Home

Commander's Column

First Vice Commander's Column

Second Vice Commander's Column

Hight's Horizons

Letter to the Editor

Chaplain's Corner

Department Midwinter Conference

2010 Department of Ohio Convention set for Toledo

Law & Order nominations encouraged

Legion Scholarship deadline is April 15

Buckeye Boys State Orientation meetings set

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 8

District 9

District 10

District 11

District 12

District 13

District 14

District 6 News

Sharing the season in Marion

Marion Post 162 and Wyandot Inc. united together to help Marion Pointe Nursing Home at Christmas. Santa brought them a 32-inch TV, a TV stand, DVD player, movies and Wii games. Pictured from left are Marion Pointe CEO James Griffiths, Post Commander Daniel Greenfield, Director of Operations Douglas Walters, Steve Victor, Santa, Activities Director Judy Law and Lorie Roberts of Wyandot Charity Fund.


Post 162 supports Police Canine Trials

At their December meeting, Lieutenant Matt Bayles presented Marion Post 162 Commander Daniel Greenfield with a plaque in appreciation of Post 162 donating $5,000 to the Police Canine Association Trials.


Post 804 awards A&G Certificates

Bill Balser, Adjutant of St. Louisville Post 804, presented certificates to Americanism and Government Test winners at Newark Catholic High School on December 9, 2009. Pictured from left are Guidance Counselor Tom Lusk, Senior Juli Pintz, Senior Xavier Cook, and Bill Balser.


St. Louisville Post recognizes Car Show sponsor

St. Louisville Post Commander Roger Friend, right, and Adjutant Bill Balser, left, presented a certificate of appreciation to Eric Mason, owner of the Grill Restaurant in Newark for sponsoring the 2nd Annual Car Show. Eric supplied the food and trophies for the car show, which had 40 entries this year. In the 1970's Eric was an American Legion Baseball player under 'Coach' Balser.


Johnstown Legion visits Ohio Veterans Home

Members of Johnstown's American Legion Post 254 join with other Ohio Legionnaires bringing Christmas greetings and gifts to the Ohio Veterans Home. Pictured from left to right are: Jim Foster, Jack McKenzie, Neil Ashbrook, Jim Conrad, Wayne Ashbrook, John Wittman and Jack Walsh.


'Seniority' at Post 254

Clarence Tharp, 94, the oldest known Johnstown area veteran, is presented a fruit basket at his Alexandria home. Legionnaires Jim Foster (left) and Neil Ashbrook of American Legion Post 254, Johnstown, made the presentation. Tharp entered the U. S. Army in Aug. 1942 and spent 18 months undergoing anti-chemical warfare training. After training, he was attached to the Army's 43rd Division, sent to New Guinea, then to the Philippines until the end of WWII. He and wife Ruth have been married for 64 years.


Licking County Christmas gifts

For 31 years the American Legion Licking County Council members have given out Christmas presents to veterans in Licking County nursing homes. This year they gave presents to 165 veterans in 16 nursing homes. Council members sell raffle tickets and take donations in order to purchase the gifts. Pictured are: David Coventry, Santa, and 6th District Commander Mary Oliver with unnamed veteran.


A Warming Trend at Chillicothe VA

Veterans at Chillicothe's VA hospital will receive warm jackets and sweat pants donated by Carl Jooss, owner of Champion Shooters Supply in New Albany. Accepting the 20 jackets and sweat pants is Herb Kellett, 2nd Vice Commander of American Legion Post 254, Johnstown.


Pictured from left to right during the Christmas Day visit to the VA are, (from left to right): Bruce Tolle, Phyllis Robinson, Daniel and Susan Townsend, Leslie Welch, Wayne Ashbrook, Bert and Herb Kellett, Karen and Al Norman, and Lucy and Jack Walsh.

Johnstown Post 254 spreads
Christmas cheer at Chillicothe


Johnstown American Legion Post 254 had 12 who traveled to the Chillicothe VA hospital Christmas morning for the purpose of visiting hospitalized veterans. Making the holiday trip from the Post were Bruce Tolle, Phyllis Robinson, Daniel and Susan Townsend, Leslie Welch, Wayne Ashbrook, Bert and Herb Kellett, Karen and Al Norman, and Lucy and Jack Walsh. It was the 32nd year for Jack Walsh to visit the VA at Christmas.

Visiting fellow veterans at Chillicothe's VA Hospital is a Christmas tradition for Johnstown's Jack Walsh.

For the past 31 years, Walsh, a World War II Navy and Coast Guard veteran, has left Johnstown at 7 a.m. every Christmas morning in order to visit veterans at the hospital by about 9:30 a.m.

"A lot of them only have the shirts on their backs," he said. "They appreciate having someone to talk to that morning. Some of them may have wives or kids who don't see them on Christmas.

"This is my Christmas," he said.

Walsh makes the trip to Chillicothe as part of the "Gifts for Yanks" program that benefits wounded and/or sick veterans in VA hospitals at Christmas.

"A lot of ladies auxiliaries make up goody bags that include toothpaste and all kinds of stuff," he said. "We pick up toiletries, notebooks and T-shirts. The 'Gifts for Yanks' program was started back during World War I. Servicemen were called 'Yanks' in World War I."

This year, Walsh plans to make the trip with buddies from Johnstown's American Legion Post 254, including commander Bruce Tolle.

Tolle said this will mark his third or fourth visit to the VA Hospital on Christmas Day.

"It's very heartwarming," he said. "I'm not sure how to describe it. There's a certain camaraderie. There's something we have that's shared. I've learned over the years in meeting different people, I can almost tell without exception who's a GI. I can't explain it."

He said the veterans can use the gifts that include items ranging from writing tablets to soap.

Walsh said a buddy of his, the late Robert McCarty, got him involved in visiting the veterans on Christmas.

"When I first started going, my first wife, Donna, went with me," he said. "After I lost her, I went by myself. The legionnaires are busy. Now my wife, Lucy, and I go. Lately, several fellows from our post have been going. That makes it nice. We meet people from all over."

After signing in the gift boxes, he said, a volunteer distributes the presents.

Walsh, who moved to Johnstown in 1955, said the village is a community with kind and generous people.

In addition to visiting veterans at Chillicothe, he and eight other friends from Johnstown's American Legion Post 254 recently visited veterans at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky.

"We passed out Christmas gifts up there," Tolle said.

"Some are living there in the home and some are in the hospital. It's good to do something for these guys who have been defending us."

"It makes my Christmas," Walsh said.