The Veterans of Foreign Wars Macomb County Council celebrates Loyalty Day with a program and guest speakers from 3-4 p.m. Sunday, May 1.
It will be held at VFW Lt. Wood-Cpl. Reid Post 6691, at 17075 Anita Ave., Fraser. The ceremony is open to the public, and a meal follows for post members and their guests.
The U.S. Congress, by Public Law 85-529, designated the first day of May each year as Loyalty Day. Historically, it goes back to the 1920s, then was revived in the 1950s, when loyalty to the United States was promoted to counteract Communist celebrations.
Proclamations speak of allegiance to democratic ideals, the U.S. Constitution, standing united as one people, and respecting differences and dissent.
Loyalty Day kicks off National Military Appreciation Month.
Mike Sand is the public information officer of Post 6691, and an Air Force Vietnam veteran. He recalled when the observance included a patriotic parade and good press.
“Loyalty Day has been going on on a very small scale, but back in the day, it was major event,” Sand said. “Fraser post was close to a park and was an ideal site. All the vet groups came together, met at Fraser High School and marched down Garfield. They all had their honor guards, so you would have flags from all over Macomb County from VFWs and Scouts and affiliated organizations.”
Sand and his family moved to Fraser in 1974.
“It was when the Vietnam vets just started being welcomed home and the POW (Prisoner of War) thing was going strong,” he said. “So watching this parade go down my street, we were negotiating for the return of the POWs and in particular Robert Tucci whose parents lived in Fraser.”
Robert Leon Tucci was a U.S. Air Force major and pilot with the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron whose F-4D Phantom II jet left a base in Udorn, Thailand on Nov. 12, 1969 and did not return. His remains, along with another crew member, were identified in 2010 at a crash site in Laos by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
Macomb Daily editors, now deceased, Mitch Kehetian and Maury Vincent wrote about Tucci often.
“Fraser Post, for one, was welcoming to the Vietnam veterans, in part because of the Tucci family, and because of Mitch Kehetian’s and Maury Vincent’s articles. They supported the Vietnam veterans and the whole Vietnam issue. It just all kind of came together,” Sand said.
“The Loyalty Day Parade was an answer to the Communist May Day which was their show of strength in Moscow Square. They would parade down the street with missiles and tanks and all that stuff for a show of force. And here we were, proud Americans, very patriotic at the time, and we came together with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and showed our patriotism, as opposed to a show of military power,” he said.
Fast forward to today when veterans service organizations are waning and even closing because older veterans are dying and few young veterans join the posts and chapters where they are eligible.
“We are doing everything we can to get younger people involved,” Sand said.
Gena Gordon is one of those younger people. At 43, the U.S. Navy veteran is the current commander of Post 6691 and the junior vice commander for the Macomb County Council of VFWs. One of her charges is to organize the Loyalty Day event, so it has returned to Fraser.
“I want to encourage some patriotism and some involvement and wave the flag. The huge flag we have, if it’s a nice day, can be hoisted up and we can be proud to be Americans, again, or still, or whatever,” he said.
Speakers for the event are: Air Force Association Chapter 179 Af Mount Clemens president Doug “Odie” Slocum; Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 9 president Paul Palazzolo; District 5 VFW Commander Su-Jen Mauldin; TACOM Chief of Staff Steven Carozza; and several elected officials.
“The purpose of Loyalty Day is a day for the community to demonstrate their patriotism in support for our unique tradition of freedom,” Gordon said. “This can be done in many ways: celebration of freedom, taking care of our veterans, respecting our flag, voting in elections, or even helping the homeless.”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars headquarters announced its inaugural VFW Day of Service – a day dedicated to public service, led by veterans throughout the country. The #VFWDayofService kicks off May 7. Veterans, whether they are VFW members or not, may go to VFWDayofService.org to register an event, find a local gathering, or see what other veterans are doing to make a difference.
The VFW Wood-Reid Post 6691 hosts a new VFW assistant state service officer, Don Overton, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. every first Tuesday of the month. The address is 17075 Anita Ave., Fraser. Call 586-294-1450 to set up a one-hour appointment for a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The post plans its second annual Motorcycle Show Fundraiser on June 25. The show opens at noon, and judging is at 2 p.m. Contestant fee is $15 and there are prizes for best sport, cruiser, or classic.
For information, contact Gena Gordon at genagordon@yahoo.com or 619-313-7980.
The VFW Michigan 5th District comprises 27 posts in Macomb and Oakland counties in southeast Michigan.
Polish Legion of American Veterans visit veterans home
The Polish Legion of American Veterans SSgt. Clem Bykowski Post 169 in Sterling Heights made its annual trip to the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans on Palm Sunday.
“We have been making this annual trip there for over 50 years, except for the past two years where the coronavirus pandemic prevented us from keeping up this annual tradition,” Richard Yandora said.
He said the PLAV’s mission is to “enlighten, inspire, entertain, show we care, and thank the veteran residents.”
“Over the years, we have donated the equivalent of over $125,000 in gifts, not counting the cost of renting a 50-passenger bus to take us there. In many of the past years, we had to rent two busses to transport our musicians, gifts, donated items, members, and guests to the veterans home,” he said.
Volunteers who made the trip this year included Therese Wrobel, past National Commander of the PLAV, Ron Roznowski, current PLAV State Commander, Joanne Myers, president of the PLAV Auxiliary, and Gary Mruk, commander of Post 169.
Yandora credited the Clem Bykowski family as being “always a significant contributor of prizes, gifts, and cash donations to the veterans at the Grand Rapids Home.”
“There are 120 veterans housed in this newly built vet home and 30 are housed in the old building, but only 39 of them opted to join us in the bingo game that we hosted,” Yandora said. “Our staff aided the veteran home employees in transporting 36 of the bingo players to the central game room.”
The home is funded and managed by the State of Michigan, as is the new facility called Michigan Veterans Homes located in Chesterfield Township.
Send news of service clubs and veterans service organizations to Linda May at lindamay@ameritech.net or call landline 586-791-8116.
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SERVICE CIRCUIT: VFW celebrates Loyalty Day with public program May 1 - The Macomb Daily
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