Award of an Honorary Life Membership to a member of Springfield Post 176 requires a Legionnaire of proven leadership ability and integrity - one who projects an image of The American Legion with which his fellow Legionnaires would be proud to identify and associate themselves. Theron Patrick embodies these qualities.

Comrade Patrick, upon joining the Legion, began to serve in various ways. He volunteered to work the car shows, served on the digital sign committee, assumed the role of post photographer, chronicled events at the post, and served as editor of the PostScript and eNews. He went above and beyond using his computer knowledge to coordinate an upgrade to the post's IT framework, creating a database with over 1,000 emails to share post information. As a retired "Coastie," his friendly nature in the spirit of comradeship provided a welcoming presence in the cafe and social quarters.

Comrade Patrick has served as the Red Cross Blood Drive chairman for 10 years, for which he received the Legionnaire of the Year Award for 2016-2017. Through his efforts during the pandemic, he received a special Red Cross Commendation for collecting 453 units. A conservative estimate of the units of blood collected during his oversight is roughly 3,200.

Comrade Patrick has proven his integrity and worthiness as a dedicated, selfless Legionnaire of Springfield Post 176; therefore, on June 7, 2022, he was endorsed as an Honorary Life Member of Post 176.