Commander's Corner - Memorial Day and 43's Future
In my final message to you as Commander, I wanted to communicate a wish, in the form of a request. Our Post is a grand structure, for sure. We are also a focal point and example to much of The American Legion. Some of that lore comes from our storied past, perceived present, and expectations of the future. My request is that we honor all of these phases of our 43 story to maximum effect so that we can be the leaders of the Legion.
On Memorial Day, one of my last duties as Commander was representing you offsite at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park. I spoke of Memorial Day and specifically the red poppy flower as a symbol. I spoke in terms of the same past, present, and future. Below is a summary.
PAST
At the end of WWI, there was widespread devastation in Europe, especially France. The earth was scorched from the byproducts of war, but nature presented its celebration of peace by blossoming these vibrant red flowers as if to say that beauty can grow, even here. The lesson for us is resiliency.
PRESENT
The poppy represents a unified mission in the Legion family, with the Auxiliary taking the lead in distributing the decorative flowers and also encouraging donations. No matter what is going on, the people who show up, work together and put the best of us on display.
FUTURE
The past provided us with the foundation for the future because the poppy showed resilience. The present shows that we can do great things when engaged in the now while working together. That resiliency and unified mission mentality assures we will be able to handle any obstacle that the future might put in mission’s way.
These lessons may help us to live lives worth someone dying for. Perhaps, we can be kinder to each other. Maybe we will accomplish great things together. Hopefully, we can be as resilient as the poppy and overcome whatever might get in the way of our mission.
It was with the hope for an impactful Memorial Day that I spoke. Similarly, I’m confident that Commander Kee and the team will embark on an impactful journey for Hollywood Post 43. Success depends on all of us, though. So I’m hopeful that we will continue to see increased engagement, post-Pandemic and we can all work together…” for the good of the Legion”.
Semper Fi
Jeff Daly, Commander
