The American Legion Post 212 would like to thank all the many people who stopped long enough at the intersection of Hickory Star Road and Maynardville Hwy on October 5 to plop some money into the buckets held by our Veterans. Many drivers were in a hurry to get to the Heritage Festival in Wilson Park, but still slowed down long enough to make a donation. (Luckily, no Veterans were hit while playing in traffic).

It had been a long, hot day. When I showed up at the American Legion Post 212 for their monthly free dinner, I was tired, not particularly hungry and not feeling very sociable. But then I opened the door and the aroma of wonderfully prepared BBQ came drifting out. That changed everything! The food was wonderful. Not only large quantities of pulled pork, but there was chicken, delicious cole slaw, and homemade beans with bacon (yum!). Desserts included cookies and chocolate cake. Margo McCaffery and Debbie Boeck, members of the Union County Veteran Volunteers, prepared this feast.

Delicious food aromas hit you as you walked in the door of the American Legion Hall on June 3. If you thought you weren’t hungry before, the wonderful smells of the Chicken Alfredo dinner immediately changed your mind. And there was so much food – all expertly prepared by the cooks of the Veterans Volunteers. In addition to the huge pan of the Alfredo (see photos), there were pans of Caesar Salad and individual loaves of garlic bread that were baked to perfection.

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed over 620,000 lives - more lives than any conflict in U.S. history. It required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. In 1868, May 30th was declared a day to remember those fallen in the Civil War. The date May 30th was chosen primarily because it was not a date of any particular battle over the years of the war. Initially called Decoration Day, in 1967 the name was changed to Memorial Day, and in 1971 the date was changed to the last Monday in May.

Calling all Veterans! What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than to be at the American Legion building at noon to feast on Veteran Volunteer Margo McCaffery’s Famous American Goulash! Sometimes called slumgullion, American goulash is a comfort food dish based on the Hungarian goulash stew. The ground beef, tomato and macaroni are in a beautifully seasoned tomato sauce. Shredded cheese and sour cream will be available for garnish.