INitiative will support veterans and youth.
The Norman McLeod American Legion Post #26 in Plant City is reviving its auxiliary. American Legion Post memberships are limited to veterans only; hence, the opportunity for auxiliaries. The auxiliaries are a venue for spouses, daughters, granddaughters, mothers, and grandmothers to take part in American Legion initiatives and events. “The vision of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion while becoming the premier service organization and foundation of every community providing support for our veterans, our military, and their families by shaping a positive future in an atmosphere of fellowship, patriotism, peace, and security,” Post 26 Adjutant Mark Connor said. The new group is designated the Norman McLeod American Legion Auxiliary Unit #26 Plant City.
“We work hand-in-hand with the Post, and help better the Post,” Kathleen Van Middlesworth, president of the Auxiliary, said. “Where the Post represents students in high school for Boys’ State, the auxiliary normally represents the girls for Girls State. That’s one of the things we’ll be taking on. We will look at fundraising events to raise money for the American Legion Post, and help cover and defray some of these costs to send these students to Boys and Girls State in Tallahassee.”
Van Middlesworth began a career in the U.S. Navy in 1979 and served at Subic Bay in the Philippines, on the U.S.S. Yosemite, Cecil Field Naval Air Station (NAS), and Mayport NAS, among other assignments. She served twice on an admiral’s staff and retired in 1999 as a Chief Legalman/E-7. “I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I get chills every time I think about it,” Van Middlesworth said about her service. “I have been retired now longer than I was active duty, but the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, the people I saw, the countries I saw…My second active duty station was the Philippines, which is a third world country. It was an eye-opener….the people are very poor.”
Since Van Middlesworth is a veteran, she already has membership directly with the American Legion. “We just started talking about doing this two months ago,” Van Middlesworth commented. “We only had to have 10 to charter, and we already have 15 people.” The charter application is being sent to the district president for approval. The earliest the approval could come through is mid-October, and it could take as long as mid-November to become official.
One of the charter members is Judy Wise. “My brothers, one Army, one Navy, were a lot older than me,” she said. “I was only five when they were discharged. Consequently, I grew up in the American Legion. I was everybody’s little sister. They spoiled me terribly. That may be why I still love veterans today. I’ve been a member for more than 20 years in my hometown of Shelbyville, IN. Now that my brothers are gone, and Post 26 is forming an Auxiliary, it just seemed right to support them.”
“With this being the first Auxiliary for a while, our goals are to get our membership numbers up, assist the Post in any way we can with fundraisers, and get ourselves out in the community to grow the Auxiliary.” She would like to increase the number of people in the Auxiliary to at least 50 in its first year.
The reason Middlesworth is willing to put the time and energy into building this Auxiliary is “My love of veterans and their families,” she said. “If it weren’t for families, they kept our home front going for us. Being a dependent veteran at one time, I was the daughter, I was the sister, I was the niece. I am from a long line of veterans, and I do whatever I can within reason to support our veterans, which is why I am still involved in things.”
The Auxiliary is already meeting on the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Norman McLeod American Legion Post in Plant City at 2207 W. Baker St. Dinners will accompany the meetings.
