LEGION REPORTS
Department Membership Summary
Post Membership Summary
Weekly Reports for January 16, 2025
Mission of Mercy Veterans Dental Event
The Florida Mission of Mercy Veterans First Initiative will provide FREE dental care to military veterans beginning on March 20,2025 at Mainland High School (1255 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114). You MUST register for an appointment. Scan the QR code to register or call 800.877.9922.
What is the Florida Mission of Mercy?
Florida Mission of Mercy is a charitable dental clinic that provides free dental care to the underserved and uninsured. Patients are seen on a first-come, first served basis.
Veterans First Attendees will:
- Register for an arrival time on Thursday, March 20 to complete paperwork, X-rays and dental exam
- Return at 7 a.m. on Friday, March 21 for dental treatment
What services are provided?
- Dental exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions and some root canals
Who can receive treatment?
- Military veterans willing to wait in line who do not have medically compromising conditions can be treated.
- Photo identification, Social Security Number, insurance information or other personal identification/documentation is NOT required.
- Interpreters will be available to assist some languages, but please bring an interpreter if you do not speak English.
Sedation and narcotics are NOT available.
- If you have dental pain, please do NOT wait to seek care, as this could be a sign of a serious condition.
- If dental pain is severe and accompanied by fever or swelling, go to a hospital emergency room immediately.
- For a list of low-cost dental clinics in the state, please visit fdacares.com.
Phillip R. “Phil” Hearlson
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Past Department Commander Phillip R. “Phil” Hearlson of Summerfield, FL, at the age of 86 on January 10, 2025. Phil is survived by his wife, Past Department President Peggy Hearlson; son, Brian; and daughter, Karen. At this time, there are no details regarding services. Updates will be shared via email and posted on our website as they become available.
Phil was a proud U.S. Marine and a Vietnam War veteran. He joined the Marines immediately after graduating high school in 1956 and served honorably for 30 years, retiring in 1986. A devoted member of Veterans Memorial Post 347, Phil demonstrated 28 continuous years of service and commitment to The American Legion.
Throughout his years of dedication, Phil held numerous leadership roles at various levels within the organization. At the Post level, he served in every capacity, most notably as Post Commander from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2012 to 2013. At the District level, Phil served as 4th District Vice Commander from 2003 to 2004 and District Commander from 2004 to 2006. His exceptional leadership was recognized during the 2004–2005 term when he was awarded a membership ring for achieving the highest renewal percentage in the District.
At the Department level, Phil’s contributions were vast. He served as Department Sgt-at-Arms from 2006 to 2007, Northern Area Commander from 2007 to 2008, Department Vice Commander from 2008 to 2009, and Department Commander from 2009 to 2010. Phil also held several committee roles, including serving on the Department Time & Place Committee from 2002 to 2007 and again from 2010 to 2015, chairing the committee from 2010 to 2014. Additionally, he served on the Department Finance Committee from 2010 to 2015 and as Department National Security Chair from 2019 to 2022.
Phil’s influence extended to the national level, where he served on the Americanism Council from 2003 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2017. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 2011 to 2019 and the National Security Commission from 2020 to 2022.
Phil’s unwavering commitment to The American Legion, his community, and his country will be deeply missed. His legacy of service and dedication will remain an inspiration to all who knew him.
Condolences may be sent to his wife, Peggy Hearlson, at:
14050 SE 53rd Ave.
Summerfield, FL 34491
The arrangements for Past Department Commander Phil Hearlson’s funeral are as follows:
- Date: Friday, February 7, 2025
- Location: Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home
3975 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL - Viewing: 10:00 AM
- Service: 11:00 AM
- Interment: Following the service at Bushnell National Cemetery
6502 SW 102nd Ave., Bushnell, FL
Following the interment, there will be a Celebration of Life held at Veterans Memorial Post 347, 699 W. Lady Lake Blvd., Lady Lake, FL.
An obituary will be available on the Hiers-Baxley website in the coming days. Please visit: Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home
Weekly Reports for January 9, 2025
Riders escort Traveling Vietnam Memoria Wall – Veterans Expo continues today at American Legion Post 69
About 100 motorcycles escorted The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall on Friday morning to the 10th Annual Veterans Expo at the Avon Park American Legion Post 69.
They received a patriotic welcome with folks young and old, waving American flags in hand, lining West Bell Street to watch and video the procession. The City of Avon Park Fire Department hoisted a giant American flag with its ladder truck.
Eric Ryan Anderson, of Spirit Equine Therapy in Webster, held an American flag as he road his horse when the motorcyclists departed to meet the Traveling Memorial Wall near Lake Wales and Anderson was in the saddle to greet them upon their return.
The Global War on Terror Memorial Wall is also present at the Veterans Expo, which has free admission and is open to the public.
The Veterans Expo continues today starting at 10 a.m. with the opening ceremony. At 11 a.m. there is a 2.2-mile walk in remembrance of the 22 veteran suicides daily.
The awards ceremony starts at noon followed by live music.
Veterans services are available all day with representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and Highlands County Veterans Services.
Other organizations that provide services to veterans and first responders will have people on hand, including people from Best Behavioral Solutions; Dr. J. Royster Semper Motis, LLC; Spirit Equine Therapy; Hands for Homeless; Heartland Horses; Hernando Beach Diving with Heroes; K-9 Line; Sea 2 Sea 4 PTSD, and the South Florida State College veterans counselor, among many others.
There are raffles, a silent auction food trucks and more.
The Expo serves as a fundraiser for American Legion Department of Florida’s Project Vet Relief (Project: Vet Relief), which provides a legion of support for service men and women as they transition from military to civilian lives.
The end goal is to have a nation in which no service member stands alone or feels that they must. Help is available for active-duty military and veterans, organizers said, and the Expo is designed to reinforce that fact. In addition to their immediate family members, whether spouse or child, all services provided by Project Vet Relief are at no cost to those who have served.
Roy Tefft, one of the Expo’s organizers, said he estimated about 100 riders participated in the escort.
“We want the public to come and if they know a veteran, tell them to come see us,” he said. “We have lots of good stuff going for veterans.”
Project Vet Relief is a statewide American Legion program, which focuses on suicide prevention and emergency assistance for veterans that are in a sudden dire need, Tefft explained.
County Commissioner Kevin Roberts said the Veterans Expo is a good thing and he tries to attend it every year.
Weekly Reports for January 2, 2025
The American Legion Mourns Passing of President Carter
(INDIANAPOLIS – December 29, 2024) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr., issued the following statement today concerning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter:
“President Carter was a Legionnaire, a distinguished Navy veteran and a devout Christian. His commitment to human rights and community service was respected worldwide. He lived longer than any president in American history and made the most of his post-presidential years by strongly advocating for world peace and improving the lives of the disadvantaged. His energy, integrity and humility were admired by people across the political spectrum. President Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, was a leader in mental health awareness. They will both be missed. Our condolences to the entire Carter family and the many lives that they have touched, especially in their home state of Georgia.”
During an address to The American Legion’s 1980 national convention, President Carter described his vision for America on the world stage. “We do not maintain our power in order to seize power from others. Our goal is to strengthen our own freedom and the freedom of others, to advance the dignity of the individual and the right of all people to justice, to a good life, and to a future secure from tyranny. In choosing our course in the world, America’s strength serves American values,” he said.
The American Legion Welcomes Agreement to Keep Government Open, Blasts the Process
(INDIANAPOLIS – December 21, 2024) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr. issued the following statement today concerning passage of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government into March:
“The American Legion is glad that sanity has prevailed in Congress and our troops no longer must worry about their pay being delayed, veterans can be confident that their benefits will not be cut, and the American people can receive the government services that their taxes fund. It never should have come to this point. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to fund our government. It should not come down to the final hours. This does not send an image of responsible governance to our adversaries. During the last prolonged shutdown, members of the Coast Guard had their pay delayed. This was a disgrace, and Congress needs to pass legislation ensuring that this never happens again. Continuing resolutions, though better than a shutdown, do not solve the bigger problems of uncertainty and paralysis. Congress needs to put the American people above partisan politics and pass a budget!”
Weekly Reports for December 19, 2024
Weekly Reports for December 12, 2024
Weekly Reports for December 5, 2024
Weekly Reports for November 28, 2024
Weekly Reports for November 21, 2024
Kelton D. Sweet, Jr.
It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Past Department VA&R Chair Kelton D. Sweet, Jr., of Orlando, Florida. Kelton passed away on November 11, 2024, at the age of 90.
At this time, service information is not available. If service details are provided, they will be shared via email and on the Department’s website.
Kelton was a proud U.S. Air Force veteran who served during the Korean War Era and a devoted member of Pine Castle Post 286. Throughout his 32 years of continuous membership with the American Legion, he exemplified dedication and service.
At the Department level, Kelton served as the VA&R Chair from 2005 to 2016. His commitment extended to the National level, where he served on the Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Committee from 2006 to 2016.
Please keep Kelton’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. His contributions to The American Legion and his unwavering support for veterans will not be forgotten.
Weekly Reports for November 14, 2024
Two years after Hurricane Ian, the post in Bonita Springs is renovated and again supporting the community.
An aisle of 100 American Flags maintained and set up by American Legion Post 303 at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs , Fla, on Monday, November 11. Photo by Hilary Ott / The American Legion
An aspect of patriotic holiday ceremonies in Bonita Springs, Fla., is an aisle of 100 flags which the Legion Family from John F. Murphy Post 303 maintains and sets up for the events at Riverside Park each Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Each flag is stenciled with the name of a deceased veteran in tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for America’s freedom.
For this Veterans Day, the flags — replacements for those destroyed when Post 303 was deluged with floodwaters from Hurricane Ian in 2022 — served not only as tribute to those veterans but a representation of the post’s and city’s rebuild from the devastating storm.
Post 303 Commander Adam Prentki acknowledged it was “very difficult” when he first saw the case where the flags were stored at the post following Ian.
“It was important (to replace the flags) because it was something we always did,” Prentki said, noting the Aisle of Flags first returned at the Memorial Day event at Riverside Park even as renovations were continuing on the post home. “I think it was important for everyone to see, OK, maybe the Legion’s not there, they’re still working on their building, but they’re still in the community.”
“My partner was one of these flags, along with my brother-in-law, and both those flags were destroyed. That totally destroyed me,” said Jan Farrington, the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Florida membership chairman and a member of Unit 303. “There are many flags flying that I personally know their families, I personally know a lot of the history, and it just destroyed us to know that when we pulled those flags out after Hurricane Ian, and to just watch them disintegrate in front of us, it was just heartbreaking. So to be able to resurrect this … it’s another form of our rebuilding. Our phoenix is rising out of the ashes.”
Farrington is also the Auxiliary representative on Bonita Springs’ veterans advisory committee and talked about the Aisle of Flags during the city’s Veterans Day ceremony. She noted many of the flags had served as burial flags on the caskets of fellow veterans.
“We need to remember and honor (all veterans),” Farrington said.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen (ret.) Steve Blum, the guest speaker at the Veterans Day morning event at Riverside Park, echoed that sentiment. “A nation that does not remember and revere and thank and appreciate its veterans will not long remain a nation,” Blum said.
Veterans and their families — among them 98-year-old World War II veteran Daniel Rossi — gathered in the park for the Veterans Day event, which included Bonita Springs city councilman and Army veteran Nigel Fullick recognizing Rossi and reading a proclamation from Mayor Rick Steinmeyer commemorating the holiday.
Following the morning’s event at Riverside Park, Post 303 hosted a grand reopening ceremony which drew Legion Family and leadership from across the state.
“It’s all about the brotherhood and sisterhood for me,” said Department of Florida Commander Chris Hamrick.
“We had a lot of people donate (to the rebuild),” Prentki said. “We are blessed with a lot of snowbirds in this area. We had a lot of those individuals donate. I wanted them to be a part of it. It was very moving for me to see the support we got, not just from the people that are here every day but from our snowbird community. And when we tried to decide on a date, we looked at what would be available. It was brought up on doing it today, on Veterans Day. That’s what we settled on.
“It’s late enough in the year that a lot of our northern guests are down and could attend; some of them came down specifically for this,” Prentki added.
“It’s been a day we’ve been waiting for, for two years… it’s here, we are open,” Farrington said. “It’s more than just a building. It’s a place we go for our veterans. It’s a safe haven. It’s a community spot where veterans can come, share their stories. We can work our wonderful programs with the American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of The American Legion can do their programs, we can just enhance our veterans through community service, and children and youth, and Americanism at its best and at its root.”
Weekly Reports for November 7, 2024
The American Legion Congratulates President-Elect
(INDIANAPOLIS – November 6, 2024) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr., issued the following statement today concerning yesterday’s election results:
“The American people have spoken, and The American Legion congratulates President-elect Trump on his victory. We hope to continue some of the progress that veterans have made during President Trump’s first administration, which included the signing of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 on the stage of our 99th National Convention, as well as the VA MISSION Act of 2018. The American Legion is eager to work with the incoming administration to strengthen military readiness, secure our borders, end forever wars and improve VA healthcare. We also welcome the opportunity to work with the incoming Congress and continue to support the current commander-in-chief for the remainder of his administration. We call on Congress and President Biden to pass a budget expeditiously so we can end the practice of governing through congressional resolution. It is time for Americans to unify behind the current and incoming leaders that we have elected. We should also remember that it is America’s veterans, past and present, who have made it possible for us to hold free elections in the greatest nation on earth. ”
Weekly Reports for October 31, 2024
Opportunity to Serve on the BSCIP Advisory Council for Veterans and Family Members
The Florida Department of Health’s Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program (BSCIP) provides essential services to eligible residents with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, helping them regain functional independence in their communities. With direct case management, resource facilitation, and a dedicated network of statewide staff, BSCIP supports both adult and pediatric clients in achieving their recovery goals.
In line with House Bill 1329, the BSCIP Advisory Council is expanding to include two new members: veterans or family members of veterans affected by traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or sub-concussive impacts from military service. This expansion honors the unique needs of our veterans and enhances representation on the council.
Please help us spread the word within veteran organizations and networks to encourage qualified individuals to apply for this meaningful opportunity.
For more details on the BSCIP, the advisory council, or to apply, visit Florida BSCIP Website.