Rock of the Marne!!
This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWII. There are numerous ceremonies in Europe marking this important occasion. I know so many European friends in France, Italy, and Germany who are eternally grateful for the sacrifices of our Soldiers during this time.
While stationed in Germany, I had the honor to attend numerous ceremonies in the Normandy area and in other countries. It was thrilling to see the WWII reenactors with authentic American WWII Army Jeeps, Motorcycles, Uniforms, and Weapons. It was like Hallowe’en, but with a WWII US Army
theme! I remember near St Mere-Eglise, France, they even set up a bivouac area complete with an authentic field kitchen! To know that our foreign friends continue to honor the sacrifices of the American Soldiers who fought in WWII was humbling. I also visited numerous graves of our heroes unendingly interred in foreign soil and felt the weight of my responsibility to honor them.
Now for business. Check our reunion dates in this edition and plan to be there! We need to see you. Our reunions are really memorable events, and the best part is meeting folks who have served in our division from so many different eras and wars. I always love meeting our members and hearing their stories. Save the date now!
Annual paying members will receive their dues cards this month. Make sure you fill out your card and send in your dues no later than June 30th. Your membership is important, and we are proud to have you in our formation! If you are a Leader of an Outpost and know of members who have moved or otherwise changed their info, please send that to the Roster Manager as soon as you are aware. This job requires constant attention, and having the help of the members and the OP leaders is critical for ensuring that we are able to keep our members abreast of all the latest news and Society pertinent information.
As you know, January through May is our nominations cycle. Nominations for Secretary-Treasurer and our six Regional Committeemen, and submissions for Constitution and Bylaws changes, are now open. Please consider serving at the National Level. It is an extremely rewarding experience and is critical to ensuring that our great Society will continue for another 100 years. If you are interested in any of these offices, please contact our nominations Chair, Ed Conley. His information is listed on previous page.
I’d like to thank all of our Society Executive Committee, Staff, Scholarship Foundation Trustees, and Outpost Leaders for serving in your capacities. We need more people to jump in and help out. Many of these people have been in their positions for a long time and they need new members to help out. Please look for ways to help in your Outpost and at the National Level. We need you!
I can NOT stress enough how important it is to help us recruit new members. I want our Society to be around for our 200th Anniversary, but that will only happen if each of us makes recruiting a personal mission. Please recruit one person this year into the Society.
Lastly, please keep our deployed Soldiers in your prayers. Many are currently serving in harm’s way, and our prayers for their safe return and the comfort of their families left behind are of utmost importance. Rock of the Marne!
Toby Knight
Society President