It had been a long, hot day. When I showed up at the American Legion Post 212 for their monthly free dinner, I was tired, not particularly hungry and not feeling very sociable. But then I opened the door and the aroma of wonderfully prepared BBQ came drifting out. That changed everything! The food was wonderful. Not only large quantities of pulled pork, but there was chicken, delicious cole slaw, and homemade beans with bacon (yum!). Desserts included cookies and chocolate cake. Margo McCaffery and Debbie Boeck, members of the Union County Veteran Volunteers, prepared this feast.

Delicious food aromas hit you as you walked in the door of the American Legion Hall on June 3. If you thought you weren’t hungry before, the wonderful smells of the Chicken Alfredo dinner immediately changed your mind. And there was so much food – all expertly prepared by the cooks of the Veterans Volunteers. In addition to the huge pan of the Alfredo (see photos), there were pans of Caesar Salad and individual loaves of garlic bread that were baked to perfection.

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed over 620,000 lives - more lives than any conflict in U.S. history. It required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. In 1868, May 30th was declared a day to remember those fallen in the Civil War. The date May 30th was chosen primarily because it was not a date of any particular battle over the years of the war. Initially called Decoration Day, in 1967 the name was changed to Memorial Day, and in 1971 the date was changed to the last Monday in May.

Members of the American Legion Post 212 and their volunteers helped the Easter Bunny this year by stuffing plastic eggs for him to hide for Union County children. And hide he did! Over 60 kids descended on Wilson Park on an absolutely gorgeous Easter Sunday afternoon to find these eggs – and, boy, did they!! No matter how well the eggs were hidden, these young people (some with a little help from their parents) found all the eggs. Three of these eggs contained a $50 gift card to Walmart.

Calling all Veterans! What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than to be at the American Legion building at noon to feast on Veteran Volunteer Margo McCaffery’s Famous American Goulash! Sometimes called slumgullion, American goulash is a comfort food dish based on the Hungarian goulash stew. The ground beef, tomato and macaroni are in a beautifully seasoned tomato sauce. Shredded cheese and sour cream will be available for garnish.

It stands up on a hill behind the high school and overlooking Wilson Park. Many have seen it from a distance, but not too many people stop by. In different parts of the US, some of the walls honoring and remembering Veterans are made of black granite or marble. The concrete Union County Veterans Wall was first painted black to represent the bleakness, the abyss some veterans feel when returning to civilian life and there is a touch of red along the top to represent the blood that was shed during conflicts.

Military Veterans! You are invited to join Post Commander Darrell White and other Union County veterans at High Noon on Monday March 4 at the American Legion Hall on Veterans Rd. An Italian experience is planned with homemade Lasagna, bread, salad and dessert. Meals will be served on the first floor. There is no charge for this meal. For those who would like to attend, the monthly meeting of the American Legion New Liberty Post will be held after the luncheon at 1:00 upstairs in the building.

When we asked for volunteers to support the veterans, people from all over Union County raised their hands and the Union County Veterans Volunteers was formed. They held their first organizational meeting on February 5th. Everyone who attended had ideas and enthusiasm for helping and volunteering. The first item of business was to organize free tasty meals for the American Legion Post 212 before their monthly meetings on the first Monday of every month. Volunteer cooks have already signed up to do this for every month up to and including the July meeting!

Calling all chefs, cooks, and volunteers of all ages – please step forward!! The first organizational meeting of the Union County Veterans Auxiliary will be on Monday February 5 from 5:00-6:00 in downstairs of the Veterans Building. This building is located behind the ball field and the Sheriff’s office at 140 Veterans St.

You may already know him as the School Resource Officer at Horace Maynard Middle School, now DJ Taylor has added to that role by accepting Mayor Bailey’s invitation to serve as Union County’s Veteran Services Officer (VSO). Taylor took on this role on June 1, 2021, and is eager to help connect our veterans with the various federal and state veterans’ benefits they have earned through their military service. Taylor has a list of all veterans residing in Union County and is seeking ways to inform them about the benefits available to service personnel and their spouses and caregivers.