09 Feb 2021

American Legion Post 108 Teacher Grant Winners

In early January the Manson American Legion, Post 108 sponsored a “Teacher Grant” program, offering four $250 Grants available to all teachers in the Manson School District. This funding could be used for anything that would benefit students. This was a great opportunity to secure items not included in the school’s budget. The process to apply for a grant was kept simple. Teachers were directed to complete a one-page application and include a 250 word or less paper explaining how ...

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21 Jan 2021

The New Wenatchee Veterans Hall

For those involved with veteran organizations around the Wenatchee Valley, you’ve probably heard about the Wenatchee Veterans Hall. It has been a decade-long adventure to create a safe and dedicated space for Veteran use without the need to pay rental fees or be part of an organization. Until recently, that space had been located at 512 S Chelan Ave, in a detached building on the grounds of the old church-turned-community-center. A space that was well-designed for hosting small events and ...

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18 Jan 2021

Sheriff Deputy Nigel Hunter Honored

During the Manson American Legion, Post 108’s January meeting Nigel Hunter was honored with the Legion’s “Law Enforcement Certificate of Commendation” for 2020. He was joined by his wife and four children for the tribute. This annual award is intended for a well-rounded law enforcement officer who has exceeded the duty requirements expected of their position and has demonstrated a distinct pattern of community service coupled with professional achievement. Nigel Hunter meets all requirements. Nigel was born Oakland, California. His ...

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16 Jan 2021

Vet Corps Service Project
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One of the requirements that members in Vet Corps must meet each year is to complete at least one major service project. This December, three of our local Vet Corps members joined forces to complete their service project, helping a veteran with a safety improvement at their home. While working with Chelan County Veteran Service Officer Tony Sandoval, Ken Murtaugh explained that he repeatedly had issues with tripping on the uneven concrete outside his door. Tony spoke with Trent Mortensen, ...

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14 Jan 2021

Army Settles on Bad Discharge Upgrade Reviews
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As mentioned in the previous post about discharge upgrades, service members who received less than honorable discharges related to mental health issues stemming from PTSD can request to have their discharge reviewed for possible upgrade. Not long after I made that post, the Army reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit regarding this exact situation. In a lawsuit filed against Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, a class of veterans argued that the Army should overhaul its process of reviewing discharge upgrade ...

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12 Jan 2021

Civil Air Patrol updates – Jan 2021

The Squadron had several promotion and awards given out to start off the New Year. Congratulations to all the members of the Pangborn Composite Squadron on their achievements. AWARDSOn Jan 4, c/A1C Oliver Cawdery received the Outstanding Cadet of the Squadron Award from the Air Force Association. This award is generally given to a non-commissioned officer cadet with more time in the program, but Cadet Cawdery stepped up to the plate and took a leadership position as an Element Leader. ...

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07 Jan 2021

Hilton Honors program through WorkSource

The Hilton Honors™ Military Program is aimed at giving back to military service members, Veterans, and their families. This program allows Veterans or transitioning service members to receive 100,000 points to stay at Hilton brand hotels for approved job search related activities such as interviews, training, or acquiring housing in conjunction with starting a new job. Individuals must be a Veteran, an active-duty transitioning service member, or National Guard/Reservist. Individuals can receive up to 100,000 points once in their lifetime. ...

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05 Jan 2021

Post 108 Announces Teacher Grant Program

In the last quarter of 2020 the Manson American Legion, Post 108 initiated exploration of possible ways they could assist Manson School District teachers and students during the difficult times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Helping “Youth & Children” is one of the four pillars the American Legion was founded upon in 1919, so this was a perfect fit. From their research the “Teacher Grant” program was developed and will be implemented January 2021. The program offers four grants ...

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02 Jan 2021

Legionnaire of the Year Awards 2020

Recipients of the American Legion’s annual Legionnaire of the Year award are chosen by their peers and are recognized for their outstanding leadership and service as a member of their post and community. Below are some of the Legionnaires from around our region who received this honor in 2020. Post 108 – Brian Strausbaugh Brian retired from the Navy in June 1975 after serving for 20 years. He was a Chief Petty Officer working in Aviation. Brian has been a ...

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27 Dec 2020

County Veteran Advisory Boards

In accordance with WA RCW 73.08.035, each county in Washington state must establish a veterans’ advisory board, which shall advise the county legislative authority on the needs of local veterans, and the resources and programs available to benefit local veterans, and their families, in need. These advisory board meetings are open to the public. Okanogan County VAB meets on the first Tuesday of every 3rd month at 1pm at the US Armed Forces Legacy Building (Tonasket). Next meeting is 02 ...

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21 Dec 2020

The Yes Vets Program

The YesVets Campaign is part of a state-wide initiative to increase employment for veterans by recognizing employers who actively hire veterans, and encouraging and enabling other employers to do the same. Created by HB 2040 during the 2015 Legislative Session, YesVets is a partnership between Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), Employment Security Department (ESD), Department of Commerce, the Military Transition Council, and local Chambers of Commerce across the state. Registered employers will receive a YesVets window decal to proudly ...

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15 Dec 2020

“New” Old posts are coming

This site, and all I do with it, seems to always be in flux. Back in January, I had a renewed passion to improve the site, planning out new blog posts, sharing stories from local organizations, and generally fine-tuning my behind-the-scenes process. One day during a backup process I made a detrimental mistake and lost all of the previous work I had done in the blog section. All of the old Weekly Briefs, the snippets that had been submitted from ...

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