Recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the Women Veterans of Southwest Missouri, American Legion Post 1214

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate American Legion Post 1214 located in Springfield, Missouri, on the 10-year anniversary of the organization's charter for Women Veterans of Southwest Missouri.

The post has grown from 12 initial Legionnaires to 97 Legionnaires thanks to the outreach and recruitment skills of a number of women including Adjutant Shellie Jones, Treasurer Nancy Fazzino, past Commander Louise Hansen, current Commander Jennifer Tyes and a host of other dedicated women. Ninety percent of the post's membership are women who have active duty service in one of the Nation's four military branches, while ten percent are men who also have served our country and been honorably discharged.

The post works to foster community building, and to provide outreach and support for fellow veterans by supporting programs such as Quilts of Valor, Harmony House Domestic Violence Shelter, Honor Flight of the Ozarks, and the United Way of the Ozarks' Veteran's Emergency Aid Program. The post also supports Junior ROTC programs at four area high schools: Willard, Hillcrest, Greenwood Laboratory and New Covenant Academy. The post also has sponsored some 56 candidates for Boys State and Girls State over the last 10 years. It also engages with the public and several local veterans organizations for Wreaths Across America, where they place holiday wreaths at each of the headstones in the national and state cemeteries in Springfield. These are just a few of their many service projects.

American Legion Post 1214 is an asset to Southwest Missouri, and I am grateful for their selfless service and tireless dedication to improving the lives of veterans of every era, as well as inspiring the next generation of military service members. Please join me in congratulating them for their 10 years of service.

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