While you will

find veterans in every civic and charitable organization in Fayette County,

the American Legion Post 105 in Fayetteville and the Veterans of Foreign

Wars Post 9949 in Peachtree City are made up entirely of veterans.

Both organizations

have a long list of good causes they support through donations of time

and money. Members also enjoy the companionship of those who have had

similar experiences.

Men and women

of all ages participate in the monthly meetings and outside activities.

Many veterans are members of both organizations.

The American

Legion Post 105 meets the second Monday evening of each month at the Log

Cabin on Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville. The American Legion is the largest

veterans organization in the United States.

Current commander

John Dufresne invites veterans to "join the team that serves the

local community and is a voice to Congress about issues important to activity

duty servicemen, veterans and their families."

Some of the

local programs and activities of the Legion include a high school oratory

contest on the U.S. Constitution, Fayette firefighter and law enforcement

recognition, academy appointees recognition, a quarterly visit to the

VA hospital in Decatur, and Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies.

The group also

sponsors a needy Fayette family each Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To become a

member of the American Legion an individual must have served on active

duty or in the Reserves during the Persian Gulf, Panama, Lebanon/Grenada,

Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II or the Merchant Marines (Dec. 7,

1941 - 1945). Members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S.

Marines and U.S. Coast Guard are eligible.

Contact John

Dufresne at (H) 770-631-2494 or (W) 770-486-9588 for more information

about joining The American Legion Post 105. Contact Donna Barnett at 770-719-4743

for more information about joining the Ladies Auxiliary.

General information

regarding the American Legion can be found at either www.legion.org

or www.galegion.org .

The VFW meets

at the Gathering Place in Peachtree City the second Thursday of each month

at 7 p.m. The VFW is the oldest major veterans organization in America.

There are 9,500

posts with members from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf

and all the expeditionary campaigns through Bosnia.

There are four

"cornerstones" of the VFW's foundation:

preserving

veterans rights;

advocating

a strong national defense;

promoting

patriotism; and

offering community

service.

The local VFW

Post in Peachtree City is the proud recipient of many awards. This month

a large group traveled to Macon for the state convention to accept awards

in numerous categories. "We won all the honors!" said current

commander Frank Hyde.

The group's

next major project will be to find a permanent post "home."

They are hoping to enlist the aid of local businesses, individuals and

civic groups in obtaining an acre of land to build a post.

According to

Hyde, "It doesn't need to be a prime piece of property."

If you would

like to assist the group through a donation of land or money, please contact

Hyde at 770-487-8304.

The post has

85 members. Some of them visit the 14 veterans of foreign wars at Southland

Nursing Home each month, giving each a "goodie bag" filled with

treats based on the needs of the individual veteran (some have special

dietary needs).

The post donated

a commemorative brick in each of the veteran's names and awarded them

a free membership in the VFW. The veterans currently living at Southland

are Gerrard Huddleston, Paul Lewis, T.K. Davis, Jack Smith, Col. Bernard

O'Neal, Frank Stagnari, James Spear,

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