Hometown Heroes & Central Coast Military History” organized by CCVMM in partnership with local military historians Sergeant Major Daniel Sebby, Director of CA Museums, and Lieutenant Erik Brun, Commander of CA State Guard’s Military Museum.

Walk through a timeline of photos and historic artifacts presenting local and regional military history spanning the late 1800s to today. The exhibit will share stories you’ve likely heard such as the pre-WWI Atascadero Army Camp, Camp SLO, and Morro Bay & Baywood Amphibious Training Navy Bases, and other stories that may be new to you, such as the WWII Shell Beach Defense camp, Point Sur anti-aircraft radar station, and the Japanese submarine attack off the San Simeon coastline.  You may even come across docents dressed in era uniforms on November 11. The exhibit will be on display through the end of the year.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum’s founding as a gathering place for our community to honor, remember, and learn about veterans of past and present. In recognition of its milestone anniversary, CCVMM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is asking for donations to support the future of our local veterans’ museum for at least another 20 years. You can donate online at www.vetmuseum.org or by check mailed to 801 Grand Avenue, Ste. 102, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401. For additional CCVMM events and programs, please visit their website or follow the museum on Facebook.

Commander’s Corner

I want to take this opportunity to thank all our Post 66 American Legion Family for helping to get us through the difficulties of the last few years. We are slowly getting back to a more normal flow of our operations.

We helped the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) with their pancake breakfast which proved to be a huge success for them especially since a lot of our members belong to the DAV also.

We had our first-ever “Family Play Day” at the Legion. Participation was light, partly due to poor weather, but it was a good start.

In 2011, when our Post 66 American Legion Family started providing lunch for the “Project Recovery” group of wounded veterans bicyclists, little did we know what a special and enduring service this would become. The group is now called “Project Heroes” and Janice Somers has been involved every year. This year Barbara Fisher, Carol Flores, and Barbara Mintz assisted Janice Somers in providing a special lunch for the bicyclists. Instead of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the riders were served tri-tip, beans, salad, and garlic bread. We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of Betty Bristol and Laurie Richards who helped serve and the BBQ crew of Pete Starling, Bill Rodenhi, and Larry Sederberg. In return, the Project Hero cyclists presented Post 66 one of their shirts that every cyclist had autographed. Our plan is to frame this shirt and put it on display for the enjoyment of all.

Our Boys and Girls State Awards Banquet headed by Ken San Felippo and Laurie Richards was impressive. Outstanding leadership was displayed by these boys and girls who gave inspiring speeches.  It was humbling to be in their presence. Our thanks to the dinner crew of Laurie Richards, and Betty Bristol.

A special hug and thank you to our BBQ team who stayed over and prepared the meals for Project Heroes and the Boys and Girls State banquet — Pete Starling and Bill Rodenhi.

Yvonne Hampton
Commander
commander@post66slo.org

Saturday, December 17 @ 9 a.m.

Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization whose goal is to place a Christmas wreath on the grave of every Veteran. The American Legion Post 66 is sponsoring the Christmas wreaths for the San Luis Cemetery and Old Mission Cemetery. There are about 1100 Veterans interred at these cemeteries and we would like to purchase Christmas wreaths for ALL Veterans at these locations. The wreaths cost $15 each so we need to raise over $16,500.00. Let us never forget the sacrifices made by Veterans and recognize them this Christmas with a wreath.

Donations can be made directly through the website at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0591 Location ID CAOMC for Old Mission Cemetery and Location CASLUO15548 for San Luis Cemetery, or you can mail donations to American Legion Post 66, 1661 Mill St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Join us on December 17, 2022, at 9:00 AM at the San Luis Cemetery or 10:00 AM at the Old Mission Cemetery to help place

American Legion Auxiliary (ALA),  Unit 66

The Auxiliary hosted Project Hero, formerly known as the Ride to Recovery, on Wednesday, October 19.  The Auxiliary decided last year that instead of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we hosted a Santa Maria Style BBQ.  Next October when the bicyclists ride thru San Luis Obispo we will do the same thing.

On October 19, Post 66 hosted the annual Boys and Girls State dinner. Ken San Filippo, Squadron 66 Boys State Chair emceed the dinner and introduced the three young men Post 66 sponsored to attend Boys State.  The Auxiliary Girls State Chair, Laurie Richards introduced the four young ladies Auxiliary Unit 66 sponsored to attend Girls State.  Ken and Laurie both spoke about the program to the parents, family, school counselors, principals, and our American Legion Family.  The young men and young ladies were each presented with a certificate for participating in the program.

Christmas is almost here and Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be visiting our December 14 Membership Dinner, to share their Christmas cheer with everyone.  Please start thinking about bringing a gift or gift card (valued at $15.00 to $20.00) for our tree.  Donations will be given to the KSBY Season of Hope, to help make this Christmas season a little brighter for San Luis Obispo families in need of a little help.

In January, interviews will begin with “girls” that we hope to sponsor for the 2023 Girls State Program.  The 2023 Girls State Program will be held at the Sacramento State University campus.

For God and Country,

Laurie Richards
Unit 66 President
The American Legion Auxiliary

Sons of The American Legion (SAL), Squadron 66

Hello, everyone time for our November News Letter, where does the time go? We didn’t have much activity in October, however, November is our big month with Veterans  Day & Thanksgiving. Both bring our family & friends together as we sit and ponder and reflect back on our many adventures and endless memories.

As you know, I’m still very new at my position as Commander of Squadron 66, therefore I will be following the lead from those who have participated in placing flags on all the Veterans Head Stones at our local cemeteries.

To my understanding we will all meet at the Legion Hall on  Friday, November 11 at 8:30. We will grab a quick cup of coffee before loading up the trucks and heading to the cemeteries. Volunteers will be formed and divided prior to leaving the Post. The plan is to gather at Post 66 at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 12 to pick up the flags. Hope to see many of you there honoring those who have served.

I would also like to share that American Legion Post 50 in Paso Robles has invited all our Post members to join them for Hamburgers, with all the fixings and chips, on any Thursday starting at 11:00 A.M. thru 1:00 P.M. for $5.00 per. Breakfast is also available every third Saturday of the month starting at 8:00 A.M. thru 11:00 A.M. $6.00 for two pancakes, three links of sausages, and scrambled eggs. All of the coffee, orange juice, or apple juice. What a wonderful gesture to have this open invitation to meet members from Post 50. I plan on taking them up on their offer and maybe I will see others from our Post.

I look forward to chatting with many at the social dinners or the monthly membership dinner on Wednesday, November  9 for the famous pork chop dinner.   Hope I am first in line for a chop!

Bob W. Evenson
Commander, Squadron 66
Sons of The American Legion