Diep thanks Vietnam Vets for Vietnamese community
The American Legion Post 716 building in Los Alamitos was packed to capacity on Monday for a very special Memorial Day to honor the fallen and to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of its formation.
Commander Jim Eubanks welcomed a host of other Legion officials, including incoming Los Al Commander Woody Collins, Deborah Driscoll, President of the local Legion Auxiliary, and Mike Stevens, president of the local chapter of the Sons of American Legion for the festivities.
Officials guests included State Assemblyman Tyler Diep, who was joined by Los Alamitos city councilmember Dean Grose and Seal Beach American Legion Post Commander Beverly Bonner to welcome the packed group of veterans, family and well-wishers.
Precisely at 3 p.m., Commander Eubanks asked the crowd for a moment of silence to remember all of the service members who have “given all” in defense of freedom. The Legion is a fraternal group founded in 1919 after World War I in which only those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible for membership.
Over the years, the community of Legion supporters included the Legion Auxiliary, which affords membership to spouses of Legionnaires, the Sons of the Legion for family members and Legion Riders for adventurous souls who support a number of American Legion projects.
With its close proximity to the Joint Forces Training Base, the Los Alamitos American Legion Post has both a large pool of veterans to work with but a rich volume of troop related activities to support.
Quite ironically, Diep, who is serving his first term in Sacramento, said without the bravery of many of the Vietnam veterans present, he would not have been in this country at all.
“This is my first Memorial Day as your Assemblyman. I asked myself what I should say,” he acknowledged, “and one sentence kept coming back to me. Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” he told the group, noting it was a favorite quote of the late President Ronald Reagan.
Diep, of Vietnamese heritage, also said “as a first-generation immigrant, my being here today is is due to the brave Americans who fought for my country,” he said as many Vietnam veterans looked on.
“If not for these heroes, my family and I would not be here today,” he said.
The first term Assemblyman also announced to loud applause that the state assembly has passed legislation to purchase the former El Toro helicopter base to create a Veterans Cemetery for Orange County.
Also during the presentation, a Seal Beach veteran owned business presented a specially made surfboard painted with an American flag as a gift to the base in recognition of its 100th Anniversary. The veteran owned business is owned by Bill Wilburn and Jennifer Rotherham and the unique wood art is built by Bill, a former combat engineer.
While the Legion as an organization is now 100-years-old, the Los Al post building on Florista was constructed in the late 1940’s when Post 716 was chartered and has been home to the post ever since. While the American Legion as an organization is 100 years old, the Los Al Post is 71, said Eubanks. While interest in the Legion dipped for a few years, it “is back on upswing” he added.
Sadly, most of the World War II have passed, yet he said the post still has a few Korean War veteran members and he bulk of today’s members mostly made up of Vietnam and Iraq war vets. “We are seeing a different kind of vet,” says the Commander.
Eubanks said the needs of veterans and their families have changed a lot since the Legion was founded in 1919 and added, “we are trying to change with them.”
Incoming Commander Collins said the Legion offers programs directly for veterans, while the Auxiliary, Sons of the Legion and American Legion Riders of offers a myriad of programs for families and children of veterans.
Driscoll said the post enjoys its very close relationship with the Joint Forces Training Base and they support a variety of programs, including being on base to support all troops that are deployed and the Auxiliary members are also there to send them off and back at the base to greet them when they return from deployment.
“It is multi-generational recruiting,” said Driscoll, adding that the Ladies Auxiliary operates 13 programs, 11 of which benefit “charitable” causes.
Stevens said the Sons of the Legion work with needy families such as “Operation Santa Claus” each year, among other efforts with the sons and daughters of the Legion.
All of the Legion organizational representatives said they also work closely with the nearby Veterans Administration office in Long Beach on various programs.
They said the total members of all Legion organizations based in Los Alamitos is about 800, making it the 2nd highest ranking post in the District.
Photos by David N. Young
Caption: L-R American Legion Post 716 Commander Jim Eubanks, Sons of the Legion Commander Mike Stevens, State Assemblyman Tyler Diep, Auxiliary President Deborah Driscoll, Incoming Post Commander Woody Collins and Los Al Council member Dean Grose.
Caption: Seal Beach Desert Storm Veteran Craftsman Bill Wilburn (right) and Jennifer Rotherham, of Anchors Away Décor, present a memorial gift to the post of an American flag surfboard.
