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Show A7 The Emery County Review, Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Post Alive Keeping the Veterans hope to generate interest from other veterans in keeping American Legion Post active James L. Davis Although they aren’t sure exactly why it is occurring, two members of the oldest American Legion post in Emery County are worried that the organization is slowly fading away. Tom Humphrey and Mervin Miles, previous commander and adjutant of the Blackburn-Axelson Post No. 39 of the American Legion have watched over the years as interest and membership in the post has eroded to the point where they worry that one day the post will dissolve altogether. “We can’t get any interest from our veterans to join,” Miles said, noting that at one point there were 68 veterans in the post. Today there are 20, with perhaps 50 other veterans from the Orangeville area that are eligible to join. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, war- time veterans organization. According to its website, the legion is a not-forprofit community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members, men and women, in nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide. Legion programs include Boy’s State, Junior Shooting Sports, National Oratorical Contest and Scouting. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors Girls State as well. Eligible members of the American Legion are veteran men and women who have served during the following military campaigns or times of war: World War I (April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918); World War II (December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946) Korean War (June 25, 1950 to January 31, 1955) Vietnam War (February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975) Lebanon/Grenada (August 24, 1982 to July 31, 1984) Operation Just Cause – Panama (December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990) Operation Desert Shield/Storm (August 2, 1990 to today) The Orangeville Post No. 39 was chartered in Castle Dale in October of 1928 and was the original post for Emery County. When it was chartered there were 29 members and according to Humphrey the time of greatest activity in the post was after World War II, when legion members would regularly gather for steak fries and dances on New Years Eve. The current commander of Post 39 is Tommy Reid and the vice commander is Steve Thornton. The post regularly performed military honors for veterans who had passed away and they continue to honor veterans at Memorial Day by placing flags on their graves. At one time, Photo by James L. Davis Tom Humphrey and Mervin Miles, long time members of American Legion Post 39, have watched as interest in the legion has faded over the years. They hope to reverse that trend. the post put together a Memorial Day program at the Orangeville Cemetery, but hasn’t in the past few years. “Today we have trouble getting enough together to march in the parade,” Miles said. For Humphrey, a World War II Veteran, and Miles, a Korean War Veteran, the fading of the post is a tragic event that they hope can be reversed, but they admit that they aren’t sure why interest in the organization has waned. According to Miles and Humphrey, the problem Post 39 is facing is only a magnification of the problem that all of the American Legion is facing as membership declines as World War II veterans pass away. In the rest of Emery County, Humphrey said that the Ferron’s Post 42 and Huntington’s Post 73 are now the strong posts in the county, with strong auxiliary posts as well. Besides the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, there are also the Sons of the American Legion and Daughters of the American Legion organizations open to family members of veterans, all designed as patriotic organizations intent to provide service to the community. “We need to honor the veterans. We need to play taps. We need to honor these people,” Miles said. BACA members ride in support of victims of child abuse James L. Davis The common stereotype of the biker that carries with it an aura of suspicion and fear is quickly being replaced by one of gratitude because an unlikely collection of bikers all united with one cause in mind: preventing child abuse and helping the young victims of abuse to put their lives back together again. In the past year in the Emery and Carbon County area, members of Bikers Against Child Abuse have seemingly been everywhere at once, helping in countless little ways to bring help to the victims of child abuse. “We had a really good year last year,” said BACA Chapter President Ted Allen, who said the organization has seen phenomenal growth in the past two years. “We have a yearly poker run the third Saturday of every June and that started a really good year for us. We’ve been able to keep the momentum going. We’ve been in all the right places at the right time.” The biker organization started in perhaps the most unlikely of places, Provo. According to the BACA website the organization was created “with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. “We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand BACA member Terri Allard reading to the students at Sally Mauro Elementary for Dr. Seuss day. The Meat Shop 790 N. 400 E. Huntington, UT Wane & Orson Justice/Owners 687-9000 Custom Cut Meats 1 $ 99 1 $ 69 1 $ 89 1 ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our physical presence.” According to Allen, BACA members come from all walks of life and very few of them fit the stereotypical mold of a biker. “We have child therapist members. We have businessmen and construction workers, welders, city employees, government employees, school teachers. Most are family members. It’s probably the wildest variety of people you could ever put together in a group,” Allen said. To be a BACA member you must go through a thorough background check and must participate with a chapter for one year as a supporter along with attending 90 percent of the Christy’s S alon ensations events of the year. “It’s a commitment. We’re all volunteers in this organization,” Allen said. The Southeast Chapter of BACA started in 1997, two years after the organization was established. The chapter spans Emery, Carbon, Grand and San Juan counties. The reason for BACA’s success, Allen believes, is the determination of its members to help children not be afraid of abuse. “They’re the ones that deserve a future. They don’t deserve to live in fear,” he said. Each year BACA holds a Christmas Party at Krantz Motors in Price where children are given toys and stuffed animals and throughout the year BACA members hold a number of fundraisers to help children, as well as taking part in events that support children. Recently BACA A BACA member pauses to say hello to children. members traveled to Green River to assist the community center in finishing its skate park half pipe for young people. BACA members have also shown up at places where their appearance has been known to draw second glances, such as at the recent economic summit in Price. The head turning comes with the territory of being a biker, but more and more often, when the biker is wearing a BACA patch, the head turning comes with a smile. D my te lip a og ent s d My intm po ap “Service With A Smile” Walk-Ins Welcome or call for an Appointment Tuesday - Friday Beef • Pork • Lamb $ lb. 99 Hamburger Sausage • Bulk • Patty • Links Custom Cut Pork Halves Includes cure lb. Custom Cut Beef Halves FREE Pick-up on farm animals Tuesday’s Only! $10 00 Hair Cuts There are hundreds of excuses you could use to avoid getting screened for colon cancer. But no excuse is a good excuse when your life’s on the line. If you are 50 or over, go get screened. For more information, visit www.ucan.cc or call the Health Resource Line at 1-888-222-2542. Offer Ends May 31, 2008 Christy Collard Katie Brady 190 So. Main, Huntington 687-9766 ./ %8#53%3 '%4 3#2%%.%$ 4/$!9 U TA H D E PA R T M E N T O F H E A LT H |
