BY: Jennifer Oleen-Rook
I call them "The Greatest Generation Ladies". They're ladies I've known all my life. They're the ladies who have standing, weekly appointments with their hairdresser to wash, curl and backcomb and shape their hair into little round helmets. They're the women who not only attended my wedding, but helped out in the kitchen, threw me a shower and made sure I had plenty of dishtowels, embroidered pillowcases and other important heirloom type items to store in my hope chest. They're my Grandmother's friends; her coffee klatch, dancing buddies, and confidantes.
These same women were also the first ones to hug me and cry with me when my grandmother died and the last to leave after her casket was placed in the ground. These women meant a lot to my grandmother and to each other. They were the women she met through the American Legion Women's Auxiliary and somewhere through all the service projects, parades, dances, raising children and helping veterans, these women became a family, leaning on each other in times of sorrow, drawing strength from one another through trials, rejoicing and enjoying life together. Their love for "God and Country" brought them so much more than just personal gratification. Mildred Betts, a member of Jensen Legion Post 124 for 35 years and current Chaplain of the post, says, "The friendships I've made in my many years with the Legion are treasured. We've just kinda become a little family. We've taken care of each other and spent time together outside of our Legion meetings and just become really close."
This Greatest Generation Ladies are also the most patriotic people I know. Many joined the Women's Legion Auxiliary more than thirty years ago because they had husbands who were war veterans and were active in the Men's American Legion. Dorothy Evans has logged more than forty years. She says the purpose behind the American Legion Women's Auxiliary is to support the men, help veterans and promote patriotism. They believe in the ideals and principles of the American Legion Auxiliary and in "America's founding fathers. They pledge to foster patriotism, preserve and defend the Constitution, promote allegiance to God and Country, and uphold the basic principles of freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of choice." Evans says, "The patriotism we enjoy and try to foster is essential to our society. And we need to take care of our Veterans when they come back from wars. A lot of them need a lot of help and the legion just steps right in and helps them."
It is through this service that these women I admire grew so close. During the holidays the women would gather at my Grandmother's home to make goodies for people and organize gifts to send to the Veteran's Administration Gift Shop for Veterans (so hospitalized veterans can have gifts for their families, free of charge), or to give Christmas to a family in need. There was much laughter, gossip, and a whole lot of fun. Auxiliary programs were created to provide assistance, education and financial support for veterans and their families, but the Greatest Generation Ladies made it their life and they enjoyed it. Those ladies had fun wherever they went together.
Another goal of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary is to be active in the community and help to create a better society, particularly for the nation's citizens of the future. Each year the Ladies Auxiliaries nationwide sponsor several girls to send to Girl's State, a weeklong event for high school juniors to learn about the government and electoral process. The Legion Ladies work hard year round to raise money in order to sponsor the best and brightest applicants and send them to Girl's State. It is one of their crowning glories and proudest accomplishments. This year, Jensen Legion Post 124 will send six Uintah High girls to Girl's State, and Kristie Francisco, a Uintah High senior who was selected last year, will reign over the festivities as Girl's State Governor; a first for Jensen Legion Post 124 and Uintah High. The Greatest Generation Ladies are, no doubt, beaming like proud mothers, and several of the Ladies are smiling down from Heaven at such accomplishments as well.
I've been a card carrying member of the American Legion since birth just like all the other granddaughters of the Legion Ladies. These ladies enrolled us in the Legion, enlisted our help each year to sell paper poppies (made by veterans to raise money for veterans) and my cousins and I were all groomed to participate in Girl's and Boy's State. Three out of eight of us attended and The Ladies were pleased. They weren't just happy that their brood was selected, they were happy that the younger generation seemed to be interested in becoming good citizens and there was hope that one day they would carry the torch and stay active in the American Legion.
The American Legion men's organization and the Legion Ladies Auxiliary both need young blood. The Greatest Generation Ladies won't be around forever. It seems they attend more funerals nowadays than they do birthday parties. Last month, Mildred Betts entered the legion hall in Jensen only to discover a terrible smell. So, she began lighting candles to cover the smell. It was soon discovered the noxious odor was emanating from a propane tank. Longtime Legion member Boyd Redden told Mildred she'd gotten lucky that time then quipped, "If we'd have been blown up who would've done the 21 gun salute over our graves?" There is humor in Boyd's comments, but also a truth and a realization that once these people are gone, so are their traditions and a huge part of American culture and life.
So, it is up to us, The Greatest Generation of Soccer Moms, to carry the torch and get involved in the American Legion. If you are a daughter, granddaughter or wife of a veteran, get in touch with your local chapter today. Mildred Betts and Dorothy Evans are just two of the Greatest Generation Ladies who need us to carry on. They've worked hard to educate the younger generations and make sure we were raised up to become good citizens who take an active part in local politics, respect the flag, show patriotism and pass these ideals on to our posterity.
I call them "The Greatest Generation Ladies". They're ladies I've known all my life. They're the ladies who have standing, weekly appointments with their hairdresser to wash, curl and backcomb and shape their hair into little round helmets. They're the women who not only attended my wedding, but helped out in the kitchen, threw me a shower and made sure I had plenty of dishtowels, embroidered pillowcases and other important heirloom type items to store in my hope chest. They're my Grandmother's friends; her coffee klatch, dancing buddies, and confidantes. These same women were also the first ones to hug me and cry with me when my grandmother died and the last to leave after her casket was placed in the ground. These women meant a lot to my grandmother and to each other. They were the women she met through the American Legion Women's Auxiliary and somewhere through all the service projects, parades, dances, raising children and helping veterans, these women became a family, leaning on each other in times of sorrow, drawing strength from one another through trials, rejoicing and enjoying life together. Their love for "God and Country" brought them so much more than just personal gratification. Mildred Betts, a member of Jensen Legion Post 124 for 35 years and current Chaplain of the post, says, "The friendships I've made in my many years with the Legion are treasured. We've just kinda become a little family. We've taken care of each other and spent time together outside of our Legion meetings and just become really close."
This Greatest Generation Ladies are also the most patriotic people I know. Many joined the Women's Legion Auxiliary more than thirty years ago because they had husbands who were war veterans and were active in the Men's American Legion. Dorothy Evans has logged more than forty years. She says the purpose behind the American Legion Women's Auxiliary is to support the men, help veterans and promote patriotism. They believe in the ideals and principles of the American Legion Auxiliary and in "America's founding fathers. They pledge to foster patriotism, preserve and defend the Constitution, promote allegiance to God and Country, and uphold the basic principles of freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of choice." Evans says, "The patriotism we enjoy and try to foster is essential to our society. And we need to take care of our Veterans when they come back from wars. A lot of them need a lot of help and the legion just steps right in and helps them."
It is through this service that these women I admire grew so close. During the holidays the women would gather at my Grandmother's home to make goodies for people and organize gifts to send to the Veteran's Administration Gift Shop for Veterans (so hospitalized veterans can have gifts for their families, free of charge), or to give Christmas to a family in need. There was much laughter, gossip, and a whole lot of fun. Auxiliary programs were created to provide assistance, education and financial support for veterans and their families, but the Greatest Generation Ladies made it their life and they enjoyed it. Those ladies had fun wherever they went together.
Another goal of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary is to be active in the community and help to create a better society, particularly for the nation's citizens of the future. Each year the Ladies Auxiliaries nationwide sponsor several girls to send to Girl's State, a weeklong event for high school juniors to learn about the government and electoral process. The Legion Ladies work hard year round to raise money in order to sponsor the best and brightest applicants and send them to Girl's State. It is one of their crowning glories and proudest accomplishments. This year, Jensen Legion Post 124 will send six Uintah High girls to Girl's State, and Kristie Francisco, a Uintah High senior who was selected last year, will reign over the festivities as Girl's State Governor; a first for Jensen Legion Post 124 and Uintah High. The Greatest Generation Ladies are, no doubt, beaming like proud mothers, and several of the Ladies are smiling down from Heaven at such accomplishments as well.
I've been a card carrying member of the American Legion since birth just like all the other granddaughters of the Legion Ladies. These ladies enrolled us in the Legion, enlisted our help each year to sell paper poppies (made by veterans to raise money for veterans) and my cousins and I were all groomed to participate in Girl's and Boy's State. Three out of eight of us attended and The Ladies were pleased. They weren't just happy that their brood was selected, they were happy that the younger generation seemed to be interested in becoming good citizens and there was hope that one day they would carry the torch and stay active in the American Legion.
The American Legion men's organization and the Legion Ladies Auxiliary both need young blood. The Greatest Generation Ladies won't be around forever. It seems they attend more funerals nowadays than they do birthday parties. Last month, Mildred Betts entered the legion hall in Jensen only to discover a terrible smell. So, she began lighting candles to cover the smell. It was soon discovered the noxious odor was emanating from a propane tank. Longtime Legion member Boyd Redden told Mildred she'd gotten lucky that time then quipped, "If we'd have been blown up who would've done the 21 gun salute over our graves?" There is humor in Boyd's comments, but also a truth and a realization that once these people are gone, so are their traditions and a huge part of American culture and life.
So, it is up to us, The Greatest Generation of Soccer Moms, to carry the torch and get involved in the American Legion. If you are a daughter, granddaughter or wife of a veteran, get in touch with your local chapter today. Mildred Betts and Dorothy Evans are just two of the Greatest Generation Ladies who need us to carry on. They've worked hard to educate the younger generations and make sure we were raised up to become good citizens who take an active part in local politics, respect the flag, show patriotism and pass these ideals on to our posterity.
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