🎖️ Weekly Report
Meeting Minutes | TVLC | Army Strong Memorial
COMMANDER’S COALITION MEETING
JANUARY 8, 2025, 10 A.M.
American Legion Post 13
Minutes/Notes
Attendees: Ed Hood, John Folsom, Tom Napier, John Pantoja, Courtney Thomas, Frank Roycraft, Lynn Diemer, Gail Ernst, Fred Ingley, Alex (Butch) Topicz, Earnest (Ernie) Reed, Tina Spears, Brian Caldwell, Brooklyn Enders, Mike Simmons, Grant Kimball, Bily Holder, Amanda Daughtry, Craig Williams, Susie Caplowe, Dan Hendrickson, Mattie Ward, Omar Guzman-Toro, Dan Polo, Sonya Pace, Valencia Scott, Ed McMillan, Eric Smith, Ed Gifford, Marc Dickieson, Roxann Dressel, Gordon Lightfoot, Paula Hubert, Sonya Pace, and Marianne Trussell.
Ed Hood, Commanders Coalition Communications Coordinator, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13, led attendees in a salute to the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag to open the meeting and a salute to the American Flag to close the meeting. He asked Eric Smith to deliver a prayer to open the meeting. Ed welcomed everyone, reminded everyone to speak up, identify themselves and their organization, to silence their phones, reminded specifically reminded everyone that there are to be no politics or personal attacks, and invited Tina Spears to begin. See comments below.
Tina Spears, Quality Care Manager, Right at Home. No report.
Brian Caldwell, Big Bend Hospice. No report.
John Pantoja, President, Vet Events Tally. No report.
Alex (Butch) Topicz, FRA Branch 34, CVMA 20-12. No report.
Earnest Reed, Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 34 AmVets; American Legion. No report.
Courtney Thomas, Office of Mayor John Dailey, Tallahassee. No report.
Lynn Diemer, Budget Analyst, Tallahassee National Cemetery. Thanks to all who made the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the Tallahassee National Cemetery a success. There were over 2,000 attendees at the ceremony. Thank you also to all who participated in the wreath pick-up this past Saturday.
Eric Smith, Big Bend Honor Guard. The Big Bend Honor Guard (BBHG) performed military honors at three interments in December. The BBHG also attended and performed military honors at Final Salute on December 18 for nine veterans that had not received military honors; six families were in attendance. The BBHG had 79 volunteer hours reported to the VA for the month of December.
Brooklyn Enders, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, Career Source Capital Region. See her with career questions. No report.
Mike Simmons, American Legion Post 114, District 2 Rider Chair. No report.
Roxann Dressel, Commander, American Legion Post 114, Crawfordville and 1st Vice Chair of American Legion District 2. There will be a final ceremony to thank Vietnam veterans for their service to our Nation on Saturday, January 18 at 3 pm at the American Legion Post 114. There will be an American Legion District 2 meeting on February 8 at the Mayo-Moseley American Legion Post 51, 131 Oak Street, Chattahoochee, Florida at 10 am ET/9 am CT.
Grant Kimball, Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home. The VA offers an option for non-interred veterans; however, they can’t be interred at a National Cemetery. Culley’s is having a price reduction; lock it in today. GWOT (Global War on Terror) Memorial is in the works to include the Afghanistan War Memorial promoted by Ed Hood.
Billy Holder, Chairman, Army Strong of Tallahassee Committee. He submitted a notebook of paperwork to the Director of the National Cemetery for the building of a US Army monument at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. Five or six letters of support were included; the notebook will be forwarded to the VA in Atlanta and if approved from there to DC. DOD has approved the use of the Army seal on the monument and on the small duplicate of the memorial. Donations are needed. Any money left over will go to local veteran associations.
Paula Hubert, Vice President, Women Veterans Unite. No report.
Fred Ingley, MOAA. February 10, 2025 is MOAA’s annual dinner meeting at the Tallahassee Elks Lodge. Check in for socializing and happy hour is at 5 with dinner and meeting at 6.
Gail Ernst, Air & Space Forces Association, MOAA. No report.
Amanda Daughtry, Case Worker, Congressman Neal Dunn’s Office. No report.
Craig Williams, Director of Military and Veteran Affairs, Congressman Dunn’s Office. Thanked everyone for all they do. Asked for a moment of silence (and got it) for the 24 veterans lost in 2024. Congressman Dunn is always available. Start with the VA and if you don’t agree with the response from the VA, call Dunn’s office. The mail issue (Christmas cards with check not being delivered) is being investigated. In regards to Academy Nominations, there will be an Academy Day in March.
Susan Caplowe, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative. Thank you for all who volunteer. Please help as the need is great. Every Thursday at 3 pm the Veterans Legal Collaborative meets here at the American Legion. Letters are received from veterans in jail for help.
Dan Hendrickson, President, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative. Judge LaShawn Riggins will be the permanent Veterans Treatment Court Judge. There is a Collaborative attorney seeking to be qualified in VA cases. The Wednesday food drives need a truck the runs and runs well. There are veterans who no longer qualify for housing. If anyone knows of a housing opportunity, let him know. Please help. He also thanked Ed Hood for all of his efforts.
Dan Polo, 3 years in the US Army. No report.
Eddie McMillan, Veteran Coordinator, 211 Big Bend. No report.
Sonya Pace, DAR, San Luis Mission Chapter. No report.
Valencia Scott, Akin Akinyemi, Leon County Property Appraiser’s Office. Thank you for all you do. She brings greetings from Mr. Akinyemi. Call the office at 859-606-6200 if you or your spouse have questions.
Mattie Ward, Attorney, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative, Legal Services of North Florida. Retired Army veteran. They received a homeless veterans grant. Come to Post 13 on Thursdays from 3-5 for veteran issues with homelessness, family matters, landlord tenant, etc. He will be there.
Omar Guzman-Toro, Paralegal, Veterans’ Legal Collaborative, Legal Services of North Florida. No report. Works with Mattie Ward on grant.
Ed Gifford, Commander, American Legion Post 49, Monticello. No report.
Marc Dickieson, Commandant, Marine Corps League Chapter 472. No numbers on Toys for Tots yet but it was a great result. The Marine Corps League holds a monthly fundraiser at the Ace Hardware on Kerry Forest.
Berline Belizaire, VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator. No report.
Frank Roycraft, Commander, VFW Post 3308. The VFW dedication ceremony at the Tallahassee National Cemetery on December 16 went well. This VFW District 2 monument is to all veterans and is the first in Florida. He also wanted everyone to know that the long-awaited remodel of the women’s bathroom is complete.
Gordon Lightfoot, Commander, AmVets Post 1776, VFW, American Legion. No report except that the 15th Annual AmVets Golf Tournament will be held on April 28, 2025. More information to come.
Tom Napier, Vice Chairman, Honor Flight Tallahassee. Saturday, April 26, 2025, will be the next Honor Flight (Number 11). A few vacancies still exist. The first lunch of 2025 will be held at the McMillan National Guard Armory on Tuesday, January 14; serving begins at noon. Condolences to M.H. Allen and family of CPT Nathaniel Turnbull, Vietnam US Army veteran and to the family of Private Bryce Thornton, WW II US Army veteran. The 13th Annual Robert Wise Chili Cook Off will take place Saturday, February 15 at the McMillian National Guard Armory.
John Folsom, American Legion Post 13, Chaplain for AL District 2. He raised the issue to everyone about places that either forgot or tried to pass the buck when they failed to lower the US flag to half-staff despite direct orders to do so. Everyone must take responsibility for doing so. To do otherwise is irresponsible and fails to honor a deceased President. The Sons of the Legion will be having a dinner at Post 13 on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at Post 13. Cost is $20 per person. See John for details. He also let everyone know that while still involved with Honor Flight, Tom Napier will no longer be going on the plane with the Veterans and Guardians.
Ed Hood, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13. Keep Cindy Laskowski in your prayers as she recovers from neck surgery. On February 2 at 2 pm at Post 13 the Four Chaplains Ceremony and the Post Everlasting Ceremony for veterans lost in 2024 will be held. As everyone knows he has been advocating for an Afghanistan War memorial to be built and learned thru Dennis Baker that the Governor’s Office has funds earmarked for a Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial. Holidays for Heroes; thanks to John Pantoja there were only 5 Christmas trees left at the end of the giveaway. There is a need for a VSO to step up and take charge of this worthwhile veteran project. This is not a money maker as $2,800 is needed at a minimum, but it is a worthwhile project as it has made a lot of veteran families who might not have a tree with a Christmas tree, a stand, and lights. The opportunity is available for next year. Please consider taking it over.
Marianne Trussell, Chair, Support Committee for the Tallahassee National Cemetery, Inc. Marianne thanked Lynn Diemer for her report on Wreaths Across America (WAA), and wreath pickup. The turnout was remarkable. The Final Salute Service is another story. It was advertised it, it was put on Facebook (FB), and people were contacted thru FB and email who appeared at the veteran’s service who had no family but made arrangements for himself. The result was non-existent for Final Salute held on December 18. Efforts will continue to increase attendance at Final Salute (held quarterly on the last Wednesday of the month at 3 pm) that honors veterans previously interred at the Tallahassee National Cemetery without military honors. Those veterans deserve your honor and your attendance. The next meeting of the Support Committee will be Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 5 pm at the Tallahassee National Cemetery Conference Room. The meeting lasts 1 hour and everyone is welcome.
The meeting ended with a prayer by Ernest Reed and Ed Hood leading a salute to the Flag.
The next Commander’s Coalition Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 10 am at the American Legion Post 13 at Lake Ella.
Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative
Happy January, Team:
Today’s Legal Clinic included a team of 16 of us, including 6 attys, assisting 20 Veterans plus several family members (we need more attorneys volunteering at the clinic, since referrals to other offices are not easy and delay Veterans’ getting answers and the expertise they need).
More Vets called in again this week or responded online from around the state, and we instructed them to come to Thursday Clinics or, if outside Leon or the State, to look for local Veteran services. Thanks to Susie C., Wayne Sprague, and Glen Gifford for helping respond this week (Veterans in prison, NW Fl, etc.). And thanks to Khalid Shafi and Margaret Deciano for the volunteer administrative work at the computer/files table with Susie throughout our Clinic sessions.
Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson presided over Veterans Treatment Court Monday and new County Judge LaShawn Riggins became official the following day and will be the new VTCt Judge. Several of the Vets Monday were sanctioned for substance use over the Holidays, but at least none were sent to jail from Court. Two of the new Mentors came to the session, joining 2 others, but that means we still need more Veteran Mentors to give one on one contact with the Vets trying to recover from substances or other treatment needs.
What else?
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative
Hello,
My name is Venita. I am a medically retired U.S. Air Force veteran and a doctoral candidate at the USF College of Public Health. If you are a Florida-based veteran or caregiver, I kindly request your assistance with my veteran support project.
Background: I am working on an important research project with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA). We are exploring ways to enhance family caregivers' ability to assist veterans who may experience a mental health crisis. Additionally, I am developing free resources that FDVA and grassroots organizations can use to support veterans.
Request: To support this effort, I ask that you complete a brief 15-minute survey to share your insights and recommendations. I have attached an informational flyer with the survey links and an informed consent form. Additionally, if you know any other veterans or caregivers, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this project announcement with them. Participants are welcome to contact me if they have any questions before taking part.
Thank you in advance for supporting our fellow veterans. Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Venita S. Ramirez, MPH, MS, CPH
DrPH Student | Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health
University of South Florida College of Public Health
US Army Memorial Monument Tallahassee
