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A Look Inside American Legion Middlebury Post # 27

photo by Photo Provided Commander DeGray of Middlebury American Legion Post #27.

photo by Photo Provided Still serving and hard at work are the 620 members of Post #27.

photo by Photo Provided Middlebury Post #27 Color Guard appears in local parades and at the funerals of service men and women.

Tuesday August 18, 2015

By Cookie Steponaitis

Chartered in 1919, American Legion Post # 27 has been a staunch part of the Addison County Community for ninety-six years and is still going strong.  Founded with the charge of assisting the veterans and their families of America’s Armed Forces, Post # 27 is a gathering point for all ages of the community and walks of life. Sitting down with Post Commander Joe DeGray and looking over the Post calendar showcases part of the role played in the community by the post.
    “ We have just about everything in here,” shared Commander De Gray. “ MUHS Athletic banquets, Elderly Services, funerals, UVM Extension Service, Knights of Columbus, Milk & Honey, High School exams, weddings, dances, Blood Draws are all on the calendar and the agenda of this post.” With 290 active Legion Members, 200 Auxiliary members and 130 Sons of the American Legion Members, Post # 27 is not only active but reaching out to veterans eligible to join, especially the younger veterans. “ They have many commitments when they first return home, “ explained Commander DeGray. “ The biggest challenges include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, re-employment and affordable housing. Veterans seeking help contact the post and are put in touch with the Post Service Officer. He helps direct them to people locally or at the Veterans Administration for help. Post # 27 also has an emergency fund for assisting members with life emergencies including fire and illness.
    Commander DeGray is about to enter his sixtieth year in the American Legion and his twenty-first year serving as a Commander for the Middlebury Post. Like most veterans organizations, Post # 27 has quietly been involved in the community in both large and substantial ways. In the past few years, Post # 27 has contributed over $ 300,000 to projects including the Memorial Sports Center, Porter Hospital Nursing Home, Town Hall Theater, Middlebury Ambulance, MUHS Sports and sponsors the New Years Fireworks as well as thousands of dollars annually for local charities.
    Interesting facts surrounding this post include that it is the only American Legion Post in the nation with its own cemetery that is free for veterans and only a 100.00 fee for burial of spouses and dependents. Driving by Post # 27, eyes are drawn to the Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk Plane that has taken up permanent residency at the Pos, but few are aware of the missions of the Training Attack plane and the incredible generosity of JP Cararra & Sons who provided all the engineering, labor and concrete for the project.
    Commander DeGray and the members of Most # 27 invite the public to stop in for one of the many events, Bingo every Wednesday night at 5 p.m. or to come and help by donating blood at the Blood Drive held at the post every three months. “ What keeps us working and active,” shared Commander DeGray is the senior citizens, the veterans, the children and the needy. I believe every word in the Preamble to the US Constitution and all of us work to serve those who protected us and gave us the freedoms we enjoy.”
    Want to help? Post # 27 is looking for volunteers and especially a person willing to help spread the word about the programs offered to the youth and working with them to encourage participation in the American Legion Oratorical Contest. This competition is based on the US Constitution and offers at the national level scholarships ranging from 12,000-18,000 annually. The contest promotes an understanding of the US Constitution and how it impacts Americans in their daily lives.
    Quietly and with the same spirit and devotion that helped them serve America in the Armed Services, the members of Post # 27 and other posts around Vermont are active and focused on service beyond their time in enlistment. When you see the flag flying or the Skyhawk Jet that marks the entrance to the building, know that inside are community people with a mission and one that dates back long before their birth. As the past service men and women before them have done, Commander DeGray and the post members gather to celebrate, to remember and to support America now as the nation moves forward. The Valley Voice thanks American Legion Post # 27, Commander DeGray and all those who serve in and out of uniform to keep us free.

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