I need your help tonight (May 23rd) and tomorrow (May 24th) to stand Night Watch supervising our JROTC Cadets at the Field of Flags. The only requirement is to be there to oversee them and not let anything get out of hand.
We had some Baseball folks who were supposed to help do this for us and had promised Coach Dave Smith that they would be there. Well, I just found out a little while ago that Joe Villa who had the last day watch yesterday and today wound up staying all night long. UNSAT!
Coach Smith has come down with Shingles and is currently holding down a watch tonight. He should not be around the JROTC Cadets. We need to step up.
I request that 3 of you to step up and stand a watch.
02:00 tonight to 08:00 am
Tomorrow night
8:00pm – 02:00am
02:00 am – 08:00 am
If more of you will step up, we can break up the shifts to a much more reasonable period of time.
Sorry for the lateness of this, and I can only hope some of you will help out.
All, an update on our post’s annual flag display, beginning this week.
We are scheduled to set up at Jones Family Park (northwest corner of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Mt. Juliet Road) on Thursday, May 21st beginning at 8:00 a.m. with the flag display remaining open until 2:00 pm on Monday, May 25th. If you can, we will need members of the post to help with closing things down Monday at 2:00 pm and then moving all of the display flags and support equipment to the Britt’s home, for storage.
There are 200 flags and rebar to install plus the tents.
This is our 8th year to Honor America’s Flag, sponsored by American Legion Post 281 and the West Wilson Exchange Club, supported by the City of Mount Juliet.
All Post 281 personnel are asked to bring and wear a mask and have one available throughout the five days of the event. We will reinforce the “social distancing” requirement with all personnel who are on site.
Mount Juliet JROTC cadets will provide night security along with adult supervision.
Mt. Juliet Public Works Dept. is providing portable floodlights that we have used in previous years to the field site.
Mt. Juliet Police and Fire are supporting the event with equipment and personnel as well.
This is a huge event for our community and our post. Come and be a part of our efforts to honor and recognize our Countries wonderful symbol of freedom and unity.
Each year Mission BBQ sponsors an Armed Forces Week culminating in Armed Forces Day. Tomorrow 16 May 2020, they will provide you a free sandwich from 11:00 -14:00, at their location in the Opry Mills Mall, in Nashville. This takes place at all Mission BBQ places across America. Manager Mary Roberts of the Nashville location is a special friend to our post and we need to support her as much as she supports us.
They provide – dine-in or – curbside and – drive-through service.
At noon each day, they sing the National Anthem. Mary informed me that tomorrow a Marine will be the singer.
It should be patriotic and fun to watch. I plan on being there just before noon.
Mary and Mission BBQ has supported American Legion Post 281 with a free buffet meal on numerous occasions
Come join 2nd Vice Commander, Post 281 Keith Rowell and me there just before noon and give all of our fellow
servicemen and women present, a big round of applause and an OOOH RAAAH!
Show some form of military ID and you will receive a free sandwich. If you bring your refill cups (previously purchased),
you will also be able to receive a free.
OUR ARMED FORCES DAY IS A WEEK LONG! How do you fit all our appreciation for America’s Military in 1 day? Celebrate the whole week leading up to it by honoring each branch of the military on their own special day. Then, wrap it up with a special event on Armed Forces Day featuring Lunch With The Heroes.
Have a good Marine Corps Day, where every day is a holiday, every meal is a feast and every formation a family reunion.
I hope you are all well and surviving the Stay-at-home conditions.
We have a busy May ahead of us. We will be able to hold a Post meeting at Charlie Daniels Park on May 12 at 6 pm (please note the time change for this meeting). We will practice social distancing and ask everyone to wear a mask to protect your fellow Legionnaires. Our Officers for the upcoming year will be installed at this meeting.
We will also hold our Flag event, with a few changes. The event will be May 21-25 and will be at Jones Family Park on MJ Rd. The intent of the event will be to uplift the community in these trying times, instead of raising funds this year. More information will be provided. This is my last article as Commander of Post 281. It has been both a good and challenging year.
I sincerely appreciate all of the members of our Post and Post family. I thank the Officers, Appointees, Committees, and volunteers for their hard work. It is my honor to serve in Post 281.
YES, you read that correctly. AL Post 281 will conduct our regular meeting for the month of May this coming Tuesday the 12th of May at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet at outdoor pavilion # 2, starting at 6:00 PM.
This is the same pavilion where we held our Post-wide family picnic last September. There is plenty of parking for cars and a limited number of picnic tables in the pavilion that can be used for seating. YES, we are aware of the restrictions on public gatherings, but we have been approved by the City Manager to meet as long as we ascribe to the proper protocol of social distancing in this Corona Virus world we live in. That being said, please bring a face mask and wear it. Elbow bumps are to replace handshaking but are not required. Bring your own chair to sit on. Bring anything you think you will need to attend in a safe manner. We will install the new Commander Max Wix and your post staff officers at this meeting. We have to do some planning for our Honoring the American Flag display that we are conducting over Memorial Day holiday as well, and we have a few other items of business to discussand review. We plan on keeping the meeting short and to the point. LOOK for more information in our newsletter which will come out this weekend.
Mt. Juliet Post 281 will be co-sponsoring our 8th annual “Honoring America’s Flag” event. The event begins on Thursday, May 21st, and ends on Memorial Day May 25th. This is a five-day event. The Mayor and City Commissioners have given us permission now that some of the Coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
The location is in Mt. Juliet at the Jones Family Park which is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Mt. Juliet Rd and Old Lebanon Dirt Road, about 2 miles north of Interstate 40. It’s in the center of town. There is plenty of parking.
We install hundreds of flags on a large open field for five days. The event is open to the public and we have always had a great turnout from the community, business leaders, and politicians. At night, we have spotlights that illuminate the flags which creates a beautiful scene. Many people come out to take pictures during the day and at night. If people want to purchase a flag to take home, we place a tag with a yellow ribbon and tie it to a flag. Each tag has the name of the purchaser along with “In Honor Of” or “In Memory Of” and the name of the individual. Usually, it is the name of a veteran but anyone may purchase a flag for any reason. At the end of the event, the purchaser takes the flag home.
This is our eight years that Tyler Cates American Legion Post 281 in Mt. Juliet has co-sponsored this event with the Exchange Club. It is one of the most popular events in Mt. Juliet and surrounding counties. Our post is honored to be able to do this each year.
