Veterans Affairs Report – May 2025
Well, another St. Patrick’s Day is in the books. I hope that everyone had a happy and safe celebration and that you were able to recruit a few new members to your division. At least as far as my division is concerned, we all made it out alive and well and we have at least a couple of prospective members for the next couple of months. But, on to other things.
The next big event for Veterans as a whole is Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. This day commemorates those that gave their utmost in the service of our country. Abraham Lincoln described it as the “last full measure of devotion.” It truly is the last thing that a person can give, their lives. In a way, this ties in with the major Catholic event of Easter. The time when Jesus gave his life so that we might have the chance to go to heaven. I do not mean to belittle what Jesus did for all of us, but the sacrifice is similar. As it reads in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” The similarities are profound and we should remember and respect the choices and sacrifices those who have gone before us made for their friends. I hope that you all take time out to remember and celebrate the gift that those people have given us and the opportunities that gift has opened up for all of us and our families.
The Easter Season is our time to reflect and be with family and friends to celebrate the sacrifices made by Jesus for us and our everlasting lives. Take time during this season to reach out to others, especially Veteran friends that you haven’t seen in a while and check in with each other. Holidays are always tough as we remember those who are no longer with us and who can no longer celebrate with us.
I have recently added a couple of new resources to the Veterans Affairs section of the AOH Website and I encourage all of you to visit the site and explore the resources available. There are many, and some may be valuable to you. If you have a resource site/organization and would like to see them added to the Website, please do not hesitate to let me know. I will, of course, vet the information that is submitted before I can allow it to be posted. I recently received some solicitations from organizations that wanted to be a part of our resource page. Upon investigation, one was a clear scam and one was a disguised solicitation for money. I will try to prevent that from getting on the website, to the best of my ability. In any case, if you are ever seeking to get help with something, make sure that you check things out yourself to avoid any pitfalls that may lie in wait.
As always, if you have questions or concerns you can call me at (406) 459-3958 or email me at p.e.flaherty44@gmail.com and I will do my best to get you any help or answers that you need.
In our Motto.