Freeport Community Meeting / Hurricane Sandy Relief

Freeport Community Meeting / Superstorm Sandy Relief 

The regular meeting of the American Legion Post 342 scheduled for Wednesday, December 19, 2012 is cancelled.  Commander Paul Nehrich has directed that Legionnaires from the Post go to the Freeport Community Meeting / Superstorm Sandy Relief Update being held and directed by Mayor Andrew Hardwick at the Freeport Recreation Center on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 6:30 pm. 

Mayor Hardwick will be giving updates regarding both State and Federal disaster aid for residents and businesses in Freeport.  The Mayor is also expected to give information regarding the process that citizens of Freeport will have to go through to get aid and how the Village of Freeport will help its citizens in that effort.

Commander Nehrich thanks all Legionnaires for their participation in community efforts to restore the Village of Freeport and its Citizenry to normalcy.

This is in keeping with our oath to "consecrate and sanctify or comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."

For God and Country

David N. Cockerel, 2nd Vice Commander, Post 342
By Direction

Pearl Harbor Remembrance and Veterans Day Observance

Pearl Harbor Remembrance & Veterans Day Observance Ceremony

In the Freeport Memorial Library on December 7, 2012 the American Legion hosted a celebration recognizing Past Commanders of the American Legion and Senior Legion Members who served and continues to serve the Legion and the Freeport Community.

Ken Belefiore, Library Director was Master of Ceremonies and informed us that the Freeport Memorial Library was the first such Library dedicated to Veterans of War in the State of New York.  Although Mayor Hardwick could not attend Trustees Kennedy and Pineyro were in attendance.

The guest speaker, the Honorable Stephen Drummond, Freeport Village Justice along with the Village Trustees did the presentation of the Village Citations to the honorees.   Carolyn Harding did soul stirring renditions of the National Anthem, a Patriotic Medley that included Amazing Grace and God Bless America which those assembled all joined in.

Unfortunately, Gerard Barbosa, Pearl Harbor Survivor who served in the U.S. Navy could not attend due to suffering a heart attack just a few days before the ceremony.  Judge Drummond gave a heart touching reflection of what Pearl Harbor meant in light of the Hurricane Sandy disaster and what seeing the American Flag meant to him after the storm.

We again thank Reverend Carlos Vargas of the Freeport Bible Center for his attendance and Invocation, also Reverend Phillip Prestamo of the First Baptist Church for giving us the Benediction.  It was a wonderful ceremony with much applause for the Legionnaires among us who have proved to be not only the backbone of the Post but backbones of the Freeport Community.

Below is the Program for the Event

For God and Country

David N. Cockerel, 2^nd Vice Commander, Post 342

Past Commander Ernest Stumpf Jr. dies

It is with most profound sadness and regret that we inform the American Legion Membership and the Citizens of Freeport of the death of Past Commander ERNEST  STUMPF JR.

Past Commander Stumpf succumbed to illness on Friday, November 30, 2012.  It is the request of Past Commander Stumpf’s family and friends that the membership of Post 342, Freeport, New York,  join in a final salute to this Legionnaire and Patriot.

Services will be held at Hungerford & Clark Funeral Home in Freeport at 7:00 PM, Tuesday, December 4^th 2012.

Legionnaires are requested to wear their Legion cover.

David N. Cockerel, 2^nd Vice Commander, Post 342, by direction.