LETTER FROM THE FREEPORT CHAPTER OF VIETNOW PRESIDENT
Freeport Chapter is active in local and remote community activities and organizations, by hosting, participating or providing support to further the Allied Veterans Council, American Cancer Society, Aquin boosters, Arthritis Foundation, Cruise Nite Car Show, Freeport Downtown Development Foundation's “Music On Chicago”, Bethany Church UCC, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, DARE program, DCFS Kids Program, Malcolm Eaton Enterprises, Fire Safety Council for Kids, Police Benevolent Association, Silvercreek Museum, Stephenson County Antique Engine Club Show, Stephenson County Fair, Stephenson County Visitors Bureau, Veteran's Homeless Committee of Chicago, VFW, and the Veteran's Free Van Transportation from Freeport to Madison VA, Stephenson Count Veteran Assistance Commission, Freeport Downtown Businessmen's Association, Freeport Chamber of Commerce, and the All Veterans Memorial Park of Stephenson County.
We have our Jerry L. Pool Memorial Scholarship fun. Our Scholarship program has successfully educated the Veterans' siblings in our county for 23 years.
We help out the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club, Winneshiek Theater, Highland YMCA, and the Amvets. We support the “Relay for Life” cancer survivors and the American Legion. We organize and host the Memorial Day Parade and the Courthouse Ceremony. We assist Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens with their Veterans' Memorial Flag retirement program each Memorial Day. We have brought the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) to Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens on September 6-10th, 2001. Our Chapter color guard will participate in six large parades this summer and fall.
We have raise monies for our Stephenson County All Veterans Memorial Park.
Somehow we still continue to support our own fund raising activities to maintain our current programs, while having fun and enjoying the camaraderie of our Chapter! Our Chapter is a Family!
Gary Eisenhower Sr.
President
Freeport Chapter VietNow
I believe the miracle of life goes far beyond this minute.
Those who live only for today and take no time to reflect on yesterday or prepare for tomorrow know a shallow selfish existence with little hope for personal improvement or accomplishment...Taking time to recall the past is a history lesson in living--as we understand and learn from our mistakes and realize what it was we did that still makes us feel good about ourselves today.
.....THEN, we can better use this minute and this day, with the minutes and days of our lives continually improving in quality.
Truly you would miss the Miracle of Life if you were to live only in the past, or in the future, completely missing the Gift of today.
......But only a fool lives today without consideration to all the rest of the days of his life ....
God gave to man both memory and foresight - tools for building a better life....... Sammy L. Davis C.M.H.
Our Philosophy
Freeport Chapter VietNow shall lend its support to all United States Armed Forces Veterans and those currently serving. Remembrance to it's fallen Veterans with assistance and promotion of acceptable memorials, participate in community activities i.e. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans' Day, or similar events, educate youth through awareness of contributions and sacrifices of all Veterans to ensure the freedoms, maintaining the support of the POW-MIA issue through education of fellow Veterans and the public, encouraging no-cost media promotion, air and printed, to further Veterans issues through discussion and display of respective issues and insignia at public functions.