It is with deep regret that we report the passing of Past Eastern Area Commander, Timothy “Tim” J. Tierney, of The Villages, Florida on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at the age of 74. Tim is survived by his wife, Ellen. There are no details regarding services at this time, but any new information will be communicated to you through email as well as posted on the website.
Tim was a U.S. Air Force Persian Gulf War Era Veteran and a member of Lady Lake Post 347 with 29 continuous years of membership. Tim served as Post Commander (2013-2017), District Vice Commander (2016-2018) District Commander (2018-2019) and Eastern Area Commander (2019).
Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers in their time of grief. If you would like to send your condolences you may do so through his wife, Ellen, at 3644 Vineland Ave., The Villages, FL 32163.
It is with deep regret that we report the passing of Past Southwestern Area Commander, Charles “Louis” Lee Nicholson, of Bonita Springs, Florida at the age of 77. There are no details regarding services at this time, but any new information will be communicated to you through email as well as posted on the website.
Louis was a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War Era Veteran and a member of John F. Murphy American Legion Post 303, Bonita Springs, FL with 54 continuous years of membership. Louis serviced as 13th District Commander (2000-2002) and Southwestern Area Commander (2002-2003).
Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers in their time of grief.
The American Legion, Department of Florida regretfully announces that the 2020 Department Fall Conference has been cancelled.
Your health and safety are our number one priority, especially in such ambiguous times as these. Your Leadership made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Fall Conference, scheduled for November 5-8, based on an abundance of caution with the information currently available on the COVID 19 pandemic.
If you or your Post have made hotel reservations at the Renaissance Sea World, under the “American Legion” room block, your reservation will be automatically cancelled, and no further action is necessary. In fact, the hotel has currently suspended all operation at this present time.
Over the course of the next few months, we will provide a series of webinars. We will detail information on our website, floridalegion.org, on these upcoming web-based learning opportunities. These classes will focus on current Post Officer positions, and we strongly encourage current officers to participate. Members interested in learning more about Post Officer positions, interrelationship of the Post, District, Department and National organizations are welcome to participate as well. We are even in discussions of a full Virtual Conference. Again, details, will be released soon at floridalegion.org.
We thank you for your understanding and support of our Florida Veterans, families and communities during this challenging time.
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 27, 2020) – American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford issued the following statement regarding Hurricane Laura’s destructive path along the Gulf Coast:
“The American Legion extends its support and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Laura. Right now, priority one is saving lives. When the danger subsides, the clean-up and recovery begins. The American Legion Family has a number of support programs for our members to include Temporary Financial Assistance and a National Emergency Fund. TFA grants are also available to eligible active-duty servicemembers with minor children in the home. We have American Legion posts across the country that will offer their own forms of assistance as well. I have directed our national staff to maintain regular communications with the impacted departments to ensure that we do everything we can to help those in need. For now, people with inquiries can call our Louisiana American Legion Department Adjutant, Tony Betts (337) 652-5072 or email tonyb_la@hotmail.com or adjutant@lalegion.org. The Texas American Legion can be contacted at (512) 472-4138 or billw@txlegion.org. More details will be released at www.legion.org during the coming days.”
Oxford also pointed out that Americans can contribute to charities which help recovery efforts by donating to The American Legion National Emergency Fund or Veterans & Children Foundation at legion.org/donate or by sending a check to either of those charities at The American Legion, P.O. Box 361626, Indianapolis, IN 46236.
Department Commander Rick Johnson thanks you for your support of his chosen charities. Below are some thanks from some of the recipients who benefited from your contributions to C.O.T.A….
Department of Florida American Legion Family Members,
After a lot of hard work by so many people, too many to mention, I am happy to report to you that our Social Quarters can be open and serve alcoholic beverages with food under the below mentioned specified guidelines. Of course this does not apply to the three counties that are still under Phase 1.
We explained to our elected officials that our Post Homes that have Social Quarters (canteens) are much more than a “bar” they are where our members meet, exchange pleasantries, discuss our programs, develop strategies for our community involvement and at the same time raise money to take care of our veterans, their families and the communities in which we live. It was explained that all of our funding is from these grass roots activities and keeping our Posts with Social Quarters closed was prohibiting us from accomplishing our Mission.
Below, you will be able to click on a document from the Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Mr. Michael B. Johnston. Posts with a valid Liquor License may serve alcoholic beverages with food (as long as you have a food service license or permit from a regulatory authority – (DoH, FDACS or your county) on premises while observing 50% or below capacity, and observing other state and local guidance on sanitation and social distancing to prevent the risk and exposure and spread of illness during this pandemic (i.e. masks, sanitizing, temperature taking, etc.)
Should any Post experience a problem with an ABT Inspector, please give them the attached document and immediately call either myself or the Department Adjutant Michael McDaniel so we can help to resolve the issue.
You can view the document either by clicking on the button below or the document displayed below. Once you have the document displayed on your screen you can right click on it to save it to your computer. If you have problems saving it to your computer, you can email distribution@floridalegion.org and a copy will be emailed to you.
Service, Honor, Sacrifice.
William “Rick” Johnson, Commander
The American Legion
Department of Florida
I wanted to let you know of a special opportunity this week for American Legion members.
On Wednesday, you are invited to participate in a tele-town hall that will allow Legionnaires to ask questions directly to Dr. Paul R. Lawrence, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Under Secretary for Benefits.
American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Ralph Bozella will serve as a special guest host for the town hall that will take place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Legionnaires can participate by calling (833) 380-0417; and press *3 to ask a question.
Topics to be covered include how VBA is operating through the pandemic, and updates on Blue Water Navy veterans and the Veterans Benefits Banking Program.
This is a great opportunity and I look forward to as many American Legion members participating as possible.
Pre-order your 2020-2021 Children & Youth program coin today and save $3.00 each! Coins will go to regular price on September 1, 2020 at $10.00 each.
Coins are 1.5″ in diameter and are nickel with gold and silver metal coating, with blue enamel fill.
Profits from the Children & Youth coins go directly in support of the Department of Florida, Children & Youth program. Coins are expected to arrive in late August, and will begin shipping out immediately. They are also available for purchase from your Department Children & Youth Program Chair, Les Martin and will be on hand at the Children & Youth Picnic and Golf Tournament.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida AgricultureCommissioner Nikki Friedannounced the launch of Be SMART Florida, a new statewide COVID-19 consumer awareness campaign asking Floridians to take small actions with proven results to slow the pandemic’s spread.
A nonpartisan, bilingual, multi-channel awareness campaign, Be SMART Florida is an acronym asking Floridians to Social distance, Mask up, Avoid crowds, Remember to wash or sanitize hands, and Throw away disposable items like masks, gloves, and wipes. These common-sense steps are crucial to slowing COVID-19; a World Health Organization-backed study showed that COVID-19’s spread is reduced by up to 85% through wearing masks and up to 82% by social distancing.
The campaign’s launch comes after Commissioner Fried, a member of the Florida Cabinet who oversees Florida’s consumer protection agency, has heard from Floridians, families, parents, teachers, farmworkers, business owners, and others concerned about COVID-19. Last week, Fried also held a virtual roundtable discussion with frontline doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers on the state’s COVID-19 response.
“We’ve never needed to be more united than right now, yet we’re divided by simple actions like wearing a mask and keeping our distance. To reopen our state and our economy safely, we must all be in this together and do the small things that make a big difference in slowing down COVID-19,” said Commissioner Fried. “As Florida’s consumer protection agency, we take seriously the responsibility to help Florida’s people, businesses, essential workers, and economy be safe. I’m hopeful that by working together, we’ll all do our part to beat COVID-19 – so let’s be SMART, Florida!”
The campaign features short #BeSMARTFL social media videos from well-known Floridians and influencers, shareable graphics and animated videos with important information, and a social media toolkit that encourages everyone to spread the word. In the coming weeks, radio PSAs will also begin airing, and other campaign elements will be introduced. Today, the campaign is launching with short videos from former Miami HEAT player Alonzo Mourning, Congresswoman and former U.S. Secretary of Health Donna Shalala, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, entertainer and entrepreneur DJ IRIE, and State Rep. Javier Fernández (in Spanish). These videos will be found on the department’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Help us congratulate Commander Johnson on his efforts of raising $63,107.96 for COTA! Thank you to all those who supported him and made a contribution to help him reach his goal. A special thanks to those who took on the challenge and cut their hair for the cause!
NOTE: Commander Johnson has chosen PROJECT: VetRelief and COTA as his charities for his second year in office. Let’s all help him double his contributions to both charities and support veterans and children in their time of need!
Commander Rick Johnson was also able to raise $116,180.37 for PROJECT:VetRelief!! Taking care of veterans is something he’s passionate about. We appreciate all those who contributed through this charities of choice.
NOTE: Commander Johnson has chosen PROJECT: VetRelief and COTA as his charities for his second year in office. Let’s all help him double his contributions to both charities and support veterans and children in their time of need!
Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is continuing to warn Floridians about unsolicited packages of seeds received through the mail. The seed packets, which may arrive unexpectedly in packages bearing Chinese characters, may bear the name China Post, and may be labeled as jewelry, have been reported in multiple states including Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah, and others.
As of July 28, FDACS has received at least 631 reports from Florida residents reporting having received suspicious seed packages. The content of the seed packages remains unknown at this time, until testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) takes place.
UPDATE: Today, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the lead regulatory body on this matter, issued guidance. The USDA believes the seeds to be part of a “brushing” scam, where unsolicited items are sent in order to post false customer reviews and boost online sales. Upon receiving seed packages from recipients, the USDA will test the contents to determine if a risk is posed to agriculture or the environment.
The introduction of plant seeds into the United States is tightly regulated by the USDA. Seeds of unknown origin may constitute agricultural smuggling, may be invasive, may introduce pathogens, toxins, or plant and animal diseases, may pose a risk of foodborne illness, and may pose a threat to plant and animal health. FDACS is continuing to work closely to receive additional guidance from the USDA and APHIS, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Plant seeds from unknown sources may introduce dangerous pathogens, diseases, or invasive species into Florida, putting agriculture and our state’s plant, animal, and human health at risk,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. “Anyone receiving these suspicious seed packets should not plant them, but should report it to our department immediately, so that our inspectors can safely collect them for analysis.”
UPDATED: What To Do: Anyone receiving unsolicited seed packages from other countries should follow these directions:
Do not open the seed packet and avoid opening outer packaging or mailing materials, if possible
Place the seed packet AND mailing materials into a sealable plastic bag – this is important to determining the origin of the seeds
Do not plant the seeds or discard them in trash that will be landfilled
Report the seed package to the FDACS Division of Plant Industry at 1-888-397-1517 or DPIhelpline@FDACS.gov
After reporting the seed package, an Inspector from the FDACS Division of Plant Industry will contact seed recipients to schedule a safe, contactless collection of the seeds, packaging, and mailing materials
When reporting the seed package to FDACS and USDA/APHIS, please be prepared to provide one’s name, physical address, phone number, and email address for contact and seed collection purposes.
From: National Historian James “Jim” A. Mariner To: Department Historians, Department Adjutants, Past National Historians and
NADHAL Members Date: June 22, 2020
First, I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe with our worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Just imagine what our founding members would think returning from WWI with the worldwide flu pandemic from 1918 through 1920. As we continue with our Buddy Checks and what we do to serve America’s communities, states, and nation we are laying a “A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE.”
With cancellations and postponement of many programs, conventions and events and considering some departments do their judging at the Department Convention and others do not, we wanted to be fair to all for our 2019–2020 National History Book Contest. A recently received e-mail from National Adjutant Daniel Wheeler included a revised schedule for the 2020 October Meetings in Indianapolis, Indiana due to COVID-19 Social Distancing. These changes have been made for the safety of everyone.
The 2019–2020 National History Book Contest will be postponed until the Spring 2021 NEC Meeting and will still be using the 2019 Officer’s Guide (hard copy or online copy) criteria for the 2019–2020 timeframe. The new deadline for National History Book Certification Forms will be April 2, 2021. The New Historians Workshop has also been cancelled as part of the 2020 October Meetings.
In our Department of New Mexico, we plan to have the 2019-2020 history books mailed before and/or hand carried to our Mid-Winter Conference in early February 2021 where we can hold the judging and declaring winners before the May 2021 Spring NEC Meetings for our National History Book Contests. Again, this will be using the 2019 Officer’s Guide (hard copy or online copy) for the 2019–2020 timeline for the year history. All our departments have different ways of holding their Department History Book Contests, so this is a change but as U.S.A. military, veterans and Legionnaires we adapt and go forth to carry on our American Legion history tradition.
NADHAL will meet electronically for the Fall 2020 Indianapolis, Indiana meetings at a time yet to be determined. As NADHAL we need a big thank you to all our national staff working on our Fall 2020 Meetings with electronic meetings and social distancing keeping all of us safe. NADHAL committees are currently working on electronic history books judging, logistics and rules for any future national disasters or future national pandemics. Currently, we need to carry on our tradition of our hard copy history books. We look forward to our NADHAL electronic meeting.
More details and information on the Spring 2021 Meetings to include our National History Book Contest judging will be coming closer to the meeting dates.
In closing, while keeping safe with adaption and change during these unprecedented times please remember preserving and recording our history is important as we are building “A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE.”
“For God and Country”
James “Jim” A. Mariner
The American Legion
National Historian
There is a virus in America that could cause more long-term destruction than COVID-19. Just as the novel coronavirus can quickly devastate a healthy body this other virus threatens lives, neighborhoods and infrastructures. No person or place is truly safe. It can embed itself inside a peaceful protest and turn it into a nightmare of violent rioting and retribution. It turns Americans against Americans. This virus is called anarchy.
Perhaps no one should be more concerned about this virus than those who justly fight for civil rights and equality. Their cause has been hijacked. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor receive only occasional mentions on the evening news while footage of statue-toppling, tear gas and batons dominates. One network’s description of a live event will usually have the opposite perspective of another network. Division is a symptom of this virus and its cancer has reached a stage unseen since the Civil War. The patient is quickly approaching stage 4.
At our 1962 National Convention, American Legion delegates defined “Americanism” in such an eloquent manner that we still adhere to it. It stated that the essence of Americanism is class, religious and racial tolerance. Written as if it were a vaccine against our current anarchy virus, it further states “law and order are essential to the preservation of Americanism while lawlessness and violence are distinctly un-American.”
That’s worth repeating. “Lawlessness and violence are distinctly un-American.” Peaceful protests against racism are just, admirable and constitutionally protected. It’s ok if protests make people feel uncomfortable. A good protest is supposed to do that. But many people feel unsafe. This is what distinguishes protestors from anarchists and rioters.
Whether generated from the extreme left or the extreme right, the cracked skulls and burning buildings don’t care. They are damaged, sometimes permanently.
Instead of fighting this virus like good scientists, public officials are failing us. People are being killed while local, state and federal agencies fight over jurisdiction. Add partisan politics to the growing list of symptoms.
Most police officers are brave and honorable. Some are not and those who abuse their positions should be held accountable. In the fog of a riot, it is sometimes difficult for officers to distinguish between a peaceful protestor and a violent anarchist. Again, police officers who commit crimes should be prosecuted. Same with a brick-throwing anarchist.
Federal agents are charged with enforcing federal law and protecting federal property. State and local law enforcement officers have parallel responsibilities in their respective areas. Mayors, governors and the federal government must work as one when it comes to public safety. Agencies at every level must collaborate. People are dying. The enemy is not each other. It’s the violent anarchist. Unity is the cure.
James W. “Bill” Oxford is national commander of The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans organization, www.legion.org.
