Department of Pacific Commander Larry Lyons!

Greeting Comrades of the Pacific, First things First: HAPPY VETERAN’S DAY to all of our Veterans of YESTERDAY and TODAY. I thank you all for your commitment to our country and its citizens. GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS!  November brings busy times at our Post’s and District’s levels, you all should be currently judging your Patriot Pens, VOD and Teachers award packages to be passed on your District so they can do their judging and hand carry the District winners to the Department CofA in early December. Also SVC Jim Malott is busy at this time with the Departments Recognition Awards that will be sent to National this weekend to ensure that we can present these awards at the CofA also. Be sure to send your District and Post reports on the VOD and Patriots Pen program to Chairman Mariano so he can compile his report also. This is a major factor in his report to Department and National, don’t let this slip. In order to conserve Departments dollars I have elected not to attend the Western Conference this year and have altered my trips so that I will be available to make the VOD, Patriots Pen, Teachers Awards and recognition Awards at the Post levels so we can ensure the highest recognition to these winners and ensuring that Joe Public is aware of what we are doing and even let Joe the Plumber know what we do! I hope everyone is geared up for your Buddy Poppy Drive on Veteran’s Day this is an excellent chance to get monies for your Relief Fund. In Membership we finally hit the 80% mark and have a lot of room before we hit100%. The post’s that have made it to 100% please don’t stop! If you know a Veteran that is not a member, stop him or her and ask them WHY NOT? And, offer them an application to join and follow though with it. Remember membership is the back bone of our organization! I am in the process of establishing a new award for the Department to be presented at the CofA and the Convention. This will be called “The Commander Award” I plan on passing out 3 or 4 of them at the CofA in December and 7 more at the Convention. If you have an individual at the Post that really supports the Post and it programs but maybe does not fall into one of the categories that the Department offers. Please have your Post/District Commander send me an email highlighting his or her accomplishments and I will weigh them with all I receive and decide who should receive them for the CofA presentation. Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and remember we are the lucky ones for we came home from our war, or with some of you, wars! So we have two days this month that we should really be thanking our Veteran’s! So once again, to our Veteran’s of Yesterday and Today THANK YOU!

Yours in Comradeship Larry Lyons               click here to read more in this months TYPHOON