American Legion Post 94’s June 5 monthly membership meeting was filled with activity. The recently elected incoming officers for the new year were installed to begin serving their one year terms July 1. Since the meeting was held on the day prior to the anniversary of D-Day, a four-minute video news clip was also shown as attendees watched in solemn silence.

The magnitude of the D-Day event in 1944 brought back many memories for the veterans who had seen combat duty during their military careers. Although it cost thousands of lives for the Allied American, British and Canadian forces, D-Day was the beginning of the end to World War II. The forces of Nazi Germany in western Europe had been stopped and pushed back, which lead to the its eventual defeat on 1945.

Post Cmdr. Jack Coyle posed a question to the members: Who could identify this Post member, an Army veteran, who had accomplished all the following sporting feats and more in his private life? He had bowled five perfect 300 games and had numerous competitive bowling series scores of over 700. He was a onetime professional golfer who had shot a number of rounds in the low 60s on regulation par 72 courses, plus had met many prominent sports figures during his lifetime. Member Doug Leach spoke up saying he knew Comrade Arlin “Arnie” Chesin, who was present at the meeting. Initially, the members were surprised to learn all this about Chesin, but all then recognized and applauded these lifetime feats he accomplished.

A post member commented about recently taking part in an Honor Flight. He said it was the greatest experience of his life and had never been treated so well by so many volunteers, some of whom have been running this program for veterans since 2005. Numerous other post members had been on Honor Flights and their experiences were the same.

Coyle urged all veterans to sign up for the Honor Flight program, saying it was best to do it online as the current waiting period is still about three years. The national, volunteer-run program has provided Honor Flights to more than 317,000 veterans during its first 20 years in operation.

The next Post 94 membership meeting will be July 3. The meeting time may be adjusted to an earlier time, as there is an Independence Day Patriotic Musical Program being held at Palm Ridge Recreation Center beginning at 11 a.m., which the post is supporting with Color Guard services. The post normally meets 10 a.m. the first Thursday of each month in the Sun City West Foundation Quail Room. All veterans are always welcome to attend. 

Visit azlegion94.org for more information.