Meeting Minutes 📝
3 January 2024
COMMANDER’S COALITION MEETING
January 3, 2024, 10 A.M.
American Legion Post 13
Minutes/Notes
Attendees: Ed Hood, John Folsom, Earnest Reed, Alex (Butch) Topicz, Dan Hendrickson, Susan Caplowe, Frank Roycraft, Henry Lowery, Roxann Dressel, Winston Murphy, Nicole Dempsey, Lori Fitzpatrick, Tom Carney, Gordon Lightfoot, Akin Akinyemi, Andy Janecek, David Wilson, Lena Lewis, Donna Washington, Doyle Combs, Tony Minichiello, Fred Ingley, Nell Hewitt, Marianne Scholer, Paula Hubert, Chuck Howell, Joe West, Charles LeCroy, Mary LaBatt, and Marianne Trussell.
Ed Hood, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13 led attendees in a salute to the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag to open the meeting. He also asked Earnest Reed to give the opening prayer. Mr. Hood then made a few remarks and made additional remarks at the end of the meeting. See below for all remarks. He then asked everyone to speak up and state their name and organization, and asked Frank Roycraft to begin the meeting.
Frank Roycraft, Commander, VFW Post 3308. Happy New Year everyone; it’s going to be a great 2024. No report.
Gordon Lightfoot, Commander, AmVets Post 1776. He has an unusual request on behalf of AmVets. AmVets is in need of a small bus (rented?; 15-20 passengers) to transport veterans along the route of the tour AmVets has planned about 2-3 times a month.
David Wilson, AmVets, Vet Events Tally, Air Force Association. No report.
Henry Lowery, United States Marine Corps, AmVets Post 1776. No report.
Joe West, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 96. No report.
Tom Carney, Air & Space Force Association. The next meeting will be held January 9 at 6 pm at Chow Time. The business meeting will begin at 7 pm.
Tony Minichiello, Communications Officer, American Legion Post 49, Monticello. One person was sent to Boys State last year from Post 49. The goal is two young men to attend this year.
Fred Ingley, MOAA. No report.
Charles LeCroy, American Legion Post 13. Happy New Year everyone.
Susan Caplowe, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaboration. There were no legal clinics for the past two Thursdays, but veterans showed up anyway.
Dan Hendrickson, President, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaboration. Thank you for all of your votes for the Tallahassee Legal Collaborative (TVLC). TVLC received a small grant which helped alleviate ½ of its deficit. New attorneys have signed up. Veterans show up at 2 or 2:30 although the clinic isn’t scheduled to begin until 3.
Akin Akinyemi, Leon County Property Appraiser’s Office. No report.
Andy Janecek, Leon County Property Appraiser’s Office. No report.
Lori Fitzpatrick, Director of Quality Care, Right at Home. Veteran preferred provider. Serving Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla Counties. Talk to her for further details. Has extra 2024 calendars with beautiful scenery, free to anyone.
Earnest Reed, President, Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 34. No report.
Alex (Butch) Topicz, FRA Branch 34, CVMA 20-12. Looking for a new place to meet on the second Thursday of every month. Please help. There is a 750-pound anchor available to be donated to a veterans’ organization. In the alternative, the anchor is in need of a storage place until it can find a new home or be incorporated into a monument at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. Marianne Scholer offered acreage to store it. Contact Butch for more information and details.
Donna Washington, Tallahassee VA Outpatient Clinic. Flu vaccinations are available upon appointment. Covid vaccinations are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at the walk-in clinic.
Marianne Scholer, member, Women Veterans Unite. No report.
Paula Hubert, Vice President, Women Veterans Unite. No report.
Mary LaBatt, DAR, Caroline Brevard Chapter. No report.
Roxann Dressel, Commander American Legion Post 114, Crawfordville. No report.
Winston Murphy, Veteran Services Officer, Wakulla County. No report.
Nicole Dempsey, Department of Veterans Affairs, Suicide Prevention Coordinator. No report.
Nell Hewitt, President, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 13. Girls State is in full swing, as she is sure Boys State is also. Every Junior in high school is eligible. Deadline for the application is February 9 and decisions will be made February 17. The coat and other warm clothing items drive was successful (over 100 items were donated). Extras will be donated to Operation Home Front.
Chuck Howell, Big Bend Honor Guard. Eleven interments with honors were handled by the Big Ben Honor Guard in December, 164 in 2023, and 1,117 since the Tallahassee National Cemetery opened.
Lena Lewis, Survivor Outreach Services Support Coordinator. No report.
Doyle Combs, Commander, American Legion District 2. There will be a district meeting at Post 240 in Sneads on February 3, 2024, at 10 am Central Time.
Michael Mann, Commander, Sons of the Legion. There will be a meeting of the Sons of the Legion at the end of January. More info to come.
John Folsom, Past Commander American Legion Post 13, Chaplain VFW Post 3308, AmVets Post 1776. Surprisingly, there were no reports from about ½ of the attendees. There will be a general membership meeting of VFW Post 3308 tonight at 7 pm at Post 3308. Tomorrow night (January 4) there will be a meeting of AmVets Post 1776 at 6:30, it may be at Glory Days restaurant but he is not sure. There will be two programs at Post l3 on February 1, 2024 at 2 pm: the Four Chaplains and the Post Everlasting. Eric Smith, Post 13 chaplain will officiate. VFW Post 3308 meeting in March will honor deceased members.
Ed Hood, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13. On January 25 there will be a Chili Cook Off at 2 pm at Post 13. On January 26 from 10-12 am there will be a Smart Phone Basic Training class at Post 13; it’s free to Legion members and non-members will be asked for a donation. He is very interested in the Vietnam war because “his Uncle Edward Wayne Williams is still listed as MIA in Vietnam” and because he comes from a Gold Star Family. There is/will be no conflict with the Vietnam Ceremony held each year until 2025 at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. On March 29th, during National Vietnam War Veterans Day Ed will personally hold a sign for one hour at some Tallahassee intersection that says “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans” as some Vietnam veterans were never given a proper welcome home. There is ongoing fundraising for a POW/MIA memorial to be erected at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. This effort is being led by the Bud West Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association.
Marianne Trussell, Chair, Support Committee for the Tallahassee National Cemetery, Inc. The next meeting of the Support Committee will be held on Tuesday, January 16, at 5 pm at the Administration Building Conference Room of the Tallahassee National Cemetery (TNC); everyone is welcome. Marianne thanked everyone for their help in ordering enough wreaths to fill the needs of the TNC. Neither the Wreaths Across America ceremony nor its attendees were hampered by the weather. It rained lightly during the ceremony, stopped for the wreath laying, and then started again later. God is good!
The next Commander’s Coalition Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 10 am at the American Legion Post 13 at Lake Ella.