Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008 | midnight
Post 31 Commander Doug McHam expressed his anger at American Legion National Headquarters during the regular monthly meeting of the post on Dec. 2. McHam was indignant at the delay in getting new M-1 Gerand rifles for the Post 31 firing squad and attributed it to procrastination at national headquarters.
The rifles used by Post 31 members who respond to frequent requests for firing squads at veterans' funerals and other occasions are from World War I, are heavy and out-of-date and no longer work properly. There are regularly several misfires during a ceremony and, as a result, veterans are not always getting the 21 guns they deserve.
While it is probably not apparent to spectators at these events, it is annoying to the members using the weapons. They find them cumbersome, outmoded and hard to handle.
McHam said it is reaching the point where the post will have to turn down requests for firing squads, many of which are made at the last moment from relatives of veterans being interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.
For example, on Nov. 10 Doug McHam, Jack Belleau, Toby Cook, Dave Mulligan and Ruth Taylor responded for the funeral of Air Force veteran Robert Charles Corey Sr.
On Nov. 14 it was Joe Bowyer, Belleau, Mulligan, Cook and Taylor responding for the funeral of Stanley Lew Riner, a submarine veteran of the Navy. Both of these squads had to handle the old rifles and reported problems and misfires.
McHam said the M-1s had been approved by the Department of Defense and he had a copy of a letter on Aug. 19 to the National American Legion office asking for approval to ship them. McHam can't understand why the national office has not responded so Post 31 can get the updated weapons.
McHam also said his time has been filled with post duties as commander and he asked for a volunteer to take over the task of rounding up a firing squad to answer the many requests because of Post 31's proximity to the cemetery. Belleau volunteered.
In other action, one of the yellow ribbon signs from Veterans Memorial Drive was retired and presented to its namesake, Army Sgt. Bradley Chubb, who has returned from yearlong duty in Iraq. Chubb thanked the post for the honor and said it "feels good to know that people back here don't forget us over there."
At the same time, a letter and a $100 check was received as a donation from Linda McDonald in appreciation of the posting of a yellow ribbon sign for her son, Frederick McDonald, currently serving in the Army.
Pete Peterson has resigned as 1st Vice Commander. Peterson said he has become too busy with personal affairs.
Service Officer Nancy Nollette announced that as a result of her appearance before the City Council explaining the problem of placing grave markers on the unmarked veterans graves she has found at the Boulder City cemetery, she has been overwhelmed with offers from residents to cover the $660 cost the city would charge.
Police Chief Thomas Finn offered to write a check on the spot and it was also suggested it become an Eagle Scout project.
The problem was solved, she said, when Public Works Director Scott Hansen said the city would waive the charges for the veterans.
There are now 57 Legion license plates hanging on a wall at Legion Hall. These are plates Post 31 has swapped with other posts for one of ours. Cook, Howard Scott and Marcel Plate undertook the job — a tradition in many posts around the country.
The next meeting of Post 31 will be Jan. 6 at Legion Hall. All veterans are welcome.
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