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Raleigh Post #1 Activities
The 2008 Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 25, 2008 at the National Cemetery, 501 Rock Quarry Road.The band will start playing at 1:30 p.m. and the ceremony will start at 2:00p.m.
Our guest speaker is Post 1 member, WWII veteran and POW James "Jim" Sansom.
The Boy Scouts are working out the details for placing the flags on the grave sites.
In 2008, let's show up in force and really represent the American Legion. I hope to see all of you there.
Upcoming Post Activities
Past Post Activities
Click on the link to see photos of the Post 1 Flag Retirement Ceremony: Flag Burning Ceremony
Click on the link to see photos of the Memorial Day ceremony at the Raleigh National Cemetery: Memorial Day Ceremony 2007
2007 Firefighter of the Year Award
Captain D.L. Carter wins the American Legion, Raleigh Post 1 Fireman of the Year Award. Captain Carter is a leader who leads by example.During his 18 years of service he personally helped over twenty employees earn promotions and instilled in everyone under his command a sense of family and loyalty to the profession.
He is a member of the yearbook committee that is tasked with capturing the history of the Raleigh Fire Department for future firefighters and historians to review.
If you ask any young firefighter in the department "who would you like to serve with to help you achieve your goals?" the overwhelming response would be, Captain Carter.
He has built a legacy of trust and respect and his constant dedication and service has made the Raleigh Fire Department a better place to work. Captain Carter's devotion to duty has earned him the respect of his colleagues and the American Legion is proud to present him with this award.
2007 Police Officer of the Year Award
The American Legion, Raleigh Post 1 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year is Officer Christopher Bradford. Officer Christopher Bradford became a member of the Raleigh Police Department in September 2003. He graduated from the Raleigh Police Academy in May 2004 and was assigned to the Field Operations Patrol Division, District 24.Since being assigned to District 24, Officer Bradford has been assigned to the "Strike Team" two times. The Strike Team is designed to address quality of life issues in high crime neighborhoods.
Some of these issues include drug sales, prostitution, burglaries, and various other crimes.
He has received eight letters of recognition for the Raleigh Police Department for going above and beyond his everyday duties as a patrol officer. He has received letters of appreciation from various divisions of the police department for assisting them in locating persons of interest related to crimes that have occurred within the City of Raleigh.
Officer Bradford is currently a member of the Crash Reconstruction Unit.
2007 Oratorical Competition
Congratulations to all the Contestants and especially to James Lawson.American Legion Post One Raleigh held its annual Post Oratorical contest on January 12, 2007 at the Post Hall. This is the 70th Annual American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest.
Gerry Coleman, Chairman of the Post 1 Oratorical Contest, did an outstanding job by going to all of the public schools and most of the private schools in Raleigh to get the word out about our contest. This contest is open to all high school students in the entire country. Gerry gave the invocation and introductions. Commander Bonapart led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The District 11 contest was held at the American Legion State Headquarters in Raleigh on Saturday, January 26, 2008. Future contestants are invited to contact the webmaster if you wish to participate or hear for yourself just what it is all about.
Post 1's 1st place winner - James Lawson
From left to right - Chairman Gerry Coleman, 1st Place Winner - James Lawson, 2nd Place - Daniel Doster
Our distinguished Judges for the Post Competition. They are from left to right: Philip Ratliff (Former H.S. Civics & US History instructor at Broughton HS), Elizabeth Oxley (Presently NC Justice Department Attorney), Dr. Christopher Jordan (Doctor of Internal Medicine in Smithfield), Gerry Coleman, Jim F. Verdonik (Jim writes a column in Triangle Business Journal & and Raleigh attorney).
VA Bingo
We are regularly visiting the Veteran Administration Hospital in Durham, N.C. We play Bingo with the patients on the first Monday of every month. Because of privacy concerns, we are not able to show any pictures inside the hospital.
Boy's & Girl's State
Legion Birthday
The American Legion was born at a caucus of the American Expeditionary Force in Paris, France. This caucus was the result of a proposal by Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. to a group of representatives of A.E.F. divisions and service units. Roosevelt's vision resulted in founding the Paris caucus of March 15-17, 1919, and subsequent organizational caucus held May 8-10, 1919, in St. Louis, MO. His unwavering service during these vital times won him the affectionate title, "Father of The American Legion". As the weary, homesick delegates assembled for that first Paris caucus, they brought with them the raw materials with which to build an association of veterans whose primary devotion was to God and Country. In the minds of those veterans of the A.E.F. were a number of lofty ideals, uppermost among them: It was at this Paris caucus that The American Legion received its name. The honor of naming the new organization went to Maurice K. Gordon, then a major in the 36th Division and later a judge in Kentucky. A controversy had developed concerning the name, and it was Gordon who made the successful motion to label the fledgling group "The American Legion". While lofty principles were expounded at the Paris caucus, it was decided to leave the definition of permanent policies for a later and more representative meeting to be held in the United States. An executive committee of 100 members was named to complete the organization in the A.E.F., while a sub-committee of 17 returned to the United States to promote interest among those who had already returned to the States. Even though The American Legion was formed overseas, organizers realized members of the armed services had no choice whether they served in the United States or overseas. Accordingly, it was decided that membership in The American Legion should be open to all who served honorably in the armed forces in World War 1.
Veteran's Day Parade
We want to salute Charles Kelley and David Toothaker for all the hard work they did to support the annual State Veterans Day Parade, which was held on November 10, 2007. The parade was a huge success for Post One and our participation in the event is coordinated every year by Charles Kelley and David Toothaker. In addition, we want to thank Unit One Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and everyone who helped our Post form a Color Guard to march in the parade or drive a vehicle. We are looking forward to an even bigger and better parade next year.
Boy Scouts
Valentines Dance
We want to thank the Unit One Auxiliary for sponsoring Country Western line dancing lessons at Post 1. Members learned basic country-western dance steps and line dancing. On Saturday February 16, 2008 we held our post Valentines Day dance, which had a country western flare. The combination turned out to be successful and one of our best dances.
Line Dance Lessons
We want to thank the Unit One Auxiliary for sponsoring Country Western line dancing lessons at the post. On Saturday, February 16, we held our post Valentines Day dance, which had a country western flare. The combination turned out to be very successful and one of our best dances.
Christmas Party With Karaoke
Post 1 held a Christmas Karaoke Song and dance on December 8, 2007. The dance was a big hit with the members and guests, because, in addition to the Christmas theme and dance selections, the Christmas Sing-A-Long brought in the holiday cheer for all the partiers. Post 1 has a new, improved sound system and a vastly increased inventory of music in all genres for your dancing and listening pleasure.
Halloween Dance
On Saturday, October 27, Unit One Auxiliary hosted one of the best Halloween parties ever held at Post One. The food was stupendous and by all accounts the guest experiences were fabulous. Everyone danced the Macarena and Electric Slide and there was Karaoke, which was the highlight of the party, especially when all the ladies sang together. Lastly, there were some great costumes that really set the tone for the nights festivities. The members of Post One are proud to be associated with an auxiliary that brings so much happiness, not only to the post but to the community at-large.
Yard Sale
The yard sale was held October 5-7. We would like to thank Ernest Charles and Gerald Padden for co-sponsoring the yard sale. Gerald, Charles and all our yard sale volunteers have become experts at planning and managing items such as lamps, dishes, furniture and smaller items and turning them into cash that supports the mission of American Legion Post One.
Legionnaire Of The Quarter
The members of American Legion Post One are proud to announce our Legionnaires of the Quarter, Barry Biagini and Jerry Lee Harris for the period, July through September 2007. Barry and Jerry were recognized for their thorough review of the post financial processes, procedures, and controls. Their strong financial audit of the accuracy of the post financial record-keeping revealed a well managed program, but also identified areas for improved financial management.
Student Trooper
The purpose of the North Carolina American Legion Student Trooper Program is to create an association between our young people and the men and women who are responsible for enforcing the laws of our State. The American Legion believes that our young people have a strong sense of patriotism and a high regard for Law and Order. It is our belief that the young men and women who participate in the Student Trooper Program will develop favorable attitudes toward Law Enforcement and will articulate those attitudes throughout their communities and among their peers. The week long American Legion Student Trooper Program is conducted at the North Carolina Highway Patrol Training Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a cooperative sponsorship of The North Carolina American Legion and The North Carolina Highway Patrol.