On March 15, 2018, American Legion Wenatchee (Wash.) Post 10 celebrated the Legion’s 99th birthday with a free dinner. There were 64 individuals in attendance comprising members, spouses and honored guests.
We were not only celebrating The American Legion’s 99th birthday, but also Post 10’s 99th birthday. The post's charter was established on July 29, 1919.
The honored guests who attended the celebration included the 2018 Apple Blossom Royalty: Queen Gretta Wiersma, Princess Jessica Murray and Princess Sophie Castillo. These young ladies are selected from among 20 high school seniors from various schools in the Wenatchee Valley. The 20 ladies are further narrowed down to 10, and then to the final three. The Apple Blossom Royalty represents our valley for the entire year including our annual Apple Blossom Festival which is also celebrating its 99th birthday. The Apple Blossom Festival is the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. We were thrilled to have these awesome ladies at our birthday celebration.
The honored guests also included two high school seniors who were sponsored by our post to the Department of Washington Oratorical Contest in Moses Lake March 9-11. The contestants were Sebastian Pasion, who won 4th place and a $500 scholarship, and Christopher Danko, who did not place due to being 12 seconds shy of the 8-minute minimum requirement for the speech. They both got up and expressed their appreciation to The American Legion, active military personnel and all veterans.
The Post 10 officers in attendance were Richard Winn, Commander; Dick Ward, 1st Vice-Commander; Dee Ann DeAngelo, 2nd Vice-Commander; Ralph Olson, Adjutant/Finance Officer; Douglas Gardner, Chaplain; Jon Gill, Service Officer & Acting Sergeant of Arms; John Shearer, Historian; Fred Willsey, Past Commander; and Linda Deliyiannis, Auxiliary President.
The dinner included lasagna, mixed vegetables, salad, garlic bread and cake. The sheet cake was half chocolate/half white with a cream filling and decorated celebrating The American Legion’s 99th Birthday.
The celebration was enjoyed by all.