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November - December 2026 Newsletter
View the Highlights or Download the full PDF below
Hello again to my Legion Family. I call all of you at the Post my Family because we are a family. We listen to each other and we help each other. We work together for the benefit of the post and our community. I am blessed to know all of you. I thank everyone and appreciate all that you do for Post 112.
If you haven’t heard already, one of the staff members Mark was diagnosed with cancer. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
I see a good future for American Legion Post 112. Keep up the good work and be the one.
Together we can
Vaughn Smith,
Commander Post 112
1st Vice Commander
In my last column I introduced myself, but I haven’t met many of you yet at the Post. My picture (while not the highlight of my modelling career) is up on the legion wall. So, now you have an idea of what I look like. You can find me at the monthly membership meetings, weekly on Wednesdays, I get a meal and play Bingo in the dining room. On Saturdays I stop by for coffee with the Commander, and most recently I was at the Car Show and Sock Hop. When you see me walking by, take the time to introduce yourself. I’d love to put names to the faces of each of our Legion family members.
This past week was national Buddy Check week, and I reached out to a vet that I had not seen in years. I learned that his wife had died and his health kept him from getting out. He said that my phone call had made his day, and he was extremely grateful that I had reached out and let him know that Legion still cared. We all need to do Buddy Checks to support Veterans and their Families. I am thankful for all that our Post Chaplin/service officer (Paul) does in visiting those in continued living centers. I encourage you to reach out whenever you can. It needs to be more than the once-a-year National Buddy Check week, and together we can make a difference.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Larry Collins
1st Vice Commander.
Adjutant
We have been busy. If you’re like one of those kids that tells their parents there is nothing to do, come on down and see us there is almost always something for everyone to get involved in. The new Gambling booth was installed to replace the temporary one we have been using since the VFW took over our gambling operation. The new Bingo program is going over great. One night the commander and I won a game. Our first payment under the new relationship netted us double what we used to receive.
The riders are growing and have participated in several benefit rides this summer.
They also have been occupied with the Riders traveling trophy. We have had it five times this summer and it really gets some of our members motivated
Thank you to everyone that helped at the golf tournament, car show, sock hop and
the rib fest.
We are working with several new honor guard members, and our color guard missions at sporting events have been going great. And we participated in an event in Rogers where a house was donated to a veteran and we are getting ready for our annual Veterans Day presentations at local Elementary schools as well as our Veterans Day supper and program at the post. They were also on hand for the dedication of a home in Rogers to a deserving veteran. We continue to have a good turnout for our donuts with the commanders on Saturday mornings at 8:30. It’s a good way to meet people and see what’s going on. A group of us also get together for supper and the meat raffle on Friday nights. Everyone is welcome There are lots of things going on at the post so keep watching our ads on Facebook and check out the new website for details. https://www.elkriverlegion112.com/
Stop on by the post to say hello and sign the book.
Gregory Crow (G2)
Post Adjutant
PS. And just when we thought it was over the membership drive started all over for 2027
Post Chaplain
The following is the 8 AUG to 7 OCT 2026 summary of Post Chaplain duties performed:
198 Personal Visits, Assisted Living
145 Messaging’s, Text, Phone
65 Chaplain Support AL Events, Spiritual Counseling
American Legion Chaplain’s Calendar: 3 NOV Election Day, 11 NOV Veterans Day, Family
Week beginning the week of 22 NOV, 26 NOV Thanksgiving, 7 DEC Pearl Harbor Day, 14 DEC
Hanukkah, 25 DEC Christmas, and 26 DEC-1 JAN Kwanza Continuing weekly and monthly vet visits and Sunday Worship services at the Roger’s Wellstead Assisted Living Centers. Continuing, weekly and monthly vet visits to five local Guardian Angels Campuses, the BeeHive, Elk River, and CentraCare, Monticello. Continuing weekly Chaplain Office Hours Magnus Veterans Foundation (1300-1500 WED). Started and leading a 13-week (14 SEP to 7 DEC) Magnus Veterans Foundation Men’s Bible Study with 20 regular attenders and training a Chaplain Intern for his graduate level degree program. Supervising and coordinating a monthly Magnus Veterans Foundation Women’s Bible Study lead by the Post 112 Auxiliary Chaplain with 13 regular attenders.
Currently have 80 total vets to visit at least monthly at these four Independent Senior and Assisted Living Centers. Provided pastor care support and “Last Respects” with 6 veteran families during end-of-life hospice treatment during this period. Four veterans passed during this period.
Coordinated 10 Veterans Day events during the period of 6 NOV to 12 NOV involving Invocations,
Benedictions, Messages, individual veterans’ recognition, and/or presentation and retirement of Colors by Post Honor Guard representatives.
Please pray for Al and Marilyn Kuiper as Al recovers from a 29 SEP surgery at home.
God gets the glory!
Paul Deneson, Chaplain
Legion Riders
Greeting from the Post 112 Legion Riders.
We have had a busy late summer in to Fall. Participated in a few organized rides as Road Guards and as fundraisers During these rides we get a very deep appreciation of our vets and become very aware of the many organizations that support our troops. Post 112 Legion Riders had our own Ride in September and raised about $4,000 for two veterans and their families. The Riders had two booths cooking ribs at the Ribfest and represented our Post with Pride and a 5th place finish. This is a very large event that takes a lot of planning by the Post staff and volunteers. There were a few cooking teams that are nationally ranked in the many competitions. The Winner from Le Center MN has competed in 22 events this year. I have to admit the bacon wrapped Oreo cookies, the brisket baked beans and the mac and cheese side dishes were great too.
The Riders will be starting the Ducks Unlimited raffles again in the next few weeks. We sell 120 tickets and then pull two winners from those 120 tickets. Then we sell another set of 120 and pull two more winners. Good luck to all.
Our annual Breakfasts, Bloody Mary's and Bingo will begin on Oct. 11th. We will partner with the Elk
River High School Quarterback club. On November 1st we will partner with the High School Trap
Team. Breakfast with Santa (sorry no bingo or Bloody Mary’s) and maybe a kids shopping experience to purchase gifts for sibling and parents will be on December 13th.
In 2027 we are planning two more breakfasts and Bingo. Tentative dates are January 17 with the Legion Baseball Team and February 21 for the Riders.
Todd Jagodzinski
Riders Director
Auxiliary
Happy Fall Everyone, I would like start by giving a big heartfelt thankyou to everyone ho worked, volunteered, donated and contributed to making our sock hop and car show such a success! We had a fund day and truly danced the night away.
A special thank you to all the ladies who put together the beautiful baskets for our Silent Auction, your generosity and creativity, it made such a big difference and made the event extra special. I know that trying something new and different can bring a lot of doubt and questions, but when we all pull together and work as a team, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. I’m already hoping we can do it again next year. I believe we can me it an even bigger and stronger. Now we have more exciting things ahead! I’m looking forward to our craft and bake sale. Diane is doing such a wonderful job organizing everything, ladies don’t forget your delicious goodies for the bake sale.
We could also use a couple extra Trunks for our Trunk or Treat coming up on Halloween Oct 31st. I am so proud to be apart of such an uplifting Auxiliary Unit and Post. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we can come together, support one another and have a little fun along the way. Thank you all for everything you do, I truly appreciate each one of you.
Happy Fall
Marilyn Kuiper
President Unit 112
Membership
We currently have 143 on our roster, 68 paid dues for 2027, so we are at 48%. I want to thank everyone who has paid their dues.
New Members: Laurie Murphy, Tamara Lapham and Beverly Simpson, Jeannie Lachowitzer, Margaret Miech
Diane TelferMembership
Veteran Spotlight
Master Sergeant (Ret.) Gregory D. Crow began his distinguished 35-year military career on January 9,1975, when he enlisted int eh Minnesota Army National Guard in Windom, Minnesota, as a 13B Field Artillery Cannon Crewmember. Following his graduation from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he served with 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery until 1989, advancing to Staff Sergeant and Section Chief, MSG Crow then transitioned to the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program as a Recruiting and Retention NCO (79T), achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class and earning the prestigious Master Recruitment Badge for enlisting 156 Soldiers. During this period, he also served as an Interstate Transfer/Direct Service Enrollment Coordinator and dedicated seven years as n instructor for the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC), Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course (BNCOC), and Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Camp Ripley, while leading Winter Operations training for Minnesota units preparing for the Norwegian Exchange.
In 1999, Mast Sergeant Crow transferred to Army Aviation, serving as Platoon Sergeant and Readiness NCO with Company A, 3-147 Attach Helicopter Battalion, before being selected for promotion to Master Sergeant as an Operation Sergeant with Headquarters, Headquarters Company 3-147th Aviation Battalion. He deployed from January 2004 to June 2005 in support of Operation Noble Eagle with the 1256th Medical Air Ambulance Company at Fort Hood, Texas, providing aeromedical evacuation coverage across five states. Demonstrating exceptional selfless service, he voluntarily accepted a temporary reduction in rank to Seargeant First Class when duty called to deploy to Iraq with Company A 2-147th Assault Helicopter Battalion. Based in Balad from April 2007 to September 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served as a Platoon Sergeant and Crew Chief, executing numerous combat missions and accumulating over 200 combat flight hours.
Master Sergeant Crow concluded his military service maintaining flight readiness and supporting executive airlift missions out of Holman Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, officially retiring on October 31, 2010. Among his distinguished aviation milestones, he was awarded the 1,000 Flight Hours Safety Certificate by the State Aviation Officer. Following his retirement, MSG Crow has remained a dedicated servant leader within his community, serving as Post Adjutant for American Legion post 112 in Elk River, Minnesota, and mentoring over 400 youth through the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program, earning the Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal. He and his wife, Lori, reside in Elk River, Minnesota, continuing a proud legacy of service and commitment to the nation and the military community.
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