American Legion Auxiliary Unit 158, Treasure Island, FL

06/13/2026

From Women who serve:

I often hear, "Why do women veterans need their own day? Isn't Veterans Day enough?"

It's a fair question.

For me, Women Veterans Day isn't about creating a separate category of veterans. It's about visibility.

June 12 marks the anniversary of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, which allowed women to serve as permanent members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The day recognizes the generations of women who have served our nation, many of whom did so without the recognition they deserved.

But what makes this day meaningful to me isn't the history. It's the conversations.
Over the past several years, I've had the privilege of listening to hundreds of women veterans.

One theme I've heard again and again is surprisingly simple:
"I don't know if my service really counts."

I've heard:
▪️ "I only served a few years."
▪️ "I never deployed."
▪️ "I was only in the Guard."
▪️ "I wasn't in combat."

Research has found that many women veterans struggle to identify with the term veteran after leaving military service. I've seen that firsthand.

Because when someone doesn't see herself as a veteran, she may never attend the event, join a veterans organization, enroll in VA healthcare, apply for earned benefits, or connect with a community created for her.

One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been watching that change.

I've seen women walk into a room unsure whether they belong and leave realizing they do. Not because anything about their service changed, but because they finally saw themselves reflected in the veteran community.

That's why Women Veterans Day matters to me.

Not because women veterans are more important than other veterans.

But because every veteran deserves to feel seen, valued, and connected—and to recognize that their service mattered.

If you raised your right hand and took the oath, your service counts.

And if you've ever helped a veteran recognize that they belong, thank you.
Happy Women Veterans Day. 💜

Please consider sharing this post. There may be a woman veteran in your network who needs the reminder that her service mattered—and still does.



Martyn
Robertson

06/13/2026

American Legion Auxiliary
Americanism

Are you required to destroy the flag if it touches the ground?

The Flag Code states that the flag should not touch anything beneath it, including the ground. This is stated to indicate that care should be exercised in the handling of the flag, to protect it from becoming soiled or damaged. You are not required to destroy the flag when this happens. As long as the flag remains suitable for display, even if washing or dry-cleaning is required, you may continue to display the flag as a symbol of our great country.

06/12/2026

From ALA Leadership.

Just a consideration …polite alternatives for everyday conversations.

06/12/2026

This is a sad but very impactful story of a woman veteran su***de.

Lori was from Toledo, Ohio. I lived, worked and practiced in Toledo, Ohio.
I wonder if any of the auxiliary followers knew Lori.

Green Star Famile we salute all of you.

Before she was a Veteran, she was Lori.
She was a gymnast growing up in Toledo, Ohio. She was the bright light in every room she entered. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and her husband’s best friend.

Lori Chinnis proudly served her country in the United States Army, attaining the rank of Sergeant. She loved military life, loved serving others, and loved her family fiercely.

During her deployment to Iraq in 2005-2006, Lori survived an IED explosion and suffered a traumatic brain injury. When she returned home, her family watched her begin a battle that would last for years.

The wounds were not always visible. Lori struggled with PTSD, night terrors, and the challenges of adjusting to life after military service. She sought treatment, attended therapy, and fought every day to find peace.

Her husband, Jake, remembers the moments when he would catch a glimpse of the woman he had fallen in love with as a teenager.

“There would be moments where she was my old Lori, my bright shining star. I would hold her and tell her, ‘You’re my Lori. Please stay this way.’”

Together, Lori and Jake built a life spanning more than two decades. They raised three children, welcomed grandchildren, and shared a love story that began in high school.

On February 7, 2026, Lori died by su***de.

Today, the family she loved so deeply continues to carry both her memory and her loss.

Jake shared Lori’s story because he wants people to know that behind every Veteran lost to su***de is a family whose life is forever changed.

A husband who misses his best friend. Children who miss their mother. Grandchildren who ask where MiMi is.

As our nation recognizes Women’s Veterans Day, Green Star Families of America remembers SGT Lori Chinnis and honors both her service and the family she loved so deeply.

Because behind every Veteran is a family. And no family should feel invisible.

06/12/2026

This is a Legionaires Fundraiser. Who will be the extraordinary father to seize this incredible Father’s Day Golf Outing opportunity?

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

Americanism
How to properly dispose of a USA Flag.

How are unserviceable flags destroyed?

The Flag Code suggests that when a flag has served its useful purpose, “it should be destroyed, preferably by burning.” For individual citizens, this should be done discreetly so the act of destruction is not perceived as a protest or desecration. Many American Legion posts conduct disposal of unserviceable flag ceremonies on June 14, Flag Day. Such ceremonies are particularly dignified and solemn occasions for the retirement of unserviceable flags.