First, many thanks to all who came and made our annual Yard Sale fundraiser a great success! Your donations for the treasures you bought will enable us to continue to support our veterans, families and community. Putting on a Yard Sale is a large undertaking and couldn't happen without so many great volunteers! So, thank you to all who came to help set up on Friday and at the Yard Sale on Saturday! A very special Thank you to our Fran Nicoletta! Fran starts the set-up process at the break of day on Friday, coordinates and leads the volunteer efforts during the day, and is back at it on Saturday. It isn't over until it is over, as they say, so Fran stays until the last item finds a new home and the yard is once again a yard. Thank you, Fran!

The next big event is the Veterans Emergency Temporary Shelter (VETS) BBQ on Saturday, Aug. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. This is promising to be a huge event with great food and live music by The Volunteers Jazz Band. The Volunteers include professional musicians who perform locally and nationally and play at no charge for veterans' groups. Several motorcycle groups will be supporting this fundraiser including the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association and the Patriot Riders. VETS President, Ed Harmon, will be the “chef in charge” offering pulled pork, chili dogs, hamburgers with all the trimmings. Suggested donation for the event is $12 for adults, $6 for youngsters under 12. Ed asks that you help with the head count by calling 633-7935 or 242-9310.

Recently, Military Times reported that “Veterans exposed to harmful burn pit smoke while serving in certain overseas war zones will for the first time get presumptive disability benefits status under a new announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday. Initially, the new move will cover only veterans suffering from three illnesses — asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis — and only if they manifested within 10 years of a veteran’s overseas service. For now, the new presumptive benefits status does not include any rare cancers that numerous veterans groups have said have occurred in alarmingly high rates among veterans exposed to overseas burn pits. VA officials said more conditions may be added in the future.” Burn pits are, unfortunately, used to dispose all forms of waste materials at military facilities in areas where conventional disposal isn't available. Many veterans who have served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan most likely were exposed. So, if you or someone you know think you/they might have been exposed and you/they are diagnosed with asthma, rhinitis or sinusitis, make an appointment with the American Legion Service Officer at Togus (623-5726). Filing a claim is about receiving financial compensation for the disease contracted due to your service. Treating the disease is a totally different issue.

The next Legion meeting is Sept. 13. Hot dogs/hamburgers (or something else) at 5:30 p.m., the meeting starts at 6.