Out and About – Week of August 22nd

If you have served in the Armed Forces and have a DD214, which serves as proof of your service, you can be a member of the American Legion.
If you are a member of the American Legion and served in a combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW (Veterans of a Foreign War).
If you served in the Marine Corps, you may join the Marine Corps League and be a voting member. If you served in another branch of the Armed Forces, you may join the Marine Corps League as an Associate Member. You may also be an Associate Member if a member of your family is a Marine. I use the verb “is” because, once you join the Corps, you will always be a Marine.
I joined the St. Joseph County Marine Corps League a little over a year ago, because I admire the Corps and all that it stands for. I’m sure I would have had difficulty making it through Marine Corps boot camp, so I figured this was as close as I could get to being a Marine. It’s a great organization, and I’m proud to be a member.
I’m not the only Associate Member of Detachment 1401. As a matter of fact, there are seven or eight of us who attend the monthly meetings and participate in parades. Membership is not limited to just men. At the last meeting, Alecia Moline of Sturgis was sworn in. Alecia is the proud mother of Lance Corporal Eric Fruity, who is currently serving in the Corps and stationed in Okinawa. SEMPER FI, Alecia, and welcome to one of the finest group of individuals you can find anywhere.
The Marine Corps League is always seeking new members. If interested, drop me a line, and I’ll put you in contact with a Marine.
School will be back in session in a couple of weeks. Where has the summer gone? You still have time to get Out and About and check out some of the sights Michigan has to offer. Here are some more facts that you might find interesting:
Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles of streams.
Michigan has 116 lighthouses and navigational lights. Seul Choix Point Lighthouse in Gulliver has been guiding ships since 1895. The working light also functions as a museum which houses early 1900s furnishings and maritime artifacts.
Forty of the state’s 83 counties adjoin at least one of the Great Lakes.
Michigan is the only state that touches four of the five Great Lakes.
Standing anywhere in the state, a person is within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
Sault Ste. Marie was founded by Father Jacques Marquette in 1668. It is the third oldest remaining settlement in the United States.
Colon is home to the world’s largest manufacturer of magic supplies.
See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman