Mechanicsville, Va., Unit 175 is recognizing its American Legion Family post veterans through a newly formed program dubbed the Honorable Veteran Program. 
 
Unit President Fayth Heath shared the program came about as a way to enhance community awareness of local veterans, and at the same time, let veterans at their post home know how much they are appreciated. 

“In recent years, I attended a number of ALA Department of Virginia conferences, conventions, and district conferences and gleaned valuable information about the many programs that support the four pillars of the mission of The American Legion,” recalled Heath. “It seemed easy to garner support for the care and comfort of our veterans, the military, and their families; however, it seemed that little was directed at our own post’s Legion members.” 

Heath shared her idea with Elizabeth Navas, District 13 president and chair of the unit’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Committee, who recalled being floored by the idea.

“We spend our time scouring our communities looking for someone to help, honoring those who currently serve, caring for our veteran families and our communities at large, but often forget that our members may need a simple ‘tip of the hat’ that shows we see their sacrifice to our country and appreciate them too,” said Navas. “As a unit, we jumped at the chance to honor our own.”

To recognize Post 175 veterans, the unit works with Post Commander Warren Rice to choose two members each month and present each with a proclamation certificate of honor, as well as placing a yard sign highlighting the honor in each recipient’s yard. In addition to the yard signs, members place 13 4x6-inch sticks mounted with the American flag, representing the number of their district. 

For those members who do not have a yard, a placard was created that could be placed on the veteran’s front door. When the yard/door sign and flags are installed, the certificate of appreciation is given to the recipient and photos are taken. At the ceremony, honorees are given the opportunity to share stories of their military and community service, as well as their time as members in The American Legion Family.

Criteria for the award can include the length of time of their membership in The American Legion, service to the local community, or any other criteria that the commander finds appropriate to honor. 

The first two recipients were Jackson Ward, a 34-year member of The American Legion who served in the U.S. Air Force, and Dr. Robert Evans, a 51-year member of The American Legion who served in the U.S. Navy. Both received honors for being the longest serving members of The American Legion post. 

Unit 175 continues to recognize veterans each month, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“We may never know how the community feels about our show of support, but our veterans have certainly received a much needed, renewed sense of mission importance,” said Navas. “We love our veterans — every one of them — and we are happy to show them the depth of our gratitude for what they have given to this country.”
 
 
Tips on honoring veterans in your post home
•  Recognize them with a certificate or special gift. Presenting a certificate in their honor is one way to bestow accolades, but we can also recognize our amazing veterans and members with small gifts, gift cards, or flowers. 
•  Host a special event in their honor, or have a ceremony during one of your existing events. These can be anything from small impromptu get-togethers and coffee hours 
to planned luncheons or dinners. 
•  Recognize honorees with a shout-out on social media. Create appropriate posts on your unit’s social media accounts to highlight veterans and recognize members.
•  Say “Thank you.” Our veterans and members do what they do because of their commitment to service and compassion for others. Perhaps the most important thing we can ever do is simply say “Thank you.”