Representing American Legion Post 103 are, from left, 2nd Vice Commander Anthony Wynn, Adjutant Barbara Seale, and Post Commander Bill Manuel. Post 103 donates money, and its members donate time, to numerous local organizations and causes. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|Courtesy photo)
American Legion Post 103 Commander Bill Manuel addresses Girl Scout Troop 389 prior to presenting the Troop with a $250 donation. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|Courtesy photo)
For some veterans, their service doesn’t end when they are no longer active in the United States military. They continue to serve long afterwards, donating time (by spreading mulch in a park, for example) and money (by making a financial contribution to a Scout troop, for instance) in their local communities — and they do this under the auspices of the American Legion.
Over the years, American Legion Post 103 Mount Olive has helped the following organizations and causes (among others) through donations of time, money or supplies: the Boy Scouts; the Girl Scouts; the Boys and Girls Club; the Mount Olive Hurricanes youth football club; the Men of Faith, Integrity and Character’s book bag/school supply giveaway; local elementary/primary schools — Grantham, Carver, Brogden and Spring Creek; Mount Olive’s Juneteenth celebration, Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department, and different veterans concerns. Members of the Post provide free meals to veterans and their spouses on Veterans Day; and they also participate in a “buddy check” program, checking in on fellow veterans, including those who aren’t members of the American Legion.
In order to hold its own monetarily, Post 103 rents out its building and holds several fundraisers a year. Contrary to popular belief, the organization receives no funding from the government.
“We are a self-supported organization,” says Post Commander and Air Force veteran Bill Manuel. Membership dues are $40 per year, of which the Post keeps only $7.50, with the rest going to the state and national level.
Post 103 receives few individual or business donations — although contributions are always welcome — and Manuel believes this is partly because of the nonprofit’s status as a 501(c)(19) organization, as opposed to a 501(c)(3), with which people are more familiar. Manuel explains that the less-familiar 501(c)(19) designation simply reflects the fact that it is veteran-affiliated.
The Post holds two plate sales a year; one is just around the corner, on March 1; the second will be in September or October. Part of the success of the plate sales is due to the generosity of individual Post members who step up and pay for some of the food and supplies themselves, and also to Piggly Wiggly for “giving us the best possible prices,” says Manuel.
Army veteran Anthony Wynn, Post 103’s 2nd Vice Commander, makes a strong case for members of the community to support the plate sales. “They’ve got to eat,” Wynn points out, “so if they would buy into our plates…they get the food, and that’ll give us a bigger pot to give back to the community.
“The more the community helps us, the more we can help the community,” he adds.
Post 103 also holds two raffles a year; in the lead up to the Pickle Festival in April, members will be selling $1 tickets for a chance to will a five-burner gas grill.
During the Post’s last raffle, for Veterans Day, Manuel decided to rally the troops, so to speak, by issuing a challenge. For several sales in a row, he’d sold more tickets than any other Post member, so, he says, “I’m talking junk, and I’m saying I’ll give 50 bucks to anybody that can out-sell me.”
As it turned out, that was Manuel’s best sale ever, with 320 tickets sold. Still, someone knocked him off his perch by selling 380 tickets, and that someone was adjutant and Air Force veteran Barbara Seale. “I was proud to take his 50 dollars,” she says, with a laugh.
Manuel jokingly winces as he recalls giving up the $50, noting that it was worth it to incentivize others to sell more tickets.
“What we raise goes back out to the community or is used to keep up our facility. Members get nothing,” he emphasizes.
Wynn concurs, noting, “All this is done with the thought in mind that we’re here to help the community and people, and not get any money for ourselves.”
Another way in which the Post raises money is by renting out the American Legion building, located at 709 N. Chestnut St. At a cost of $400 for an eight-hour period, they often rent to family reunions, private parties and quinceaneras. Manuel notes that the building is old and is starting to require more upkeep and maintenance, which unfortunately uses some of the funds that members would rather be putting to use in the community.
The members of Post 103 want to see new faces in their organization. Currently, their roster includes a list of 79 names, but only 12 to 15 are active, and, of those, just 10 or so are able to do physical work. Civilians are not permitted to join as official members but are welcome to participate.
Post 103 meetings are held in the American Legion building the first Thursday of every month, starting with a fellowship meal at 6:30 and commencing with the meeting at 7:00. (An executive board, the governing body of the Post, meets the last Thursday of each month.)
The Post has members representing all branches of the U.S. military. It is a non-partisan organization, and neither politics nor religion are discussed during meetings.
Seale explains that one of her primary reasons for being a member of the American Legion is, “I’m very passionate about our veterans. We don’t get enough appreciation for what we have already done for this country.”
She recently had an opportunity to show this appreciation by delivering gift bags provided by an organization called Operation Gratitude to veterans in nursing homes (both patients and employees). Upon arriving at Willow Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Goldsboro, she had an experience that, she says, will stay with her the rest of her life. “The first man I went to see…we both were crying just like little babies,” she recalls, explaining that the man was so touched at being remembered and thanked for his service.
For Manuel, he enjoys the comradeship that comes with being a part of the American Legion. “I enjoy fellowshipping with fellow veterans,” he explains.
And he immediately relates to a sentiment shared by Wynn. “When I came back from Vietnam, I actually came off the plane and kissed the ground…” Wynn says. “When you have a lot of time in situations like that, in combat, you think and value your freedom and opportunities you have here in the United States. As many problems as we may think we have here, we don’t have any compared to some of the [other] countries…We are in great shape compared to some. Far better than most.”
A belief in this country is what keeps Wynn, Manuel, Seale and the rest of the Post 103 members striving to make a difference. “That’s what we’re here for,” Manuel says. “For the community and to help anyway we can, if we can, with whatever we can.”
For more information about American Legion Post 103, call Bill Manuel at 919-221-2258 or Barbara Seale at 919-698-0627.
