November 10, 2022
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” —Maya Angelou
Dear American Legion Auxiliary Members,
On this Veterans Day I would like to a moment and thank all of our Veterans for their service and the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Our National President’s Vickie Koutz’ Theme is “Honor our Veterans Every Day.” I firmly believe our Auxiliary members are honoring our Veterans by serving our wonderful organization working the programs every day.
I hope this Friday you take a moment to think about the “one” veteran and your “why” you belong to this organization. These Veterans and our Whys are the reason we belong and renew our membership each year.
My “one” Veteran who I qualify under is my husband of 34 years who proudly served for 20 years in the United States Army and retired from 10th Special Forces Group. During his military service he missed birthdays, anniversaries and many holidays, but we as a family always understood the “why” and did not question the many deployments.
My “why” is not only to thank my husband for his service, but also to thank all the Veterans who protected our freedom, not only in this country but also in my birth country, Germany.
I grew up in West Berlin during the Cold War. My family had been divided by the Berlin Wall and I understood and saw the importance of freedom and democracy at a young age when visiting relatives in East Berlin. My father told me, the reason we – the West Berlin people are free - was due to American military protecting the freedom while stationed in Germany. My service in the Auxiliary has allowed me to meet several other Veterans who served in Germany who protected my freedom
For me all these Veterans will always be my Heroes. So please, take some time and thank our Veterans, and with your membership and your service within our organization, honor their legacy.
God Bless, Bettina Kossow
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” —Maya Angelou
Dear American Legion Auxiliary Members,
On this Veterans Day I would like to a moment and thank all of our Veterans for their service and the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Our National President’s Vickie Koutz’ Theme is “Honor our Veterans Every Day.” I firmly believe our Auxiliary members are honoring our Veterans by serving our wonderful organization working the programs every day.
I hope this Friday you take a moment to think about the “one” veteran and your “why” you belong to this organization. These Veterans and our Whys are the reason we belong and renew our membership each year.
My “one” Veteran who I qualify under is my husband of 34 years who proudly served for 20 years in the United States Army and retired from 10th Special Forces Group. During his military service he missed birthdays, anniversaries and many holidays, but we as a family always understood the “why” and did not question the many deployments.
My “why” is not only to thank my husband for his service, but also to thank all the Veterans who protected our freedom, not only in this country but also in my birth country, Germany.
I grew up in West Berlin during the Cold War. My family had been divided by the Berlin Wall and I understood and saw the importance of freedom and democracy at a young age when visiting relatives in East Berlin. My father told me, the reason we – the West Berlin people are free - was due to American military protecting the freedom while stationed in Germany. My service in the Auxiliary has allowed me to meet several other Veterans who served in Germany who protected my freedom
For me all these Veterans will always be my Heroes. So please, take some time and thank our Veterans, and with your membership and your service within our organization, honor their legacy.
God Bless, Bettina Kossow