Local American Legion post seeks new recruits
PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNS INTO LAW NEW RULES WHICH EXTENDS BENEFITS TO US ARMY VETERANS HONOURABLY DISCHARGED
AN APPEAL has been issued by a local commander of the American Legion to get former US armed service members to contact the organisation to check their entitlements.
Rockchapel man Pat Mulcahy, who served stateside in the US forces during the Vietnam conflict, was elected as Commander of the Fr Duffy Post of the organisation which looks after the interests of ex US armed forces personnel wherever they are in the world.
“The purpose of our organisation is the care and support our veterans living in the area,” said Commander Mulcahy, who is keen to make US veterans aware of a change in the criteria regarding entitlements.
“The criteria have changed recently to include all those who served in the US armed forces and received an honourable discharge,” he continued.
“We would be happy to assist any veterans in our communities who may not be fully aware of their service entitlements.”
Up until last month service entitlements were only available to those who served during wartime and these periods were specifically set out as World War 1, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the War in Iraq.
Following a campaign by the American Legion in the US, the Congress in Washington extended the service entitlements to include all those who had served and who had been discharged honourably.
The legislation was then enacted by US President Donald Trump.
These entitlements would include looking after those who had been injured during their service and who could produce documentation supporting their claim.
Pat has been at the Fr Duffy Post for 46 years. He had served in Fort Dix and three of his brothers had also served in US Forces
While he started off as an infantry man he qualified to attend NCO School and was eventually commissioned as a second lieutenant in the New York Army National Guard.
He’s in his role as Commander of the Father Duffy Post for six years now and he’s out and about visiting fellow ex servicemen around Munster and up as far as Galway.
He was attending the funeral of the previous commander in Ovens when his shoulder was tapped and a comrade was asking him to say a few words in tribute to their departed friend and to organise the honour guard.
There are forty five members in the Fr Duffy Post and it’s one of four posts in Ireland.
If there any veterans who would like to join their post, Pat can be contacted for further information at 029 69024 or mulcahypat@ hotmail.com.
As it’s coming up to Remembrance Sunday at present, the post is preparing to take part in a commemorative event in Lixnaw on Sunday, November 10, where a monument has been erected to all those US forces who died in the Korean War. Two of these were from the Fr Duffy Post – Gerry Angland of Rockchapel and Billy Collins of Templegantine. On the eleventh hour on that day of remembrance, they will salute their fallen comrades.