The Detachment of New Jersey’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation (VA&R) Committee purchased $850 of needed clothing for the East Orange VA Medical Center this month, helping provide for the veterans who use the facility both short- and long-term. Sons from Essex County’s Squadrons 70 and 105, along with the members from the committee, did the drop-off.

In a letter to the detachment, Latisha Eaves, the program support assistant from the East Orange VA, noted that “we simply couldn’t achieve what we do without amazing people like you by our side .... None of our success at the Center for Development & Civic Engagement would be possible without generous donors such as yourselves.”

This year, the VA&R Committee purchased $850 of items off the East Orange VA’s list. Members of Squadron 70 of Nutley, Squadron 105 of Belleville and the committee dropped off six cases to the hospital on Tremont Avenue – which included 48 pairs of shoes, 24 sweatshirts, 36 pairs of sweatpants and 38 pairs of non-slip socks. Squadron 105 also donated a case of 12 jackets they received from a January coat drive run by Crawford-Crews Post 251 in Montclair. In the end, this March delivery ended up being an effort made by Legionnaires and Sons from all across Essex County.

Of the four Sons who assisted in the drop-off, Ken Ackerman, commander of Squadron 70 in Nutley, wrote that “I feel very proud to be able to serve our veterans in every way possible.” His thoughts were echoed by Ed Hall, who is both a member of the Sons honoring his father’s service and an Army veteran himself – “As Sons of The American Legion we constantly strive to help our American veterans who without a doubt put their lives in harm’s way to protect and take care of us ... hopefully [we] made some vets very happy and left them knowing they aren’t forgotten and are very much appreciated.”

It is the SAL’s hope that these items assist in keeping the supply of clothing stocked for the veterans at the hospital, going a long way to reaffirm the commitment of the Sons of The American Legion to our veterans. Detachment VA&R Chairman Patrick Gallagher noted afterwards that “... it’s a great honor to do whatever we can to help our veterans across the State of New Jersey.”