They have answered the call of their nation.  They have protected freedom for the past 90 years.  They are American Legion Post 79 in South Hill and they do more than most anyone knows.

According to Bob Wynne, adjutant at the post, the American Legion organization is celebrating its 100^th anniversary in 2019.  The Legion was started in France in 1919 and there are Legion posts across the United States and in some foreign countries. Legion Post 79 was formed 10 years later in 1929 in South Hill.

A group of American Legion Post 79 members serve a very important duty, a small part of which they did at VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in February.  The group, the Honor Guard for Post 79, stopped by the hospital to replace the tattered and torn Stars & Stripes that had been flying since the ribbon cutting ceremony in fall of 2017.

American Legion Post 79 provides non-profits in the area with free flags. The Honor Guard also attends funerals and performs a military burial for anyone who served for the United States military. All you have to do is call them and they will be there.

Ken Kurz, director of marketing and development for VCU Health CMH, called the Legion Post letting them know the hospital’s flag needed to be retired.

“These fine men were a huge part of our ribbon cutting ceremony in 2017,” Kurz said. “They presented the colors and raised our flag as a symbol of what this country is all about. Their selflessness is inspiring. I simply asked if they could help in 2017 and they did and I simply asked again last week and they said they would be glad to provide us with a flag.”

The members who came to VCU Health CMH this week were Phil Arrington, Cecil Hodges, Bob Wynne, JR Robinson, and Lewis Wells. Robinson is the Honor Guard squad leader and Wells is the Post’s historian.

Besides providing flags for non-profits and military burials, Post 79 holds appreciation dinners for the areas police, fire, rescue and veterans. They also provide scholarships for 10 young men to attend the American Legion Boys State each year and provide transportation for those young men to and from Radford University each spring.

Wynne also shared that in 2018, American Legion Post 79 donated a total of $74,000 to area non-profits, including donating to VCU Health CMH to help benefit medical care for children and expectant mothers.

They Legion Post always accepts donations and you can also drop off flags that need to be retired and they will be glad to take care of that for you. For more information call Bob Wynne at the Legion Post – 447-3442.