Continuing to serve

American Legion Post 112 is building a tradition of service, no matter where its community is

June 30, 2021 by Ken Leinart

They served their country.

The 80-year story of Oliver Springs American Legion Post 112 is … complicated.

Formed shortly after the end of World War II, the post has a history that is checkered, heart rending and real.

And why not?

It is a history of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who constitute the post. It is a reflection, somewhat, of their lives.

These individuals will sit and talk amongst themselves about their experiences with the Veterans Administration (good and bad). They will talk about insurance claims and partial or full disability applications due to injuries suffered while serving their country. They will inquire about the health of other veterans and they will shake their heads in amazement about how bad (or good) they are being treated. They will go back and forth about whether or not to recommend sending another veteran to Anderson County Veterans Affairs Officer Leon Jaquet so he can help them resolve an issue. And they’ll be thankful Jaquet is in their corner but bemoan the notion that they need to have someone else stand up and fight for them.

But all of that is OK.

It’s a serviceman’s prerogative to bitch, right?

Then their military training will kick in and they will do what they were trained to do — what has been drilled into their being: Serve.

“We’re not worried about politics,” Post Chaplain and Financial Officer Don Long said. “We serve God and country. That’s all we need.”

And they served their community.

“We’re not just for veterans,” Post Commander James Drewery said. “Everyone is welcome here.”

Post #112 has morphed over the years, but about five years ago it took on a more critical and hands-on role in the community it serves.

“You know we live in an area where about 80-percent of the school-age children are on free or reduced lunches,” Drewery said. “This is a real problem some families face each and every day, just putting food on the table.”

Throw in a pandemic where everyone and everything was shuttered and Post #112 has taken on a service role that has become such an important role in, not just the well-being of families, but survival.

“Last Christmas we fed 300 families,” Post Sgt. Of Arms Frank Phillips said. “We also handed out 400 toys. There were a lot of families affected by the pandemic. It was hard on everybody.”

Tuesday nights the post hosts karaoke and dinner and it’s more than just a chance to sing old songs, it’s a chance for some in the community to get a meal.

“For some families this will be the only real meal they’ll get during the week,” Drewery said.

Added Long, “And we send food home with them, too.”

Long also said that sometimes those families will come back for Thursday night Bible Study (facilitated by Pastor Charles Johnson), “And we re-stock them. People need to eat.”

There is no fee for karaoke Tuesdays. The post does ask for a $7 donation, but …

“If you don’t have $7 you’re still welcome,” Long said. “This isn’t a fundraiser. We’re just trying to offset the costs.”

It’s that military training in these men and women: Define the problem, find a solution, make it work.

The “community” Post #112 serves is not easy to define. The building is located on picturesque piece of property on Lookout Avenue in Oliver Springs, which also happens to be in Morgan County.

But go 500 yards in either direction from the building and you’ll find yourself in either Anderson County or Roane County.

The “Tri-County” of Anderson, Roane, and Morgan counties is key because that “Tri-County” geography plays such a huge role for Post #112.

“Drewery said most of the veterans — 42 as of June 28 — who are members of the post are from Anderson County. Many are from Oak Ridge after the Oak Ridge post shut down around 2018 or so, Drewery said. Some of those members joined Post #112.

But being in the “Tri-County” region has presented a few problems.

Drewery said that the post needs about $600 a month just to keep the lights on and he said, there have been times when the officers have just dug into their own pockets to do so.

Funding for much needed repairs to the building has been an issue of late. Drewery said there is an estimated $30,000 worth of repairs that need to be done to the roof and ceiling of the post. He said the state governing body of the American Legion allows one major fundraiser a year, but he noted, there is so much involved as far as paperwork that unless the fundraiser brings in major dollars, it’s almost a deterrent to go through the process. Especially for a small post.

“Sometimes, if you’re a small post, it’s hard to get people to work events, too (especially if the members are older veterans),” he said. “And if you have a fundraiser the state monitors everything, but what if you don’t have a person available to walk that through?”

The community it serves, however, has responded. Not the big chains. Drewery said that two of the busiest businesses in Oak Ridge won’t even let them set up tables in front of their buildings because, “It has to go through their main office first.” The smaller businesses in the have stepped up though and have helped the post.

“We asked Anderson County for $7,500,” Drewery said. “They turned us down because we are ‘located’ in Morgan County. Roane County is the same way. Morgan County has a post in Wartburg, so we get left out there.”

Anderson County Commission Chairman Josh Anderson set up a Go Fund Me page for the work needed for the post and Drewery said there have been other donations made that help, “Keep the lights on.”

Post #112 is a growing part of the community, but like the building the post’ reputation was in bad repair until about five years ago.

“Horrible, horrible,” Drewery said of the reputation of Post #112. “It got so bad they shut it down.

“You know what this post used to ne known for? Gambling, women, and alcohol.”

But Drewery and other like-minded veterans saw the need in the community and pushed through the paperwork and started making a clean slate for American Legion Post #112.

“Do you know what one of the biggest ways some American Legion Posts have to raise funds?” Drewery asked. “Selling beer. They have Coke machines that you can buy beer from. When we re-opened this post we were asked, ‘Do you have a magic Coke machine?’”

“There’s nothing wrong with having a beer,” Long said. “But if you need to be drunk to go to the post, something’s not right.”

Post #112 is a no alcohol, no smoking establishment.

Funding the many projects Post #112 undertakes has taken a creative turn. The post started the Mis October Sky Beauty Pageant during Oliver Spring’s annual October Sky Festival.

The post is active in Wreaths Across America. If you mention Post #112 when you donate to that cause Post #112 gets $5.

The post also works with the Boys Scouts of America. Two project Drewery talked about involved service projects for two Scouts working to attain their Eagle Scout badge. One of the projects resulted in the post getting a fire pit built so it could hold United States Flag retirement ceremonies.

“I think we retired 1,500 flags in our first ceremony? Something like that,” Phillips said.

“That was a very meaningful ceremony,” Drewery noted.

Another project was the reclamation of an old cemetery not too far from the post. While visiting Eagle Creek Campground Drewery was told about on old, over grown, nearly forgotten cemetery nearby.

“There were headstones from the Civil War. Apparently it was an old Civil War cemetery,” he said. “And it was for Union soldiers.”

Drewery said there were names found and family members (descendants) were contacted and they had no idea the place even existed. Working with a Scout earning his Eagle Scout status they got the cemetery cleaned up. “A flag pole was put up and even a nice bench in the shade was put in place,” he said.

The American Legion is also a large part of Girls and Boy State. Drewery said one of things he si proud of that their Adjutant, Sandy Casey, teaches the Hillsdale (College) course “Constitution 101” on Friday night from August through December.

The post, also, this past year was able to give a graduate of Oliver Springs High School and small scholarship.

Yes, they served their country. Now they are serving their community no matter where that community boundary takes them.