Argyle American Legion Post 251

The Argyle American Legion Post 251 recently presented plaques for Military Commitment - Certificate of Commendation to Gerald P. (Buddy) Ge**er, Brady Penniston, and Jared Suhr. Brady and Buddy both hail from Argyle, and Jared is from New Lisbon. The three recently enlisted in the US Army, and will be heading to Basic and Advanced Individual Training later this summer. They will be 3 of our newest Legion members, once they graduate from training. Thank you for your service, and becoming one of the Nation’s 1%, defending our great Democracy!

Four of our members represented the Post at the Argyle Booster Club's 21st Annual Best Ball Golf Outing today! It was a rainy day but they stuck it out and did well!

On Memorial Day, Argyle American Legion Post 251 Honored two members with their 50 year Membership Certificates! Thank you for your service to this nation, this post, and to our community Brad Ostby and Joe Flanagan!

The Argyle American Legion Post 251 would like to thank everyone for the support given for our Vets in Crisis raffle that we held, with the drawing held yesterday. Thank you to those who bought tickets, and those who sold tickets.

The winners of the chest freezers and meat are:

1) Mike Jackson - Shullsburg
2) Ranee Olson - Argyle
3) Jessica Rackow - Juda
4) Don Bomkamp - Orfordville

We would like to thank John and CJ Leigh, Buzz & Kimmy Flannery, Bucky’s Smokehouse, Argyle Lion’s Club, Argyle-Adam’s Fire Department, and Argyle Legion Auxiliary for their immense support. These individuals and organizations donated the meat, processing, and freezers to support this endeavor. The strong support from our community and friends allows us to award scholarships, donate to organizations and families, and this raffle specifically ensured we have funds available to assist veterans who are facing a crisis. We must be willing to take care of our veterans who are sent far from home to defend this great nation. Thank you!

Thank you Kevin Charles Gruenberg for the beautiful pictures you captured of the Memorial Day Service in Argyle this morning!

Great opportunity for local Veterans

For retired army reserve and guard members

Gray Area Retirees are members who served in the Guard or Reserve, are qualified for retired pay, and have retired from their service (stopped drilling) but are not yet at the age where they can start receiving retired pay.

ALL Gray Area service members must apply for military retired pay to receive it.

Too many (and I mean many thousands in just the Army) are reaching the eligible age but haven’t applied for it. Some, unfortunately, are already deceased.

I would like some help spreading the word that Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) automatically creates a Gray Area Retiree "Future Retiree" pay account when each member of EVERY Service transitions from an active (drilling) pay status to the Retired Reserve.

These accounts now exist in myPay for all Services, BUT THE MEMBER HAS TO GO INTO MYPAY AND UPDATE IT WITH A CIVILIAN EMAIL AND CONFIRM THE MAILING ADDRESS. Only about 25% have done so.

Why is this important??

DFAS and your Service will stay in touch with you during your Gray Area time -- policies and programs change, and you'll want to know about those --and they will remind you when and how and where to apply for the retired pay you've earned.

And when life events happen --marriages, divorces, deaths, births, adoptions -- those impact your benefits, especially the Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan that over 90% of you have (and may not even realize it).

To learn more, read this DFAS webpage: https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/plan/Gray-Area-Retirees/

Wisconsin American Legion had 6 members on Badger Honor Flight! Yesterday! 5 from our post and 1 from the New Glarus post.

Thank you Badger Honor Flight for this trip of a lifetime!

3 of our members in red, the badger honor flight attendees are (from left to right) Gerald L Ge**er, Al Wire, and Butch Dowling.
The men assigned to make sure the attendees don’t get thrown in the brig on this trip are from left to right veterans Jerry D Ge**er, Will Wire and Kim Hendrickson.

More photos and stories will be shared at our next meeting and at our post birthday party/christmas celebration today.

Don’t forget! Birthday party/Christmas party tomorrow!

This weekend 3 of our members will be going on the Honor Flight with 2 more of our members accompanying them (and a 6th vet and legion member of another post accompanying the 3 legion member!). 6 Veterans all from the Argyle area on this flight! From members who have gone on this trip in the past- it is a trip of a lifetime.

US Army Veteran Jerry Ge**er served over 27 years in Vietnam, Lebanon/Grenada, Gulf War/War on Terrorism & Panama. Jerry is traveling with his son Gerald who just retired from the Army with 32 years of service. There are more than 68 years of service in this photo! Butch Darold (Vietnam Marine Vet) and Kim will also be traveling with us on our first flight of 2024.

Raffle tickets!!

Welcome Home!

Today, we remember the veterans who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War on National Vietnam Veterans Day. WDVA honors and remembers your service to our country. Thank you, Vietnam veterans!

Wonderful opportunity for High School Juniors and Seniors interested in Law Enforcement.

Wisconsin American Legion Law Enforcement Career Academy (WALLECA) provides first-hand experiences and insight into the operation of law enforcement agencies. The program is exclusively for current Juniors and Seniors in high school who are in good academic standing, and is held at the State Patrol Training Center in Ft. McCoy. APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2024 and can be found at https://wilegion.org/walleca.

The Online Americanism & Government Scholarship Test begins today. 11 Sophomores receive $250 each; 11 Juniors receive $300 each; 11 Seniors receive $750 each. For the online test link go to https://wilegion.org/scholarships.

On Saturday January 27th Lafayette County held its American Legion Oratorical Scholarship Contest. The Lafayette County Contest had two contestants participating. Grant Kuberski who was the winner of the Argyle American Legion Post 251 contest and Josie Meister who was the winner of the Darlington American Legion Post 214 Oratorical. Lafayette County had the privilege of judging the Green County Oratorical Contestant Brooke Allison whom was judged separately from the two Lafayette County Contestants. The students have to speak on their prepared oration for 8 to 10 minutes on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution. When their prepared oration is finished there are Four Amendments that they have to prepare for and one of those Amendments is chosen and they are to speak on the one picked for 3 to 5 minutes.. All of the contestants did an excellent job and made the judges scoring very hard and the scoring was close. The winner of the Lafayette County Oratorical Scholarship Contest was Josie Meister from Darlington. Grant Kuberski is the alternate and in case Josie cannot move for some reason onto the 3rd District Oratorical Contest, Grant will replace her. Brooke Allison from Green County will now move onto the 3rd District Oratorical. For their efforts Josie Meister received a certificate and a $300 Oratorical Scholarship check from Lafayette County, Grant Kuberski received a certificate and a $200 Oratorical Scholarship check. Green County awarded Brooke Allison a certificate and a $125 Oratorical Scholarship check. Pictured from left are: Grant Kuberski, Lafayette County Commander Peter Herman, Green County contestant Brooke Allison and Josie Meister. The Lafayette County American Legion would like to thank Pastor Dave Olson of the Argyle Cornerstone Church for letting us use the church for the Oratorical Contest. It worked out great. We would also like to thank the six judges who took time out of their Saturday to help us with the contest. Greatly appreciated. Thank you to the parents who came and supported their children in the contest and finally to all the American Legion Members that came and helped out or just supported the Oratorical Contest. The 3rd District Oratorical will be held at the Barneveld American Legion Post on Sunday February 25th. The winner of this contest will move onto the State American Legion Oratorical Contest that will be held in Ripon on Saturday March 23rd.

there is no meeting this month! Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and we will see you the third Thursday in January at 7 Pm!

Argyle Legion Post 251 participated in Wreaths across America on Saturday 16 December. Post members placed Wreaths at the Argyle Veterans Memorial as Well at the entrances to 7 cemeteries that the Post supports. As well a wreath was placed at each Veterans grave site that was Killed in action (KIA) at these Cemeteries (8 total).
This project for Argyle was started in 2020, after Auxiliary member Mary Matteoni suggested that the Post get involved in this day that is recognized on the 3rd Saturday every December across America. Mary went on to fund this project, through her generous donation each year the Post has been able to purchase 20 wreaths as well as updating and repairing markers at Veterans gravesites of 7 cemeteries and purchasing additional flags for the Memorial.
This year Legion members participating in the placement of the Wreaths were Auxiliary member and sponsor Mary Matteoni, Legion Member and Executive committee member John Matteoni, Adjutant Jerry D. Ge**er, treasurer Ken Hodgson, Auxiliary Members Gwen Fischer and Gina Butson,and Commander Jerry L. Ge**er.
Info that was pulled from Wreaths Across America Website:
Morrill Worcester owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington Maine was a 12-year-old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
In 1992 Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.
This annual tribute went on quietly for several years, until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. This basically started Wreaths Across America.






Wreaths Across America
Placed on KIA, 8 cemeteries, Memorial
Woodlawn:
Earl Penniston
Herman Larson
Calvary:
Wilbert Galaway
Yellowstone:
Dennis Mason
Rodney Rickli
Alvin Thompson
Apple Grove:
Stanley Johnson
East and West Wiota:
Phillip Monson
Old Argyle and Lamont:

Thank you to all who came out to support Argyle American Legion Post 251 yesterday at our annual euchre tournament and auction. This is our largest annual fundraiser, and allows us to be involved in supporting our Community, Youth, and Veterans. There was fun to be had by all, great food, camaraderie, and it was great seeing everyone!

Auction today will be starting at approximately 3PM! See you there!

Another great item for our auction! See you tomorrow!

More of our Auction items! The Tin has 5 dozen homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! See you all tomorrow!

Another sneak peek at Saturdays Auction at Annual Euchre Party, Raffle & AUCTION A two night stay at the Good Fellas Tavern Guesthouse!

Argyle American Legion Post 251 Commander Jerry L Ge**er presented a check from our post to Argyle Police Chief Saalsaa for shop with a cop. Our post donates annually to this great program.

More of our Auction Sneak Peeks! Don’t forget- if you don’t play euchre you can come down for the Auction! It’s always a good time with Zeke Garthwaite as the Auctioneer!

Legion members Sylvan Dammen and Bill Johnson presented a check to Assistant librarian Michelle Harrigan, which will be used to purchase supplies for kids kits, events and activities

Are you watching this Packers Game?
Check out Another of our Auction items for Annual Euchre Party, Raffle & AUCTION

On December 2nd we have our annual Euchre Party, Raffle Draw and Auction. Please feel free to come down just for our auction if you would like! Auction will be at approximately 3pm.
Some of the wonderful donations that will be included in our auction will be posted over the next few days!
To start with: A fabulous Coffee table & End tables hand made by one of our members