AMERICAN LEGION  

POST 202 COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 

November - 2025

Next Post meeting is November 19 

Commander Comments,  

Legionnaires, 

As we are ramping up for the holiday season remember to be to take a little time for self-care also as we care for others. I thank everyone for the help they have put into the hall over the  last month as we continue to make improvements. There will be more to come and I will be  asking for more help. 

Reminder that Veterans Day is soon approaching, it is a good time to take a minute with fellow  veterans you may not have seen or spoken to in a while. 

Happy 250th Birthday USMC – November 10; there will be a ceremony at the State capital, and  the VFW is doing a small cake cutting at the hall. 

12 NOV25 – There will be a Veterans resource event at the Famers Market from 4-7 pm 22NOV25 – VFW Pancake Breakfast, at the hall. 

13DEC25 – Wreaths across America  

December’s meeting will be our Holiday meal. 

Post meeting dates: 

November 19, 2025, December 17, 2025, January 21,  

2026 

Here is the schedule for District Meetings for 2026.

January 11th Post 5 Jefferson City. The Oratorical Contest will start at 1:00 and they ask  everyone to be there at 12:30. The District Meeting will start upon completion of the  Oratorical Contest. 

April 11th Post 317 In Freeburg at 1:00 with meal to follow. 

June 14th Post 624 in Sunrise Beach. Memorial Service at 11:00, meal at 12:00, and meeting at  1:00. 

September 13th Post 52 in Booneville. Meeting at 1:00 with a meal afterwards. They meet at  the K of C Hall at 1515 Radio Hill Road in Booneville. 

Thank you, 

Roy Stigers 

Post 202 Commander 

Wishing everyone a patriotic, safe and enjoyable November 11 Veterans Day.  

Thank you for your service.  

Honor Guard News – Paul Hobbs 

On November 3 six members of our Honor Guard traveled to Jacksonville Veteran’s Cemetery to honor Post 202 member Raymond "Ziggy” Letourneau, U. S. Navy. 

We will be honoring two Veteran’s next week, one in Columbia and one in Ham’s Prairie.  

Veterans helping Veterans.

We received a note from Ed Miller, VFW Post 280 Commander, regarding a debt for  cremation services. The widow is in a nursing home and has no money. The Honor Guard paid 1/3 of the $1,200 debt to help his widow clear probate issues. The rest was split by VFW Post 280 and the VFW Post 280 Auxiliary, and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.  

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 202 – Lorrie Mayes, President 

The regular monthly meeting of the Auxiliary was held on October 15th at the Post.  Scholarships, Missouri Girls State and poppies were items that were discussed. Committee members are needed to help with these areas.  

Bring toys for the Toys for Tots program. The Service project was completed and items are ready to go to Truman VA and Welcome Home.  

Commander Roy Stigers came to  

the meeting to talk about his desire  

to improve the appearance of the  

Memorial Room. Several Suggestions  

were given. Jamie McGuire will  

represent the Auxiliary on this  

project.  

 "Are you Santa Claus?"

Do not forget to send in your membership renewals. Our next goal date is November 11th.  If you receive any emails from Wanda Kinder who is a district officer, do not reply. It is a scam! 

I received a call from a family member of Lora Shay saying that Lora passed away on October  22nd in Texas. She was near her daughter, Linda. Lora’s funeral service was Thursday, October  30th here in Columbia. Her obituary in the Columbia Tribune. Lora and her husband, Pat, were  very active members of the Post in earlier years. Our thoughts are with the family. Auxiliary  will donate to the Department Emergency Fund in her name. 

I hope to see you at the next meeting on November 19th beginning at 7pm

 EVENTS – Lorrie Mayes 

 It is the beginning of the busy season at the Post.  

*Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild Bazaar November 7th 10a-7p and November  8th 10a-3p  

 *Marine Birthday Dinner November 9th 5-10p 

 *First Responders Fundraiser November 16th 4-8p 

 *Post and Auxiliary Meeting November 19th Social at 6p and meeting at 7p 

3 

 *VFW Pancake Breakfast November 22nd 8-11a 

 *Home Depot Christmas Party December 6th (Private event) 

 *Army/Navy Game December 13th Bring a snack and enjoy the game  *American Legion Holiday Party December 17th Dinner at 6pm Start your RSVP now!  More information to follow. 

 *The dance group will start their season in November. 

 *I have minimal rental availability through the end of the year. 

If you haven’t been by the Post….you should! Home Depot was here in October and did  landscaping out front. It looks really nice and we have had a lot of positive feedback. A big  thank you to Doug and Valerie Garrett, Bob Hartman and Ed and Kathy Miller for all your help  that day.  

 he bar has received some updates due to cooler problems. Coolers and refrigerators were  moved and workflow rearranged. Vents were added to the bar to help with ventilation for  coolers. A new wall design is being worked on for Riders, Sons and Honor Guard by Jamie  McGuire and Roy Stigers. Another big thank you to Roy Stigers, Rusty Shaw, Bob Hartman,  Doug Garrett, Melvin Bradley, Ed Miller and Jerry Pauley for all your help with all the projects  done in one day. You make a great team. 

 We have ongoing projects at the Post. Usually, one day a week we are working. If you are  interested in helping, give Roy Stigers or myself a call to see what is going on. My to do list is  long! 

Last but not least, we have had a lot of outside visitors at  

the Post on Friday nights. Some have joined our Post and  

others are just traveling through. The time spent with them  

has been great. Some have exchanged license plates. All have  

signed our guest book.  

Legion Rider News- By Mike Williams 

Even though the changing weather has begun to shorten our  

rides and decrease our total mileage, the Legion Riders of  

Chapter 202 still managed to keep very busy during October.  

The month began with our Honor Flight participant Bob  

Hartman making the journey to Rogers, Arkansas, for Bikes,  

Blues, and BBQ. We marked Octoberfest with a ride to the Tin  

Mill Distillery in Hermann, attended the Hartsburg Pumpkin  

Festival, the Versailles Applefest, the Trustees toy run in  

Moberly, and celebrated our monthly Burger and Bike Night at  

the Jalisco Mexican restaurant in Fulton. Altogether we  

logged 7,149 miles and spent $579.50 on fuel.  

Octoberfest in Herman

our support of the area veterans community took on many forms. We continued to participate  with the Patriot Guard riders, made a donation to Welcome Home, and supported the  fundraiser for the new veterans memorial in Mexico. Legion specific activities included the ALR  fall conference in Jefferson City, Chapter 5's Teddy Bear Run, and the Stand Up For Veterans  comedy night. Altogether during the month of October, we volunteered 353.76 hours  representing the Legion and made $891.75 in charitable donations.  

Fall also represents the beginning of our parade  

season. This month New Bloomfield hosted their  

annual Halloween Parade where we were  

represented by the Elkthunder family. In Columbia  

we put on costumes and decorated our bikes to  

participate in the Bagger Treat run the weekend  

before Halloween. We also gathered to celebrate one  

of our member's particularly significant birthdays and  

continued our weekly gatherings at D&D Grill. All of  

this added up to a total of $1,012.32 spent on meals. 

Jim Elkthunder and fellow rider in New Bloomfield 

Finally, we finished up preparations for the  

Toys for Tots Toy Run and Craft Fair which will  

be highlighted in next month's column. As we  

look forward there are still many opportunities  

to get involved with ALR this year. In  

November and December we will be marking  

Veterans Day with parades and dinners,  

supporting the Salvation Army Parade in  

Columbia, the Christmas Parade in Fulton, and  

spreading holiday cheer in our 4th annual  

Candy Cane Ride. We invite you and every  member of the Legion Family to come and join  us this holiday season. 

Liah Klasing Birthday party

Sons of the American Legion November News -Son’s Commander Oliver Brilhante IV - Post 202 Columbia, Missouri 

The Sons of the American Legion had a fairly successful raffle on November 1st  at the

American Legion Riders Head Motor Company’s Toys-for-Tots toy run. There were lots of toy donations at this event and more were also collected at the American Legion post. Because of  this effort it will be a Merry Christmas for many local boys and girls. 

The Sons held their Powder Horn gift certificate drawing at the post at the end of the Craft Festival on Saturday and congratulations are in order to Dennis and Sandy Thompson for winning the $500 certificate.  

The Sons are scheduled to visit the Missouri Veterans Home on November 10th at 10am and  are invited to share a meal (lunch) with the residents. Their cost for the meal tray is $5 and  even if you are not a member of the Sons, you are invited to join us on this visit. 

The month of November will no doubt be filled with events and activities in and around the American Legion Post. Commander Stiger and I have been making a list of things that need to  be addressed around the post. Some things can be completed with a little effort while others  will take more time and much more effort. Stay tuned and we would appreciate any additional  help anyone can provide, please just let one of the Sons know and we can plan accordingly. 

We continue to look to replace worn and tattered

American flags in and around Columbia 

and Boone County so we can always use your help in  

identifying their locations. We hope to use the  

generous flag donation from Bob Hartman by  

replacing flags beginning with the 

not-for-profit organizations and veteran residences  

who are unable to afford to replace them on 

their own. 

Did You Know - by Paul Hobbs  

The Corps of Cadets and The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band 

NOTE: They will be performing at the Mizzou game here Saturday, Nov. 8. 

All through high school I played trumpet in the band. Playing in a marching band is not easy.  You must have good rhythm to march in step and play your instrument to the drum beat.  You must maintain your position in line and be in your exact spot for formations all the while  playing the correct notes. It all takes many hours of practice. That’s after you have memorized  all the music.  

Three of my favorite college marching bands are Ohio State, Southern Cal Trojans and the  Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, the largest collegiate military style marching band in our nation.  

The Aggie band is composed of about 400 men and women. They are known for their complex  and precise marching formations which are performed to traditional marches. They have  participated in inaugural parades for multiple U.S. presidents and Texas governors. All  members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band are members of the Corps of Cadets.  

In my opinion no other band marches as precise as the Aggie band. They practice each  weekday morning from 7:00 to 8:30 AM. Sometimes much more for special occasions.  

The Corps of Cadets, founded in 1876, is not official military. It is a military style organization and operates under military guidelines. New members must take ROTC classes their first three  semesters. As of Fall 2024, enrollment in the Corps of Cadets was 2,434 cadets. The cadets  live together in 12 halls on the Corps of Cadets Quad. Cadets not in the band participate in leadership training, mounted cavalry, drill teams, community involvement and other programs.  

All prospective members of the Aggie Band are  

required to have had high school playing and  

marching band experience as well as pass an  

audition with a director. To audition prospective  

cadets are asked to play a prepared piece of  

music, usually a march, and demonstrate their  

sight-reading skills. In other words, they must be  

a very good musician. 

Regarding the uniforms, only senior cadets wear  

the distinctive Texas A&M senior boots. This is a  

privilege earned after three years in the Corps of Cadets.  

The boots are made by a few different makers and the cost ranges from about $825 to about  $2,400 for original Holick boots. Cadets who cannot afford to buy new boots can apply to  borrow a donated pair, thus receiving a piece of Corps' history from a former cadet. Most of  the rest of the uniform belongs to the university. The user is responsible for care and upkeep.  

Members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band are extremely meticulous about their uniforms,  upholding very high standards for appearance and care.  

Reveille, a rough collie, is Texas A&M University’s official mascot and  

is the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets. She is cared for  

by a sophomore in the Corps of Cadets who lives with her and is  

responsible for taking her to class and other university events. In  

class, she is an honored guest. It is tradition that if Reveille barks  

during class the Professor must dismiss the class. 

There is much more to know about this elite group and its traditions. This is just a few highlights.  

A key book on the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets is Keepers of the Spirit: The Corps of Cadets at  Texas A&M University, 1876–2001 by John A. Adams, Jr. 

Here are a couple links of the Aggie band preparing for and during a Mizzou game. Sorry  about the commercial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeNmqfUdLkM 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbZKGMvCmHI=

BILL WOULD RAISE VA COMPENSATION FOR SEVERELY INJURED VETS, SURVIVORS   This article’s original publication can be found here. Wounded warrior amputees take a group photo before participating in the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, March 25, 2018. (Ken Scar/U.S. Army) A bill in Congress would significantly increase the amount of disability compensation awarded to veterans with catastrophic injuries and survivors, but lawmakers are sparring over how to cover its estimated $7 billion cost.  The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, HR 6047, would raise the amount of disability compensation provided to these families by $10,000 a year and increase payments for survivors by 1% each year for five years.  According to bill sponsor Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., the boost would be the first non-inflation-related increase for these families since 1993 and would help families whose lives were upended by combat deaths or life-changing injuries.  "This bill is something that is long overdue and something we are going to continue to work on. Families like yours get left behind,” Barrett told survivors at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday. "This bill represents a shift, trying to do something that’s never been done.”  The bill could affect more than 500,000 veteran families. To cover the estimated $7 billion cost, House Republicans have proposed that veterans who purchase a second home through the VA’s mortgage program and have a 70% disability rating or lower pay a loan funding fee.  These veterans would not be required to pay the fee on their first VA home loan but would do so on subsequent loans.  Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said in the hearing that the funding proposal represents a path toward passing the bill into law.  "That’s an average of $35 a month. No changes would be made to a veteran’s first home buying experience,” Bost said. "Opening the funding fee is a realistic way to get this done.”  Ranking Democrat Rep. Mark Takano of California said, however, that while he agrees additional support is vital for caregiver families and survivors, he won’t support the legislation as written.  "The aims of this bill are noble. Its potential to help survivors and catastrophically disabled veterans is real. But I can’t support the mechanism chosen to pay for it. … Charging disabled veterans thousands of dollars in new fees to access their earned VA home loan benefit. This is a choice I can’t accept,” Takano said.  The bill is named for Sharri Briley, the widow of an Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot killed in Somalia in 1993, and Eric Edmundson, a former Army sergeant who suffered a grievous brain injury following a roadside bomb attack in Iraq in 2005.  Eric Edmundson, who can no longer speak and uses a wheelchair, sat next to his father Edgar Edmundson as the elder Edmundson gave a tearful testimony about his family’s post-injury life.  "It took away his ability to speak, to walk, to live independently. It took away the future and it placed our family on a path to 24-hour care that has now lasted 20 years,” Edgar Edmundson said.  He added that additional funding would give his son continued access to quality caregivers, additional respite care, adaptive equipment, transportation and support for staying engaged in the community.  "Catastrophic injuries do not get easier with age. They get harder. The original support, while appreciated, was never designed for round-the-clock care,” he said. "Today my son is 45. He cannot speak for himself anymore. I am here to speak for him and I am asking you to work together now to find a mechanism to ensure that the time he has — that all severely injured veterans have — is filled with care and support they need.”  Sharri Briley testified that since the death of her husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donovan Briley, in the Battle of Mogadishu, survivors’ benefits have not been "meaningfully increased,” even as the cost of housing, food and child care has climbed.  "A modest but consistent increase is a step in the right direction. It could help families manage groceries and medical expenses. Most importantly, it would signal that our government acknowledges and honors the ongoing sacrifices our spouses live with every day,” she said.  A Veterans Affairs official who testified at the hearing said the department supports the intent of the legislation and would work with Congress to implement it. She added, however, that the VA is reviewing the proposed structure to cover the legislation’s cost.  Kristina Keenan, director of the Veterans of Foreign War’s national legislative service, said the VFW appreciates the sentiment behind the bill but is "very concerned for how this legislation would be financed.”  "Through the 80-year history of the program, disabled veterans have always been exempted from the funding fee. They earned that exemption through their service and their injuries. HR 6047 would break that longstanding promise,” Keenan said. "The VFW opposes reducing benefits of one group of veterans to expand those of another.”  The bill must be voted on by the committee before it is forwarded to the full House for consideration. The Senate currently does not have its own version of the legislation.

UPCOMING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS  As of 12/5, the following hearings are scheduled: Wednesday, December 10, 10:00 AM: House Committee on Small Business Full Committee Hearing -- "From Service to Startup: Empowering Veteran Entrepreneurs” Wednesday, December 10, 2:15 PM: House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health Oversight Hearing -- "Putting Families First: Strengthening CHAMPVA for Survivors and Dependents” Wednesday, December 10, 4:00 PM: Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Hearing to Consider Pending Legislation Thursday, December 11, 10:00 AM: House Committee on Homeland Security Hearing -- "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland”  HVAC hearings can be viewed at:  Calendar Home | House Committee on Veterans Affairs SVAC hearings can be viewed at:   Hearings - U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs HASC hearings can be viewed at:   Hearings – House Armed Services Committee  SASC hearings can be viewed at:    Hearings – U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services View The American Legion Legislative Handbook Here