Durand American Legion
Gold Star Post 676
For Hall Rental information please contact Ken Moore at 815-543-2783
For God and Country, We Associate Ourselves Together for the Following Purposes...
Meetings:
Monthly meetings are held at 7 PM on the 3rd Monday of each month. Location is the Post Hall at 211 State Street, Durand, IL.
The next meeting will take place on
15 April 2024
Upcoming Events :
April 13th 2024 -
S.A.V.E. (Suicide Prevention Skills) Training - 11 AM at Hall
All are invited
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April 15th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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May 20th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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June 17th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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July 4th 2024 -
Chicken BBQ & Tractor Pull
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July 15th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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August 19th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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September 16th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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October 21st 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
Auxiliary Events:
April 15th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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May 20th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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June 17th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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July 4th 2024 -
Chicken BBQ & Tractor Pull
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July 15th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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August 19th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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September 16th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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October 21st 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
Legion Rider Events:
May 13th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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June 10th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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July 8th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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August 12th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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September 9th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
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October 14th 2024 -
Regular Monthly Meeting
Announcing American Legion Riders Post 676 Chapter
Post 676 is proud to announce an addition to our Legion family.
American Legion Riders Post 676 Chapter has received their Charter and is now active.
Monthly meetings will be held at the Hall at 7 PM on the 2nd Monday each month.
For information on joining please contact ALRILPost676@gmail.com
Centennial Open House - June 26th, 2021
Veterans & Family Breakfast - 2021
On May 15th Post 676 hosted a free breakfast for Veterans and their families.
Over 60 meals were served and we were pleased to see many old friends and meet some new ones.
We also unveiled our new T-shirts to rave reviews. They are available for $20 and can be purchased at upcoming events.
Here are a few pictures from that morning...
SGM James P McMahon Hall Dedication - Nov 8, 2020
On Sunday, November 8th 2020,
Gold Star Post 676 held a private ceremony to dedicate the Main Hall of our building as "Sergeant Major James P McMahon Memorial Hall".
The late SGM McMahon is a native son of Durand who served a long and illustrious career in the US Army. He earned many awards and citations attesting to his brave and patriotic service.
The ceremony was attended by several members of his family who live in the vicinity.
Here are some pictures from the ceremony showing the signage and memorabilia honoring the Sergeant Major.
July 4th 2020 Events
Saturday was the annual July 4th CATP Good Ol' Boys Tractor Pull on the Post 676 grounds in Durand. And on a HOT!! day they had a great turnout. There were plenty of pulling machines of all makes and models present.
Post 676 Legion, Sons of the Legion and Auxiliary members were on hand to help make it a patriotic celebration. After the Sons recited the Pledge and presented the Colors we had a rifle salute. Everyone was then invited to participate in the unfurling of a very large Flag for a special July 4th photo op.
Thanks to all who participated!
We hope to see everyone again next year for our Chicken BBQ which unfortunately we were not able to provide this year.
Here is a sample of the activities. Enjoy...
Centennial Book Is Available - Hardcover, 249 pages, $25
Centennial Book Launch - November 9th, 2019
In February 2017 the idea was first presented to publish a book which would celebrate the American Legion's 100th anniversary as well as the upcoming 100th anniversary of Gold Star Post 676.
That project has finally reached its culmination after two and a half years of effort.
Our book, "Veteran's Stories from Small Town America" will be presented to the public with a Book Launch ceremony on Saturday morning, November 6th. The event will be held in the Betty Young Community Room of the Durand United Methodist Church from 9-12.
Refreshments will be served. The team who created the book will be present with examples of some of the materials utilized through the process. We also hope to have some of the 500+ veterans covered in the book present to meet and answer questions.
Copies of the book will be available at the cost of $25 each.
We hope you'll join us to celebrate this significant accomplishment.
2019 Biker Bash & Chili Shootout
Lots of Bikes, lots of Chili, lots of Music and nice weather, we couldn't ask for more at the annual Durand Biker Bash and Chili Shootout.
A large crowd turned out to see the bikes and taste some really good chili. Post 676 Chow Hall Chili was once again voted the People's Choice!
We had a good time serving our new chili recipe to long lines of hungry tasters. Hats off to chef Joe "Grill Sergeant" Harper for coming up with a real crowd pleaser. Nice job, Joe!
We also tip our hats to all those who spent so much time making this end of summer event happen.
Thanks to the Legion members and their families who turned out to help us stage another successful effort.
Here are some pictures from this year's Bash...
Neil Dreier Receives Congressional Award - August 2019
On August 19th Post 676 Chaplain Neil Dreier was awarded the Congressional Veteran's Commission Commendation award by Congressman Adam Kizinger of the 16th District.
Four other veterans from the District were also honored in a ceremony held at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL.
Neil's wife Rose and several members of Post 676 Legion and Auxiliary made the trip to witness this prestigous event.
Neil was lauded for his military service and also for his many years of community service.
Here are some pictures from the ceremony...
2019 July 4th Celebrations
Another wonderful, small town Fourth of July in the books. Even though it was mighty hot everything worked out very nicely!
The Ecumenical Service at the school was well attended and a fitting start to the day's activities. A big Thank You to the organizers and those who supplied the inspiring words and music. Special thanks to Terry Flanagan for performing Taps. A great job as usual. And thanks to the Post 676 members who made up the Firing Squad for the rifle salute. Nice job!
Meanwhile, back at the Hall, the Good Ol' Boys Memorial Tractor Pull was gearing up. The pulling started around 11 and went on through the afternoon. There were dozens of beautiful old machines on the grounds for the action. By all reports it was another very successful event. Congrats to Derek Rollie and team for presenting a very competitive and entertaining show. An awesome display of horsepower and driving skills.
Earlier in the morning the unsung heroes of the Chicken BBQ went to work at the fire pits behind the Hall. They start long before the rest to make sure the 600 chicken dinners are cooked to perfection and ready for the hungry crowds. A huge shout out to all those involved in the cooking process: the Sons of the Legion, their friends and family members who all chipped in so everyone could enjoy the delicious meal. Great work, all!!
Inside the Hall the members of the Legion and the ladies of the Auxiliary were hard at work preparing to serve the masses. We thank them and all the family members, young and old, who were so very helpful. There was a very special group of kids visiting from Atlanta who were especially helpful. It was a pleasure working with such a bright and talented group! And a special shoutout goes to the Cub and Boy Scouts who were hustling like crazy to keep the lines moving and the Hall clean. Your help was much, much appreciated. We've got some great kids in this community.
Thanks to all who purchased dinners. We hope you really enjoyed our efforts.
Then there was the Parade. What can I say, it was really something. There sure was a lot to see and the kids really cleaned up on the candy. It was great to see first responders from so many local communities participating. The Legion Auxiliary's Living Flag float was one of the highlights. It was beautiful. Thank you ladies for braving the heat! And thanks to all who marched or rode.
The fireworks show capped the day and it was also excellent. The folks who put this all together certainly deserve recognition for the fine job they did. Thank you all!
Here are pictures of the day's events. Hope you like them...
2019 Memorial Day Program
A nice crowd turned out for last night's Memorial Day Program.
Commander Fagerstrom welcomed everyone and shared his thoughts on the importance of remembering and honoring those who gave their lives for the freedoms we all enjoy. He also unveiled the cover design for Post 676's upcoming Centennial Book. A picture is included below.
"In Flanders Fields" was read nicely by Natalie, one of our local HS students. Our thanks to her.
The keynote speaker was Mr. Terry Dyer, Historian of Veterans Memorial Hall in Rockford. He did a wonderful job of explaining the origins of the Memorial Day holiday and the founding of the various veterans organizations who have preserved the tradition since the end of the Civil War. Thank you, Terry, it was very enlightening.
As they do every year, the ladies of the Legion Auxiliary and family members honored our Gold Star soldiers and those veterans who recently passed away with a remembrance table. It was a very touching tribute. Thank you ladies.
The Sons Of The American Legion provided the Firing Squad and did a great job.
Terry Flanagan played the National Anthem, with the audience singing along. He also later played Taps to honor the fallen. Thank you, Terry.
Afterwards, we all enjoyed the tasty cookies and treats provided by Auxiliary members and family members.
In all, it was a very nice way to pay respect to our local heroes. Thank you to all who attended and especially those who helped make the evening such a success. Here are some photos of the proceedings....
Memorial Day 2019 Cemetery Tribute
​Paying tribute to our veterans -
Post 676 members and their family members placed Flags at veteran's graves in our local cemeteries this past week.
Thank you to all who participated! RIP, with our sincere thanks, to those departed who have served in our name.
Another Ham-go Success! - April 2019
​Well, the hams were flying out the door!
On April 12th Post 676 held its annual Spring Ham-go party. It was an action packed night of Bingo excitement. We awarded somewhere well north of 30 hams to our lucky winners. Oh, and there was also a lot of pie consumed.
It was a great time, as usual. Thanks to all who attended and all who made it possible. The next Bingo event will be the Sons of the American Legion Brats-of-Luck on May 10th.
If you were there, thank you for coming. If you missed it, here are a few pictures from the hamstravaganza....
Durand 6th Graders are Civic Minded - April 2019
On April 9th the 6th grade class of Ms. Drews came out to the Howard Cemetery, where they helped our Post Commander by cleaning up fallen branches before the first mowing.
They also received a local history lesson about the cemetery, those resting there and the conditions under which they lived and died. There was also a Flag folding demonstration and Flag raising.
The kids then participated in a knowledge scavenger hunt by examining the headstones and asking a lot of relevant questions.
Their eagerness and willingness to volunteer were greatly appreciated. It was a fun afternoon and they did a great job of cleaning up. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!
Here are a few pictures.......
Feather Party Bingo - November 2018
Wow, what a crowd came out last night for Bingo! On Friday night Post 676 held its annual fall bingo party. The Hall was packed with nearly every seat filled, as these photos show.
As always, the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary provided a delicious array of tasty food. The turkey sandwich with gravy, dressing and cranberries was a huge hit. And, of course, there were pies!! Pies of all flavors and sizes. They were also a big hit.
With a crowd that large and so many cards in play the games went quite quickly. Thirty lucky players left with a nice turkey. Others who went to tiebreakers received a chicken. There were also turkeys awarded as door prizes by random drawing. Bottom line - there will be a lot of bird consumed around here in the next few weeks.
So, many thanks to the Auxiliary, Legion and Sons of Legion members who made it all possible. And a big thank you to all who turned out to play and support our Post. See you at Ham-go in the Spring!
Post 676 visits Dakota 6th Grade
On Tuesday, Post 676 members Neil Dreier, George Fagerstrom, George Letcher and Duane Stephen took a ride out to Dakota. There they conducted a Q&A with the 6th grade classes of Julie Ryan, Jamie Myers and Melody Graybill.
The kids heard about some of our military experiences and life after the military. They asked some interesting questions and then enjoyed seeing and hearing about the T10 parachute used by Army paratroopers.
We enjoyed the opportunity to meet with them and send our thanks to the students and teachers for inviting us. Here are a few pictures...
Veteran's Day - 2018
Once again this year Medina Manor held a wonderful ceremony at the Durand United Methodist Church to honor the veterans residing at Medina as well as other local vets.
Durand Gold Star American Legion Post 676 was on hand to present Certificates of Appreciation and Flag pins to the veterans.
There was a nice crowd of veterans, family members, Medina staff and many volunteers. A delicious lunch was served and everyone enjoyed the comradery. WREX TV also sent a camera to record the scene. Clips from the event appeared on their evening news segments.
Our thanks to all those whose efforts made this a truly enjoyable and memorable event. Thank you for remembering our veterans.
Here are some pictures...
Dakota High School hosted a Veterans Day ceremony today honoring local veterans.
On behalf of Post 676, a huge Thank You to the staff and students of Dakota High for the breakfast and assembly they held today. The food was delicious, the band and chorus did a wonderful job with the musical program. Guests also greatly enjoyed the presentation of the colors and drill demonstration by the Freeport HS ROTC.
Former State Representative Jim Sacia made the keynote address in which he recalled the valuable experience and direction he gained through his military service. Thank you, sir, for sharing your perspective with the crowd.
The veterans were each presented with a certificate of appreciation, much applause and many personal thank yous from those attending.
As Mr. Sacia pointed out, it was very gratifying to see so many young people express their gratitude for the service and sacrifices of our vets.
Thank you again, Dakota High! It was a wonderful ceremony and much appreciated. Here are some pictures from this morning's event....
On Monday, Nov. 12th the students and staff at the Durand schools paid tribute to local veterans.
They held a very nice program which featured the Freeport Junior ROTC Color Guard, the Durand High Band and Choir and Post 676 own George Letcher as the keynote speaker.
Highlights included the presentation of the Flag, with great precision, by the JROTC. The audience then enjoyed the National Anthem played with great feeling by the Band and Choir. The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by all, led by Ms. Haley Swan.
Ms. Swan then recognized the school's Wall of Honor project where students utilized red, white and blue stars inscribed with the names of relatives and friends who have served. These names are on display in the main hallway as a tribute to local service personnel and veterans.
The Choir performed 'The Mansions of the Lord' and Ms Swan then read the essay 'What is a Veteran?'. This was followed by the Choir's touching rendition of 'America the Beautiful'.
Ms. Rebecca Baird then took the podium and asked the Veterans in the audience to stand and be recognized. They stood to a much appreciated and sustained round of applause. The Band then performed a rousing 'Patriotic Spectacular' to much applause.
Mr. Letcher then delivered his thoughtful remarks about the nature and meaning of a veteran's service from several perspectives. He also asked the veterans to again rise for recognition and then stressed the sacrifices made by the service members' families. At this point he asked the family members of veterans to stand and be recognized. They also received much applause.
Ms. Baird then made the closing remarks, thanking everyone for their presence and participation. In all it was an enjoyable and much appreciated program. Thank you to all who made it possible.
Afterwards, several of the students sought out the veterans to say a personal 'Thank You', which was much appreciated.
Here are pictures from the ceremony....
Biker Bash 2018
Mother Nature was very cooperative and we had a great day for the Biker Bash and Chili Shootout!
Once again the crowds were large and the people appreciative of the Post's cullinary efforts. We won the People's Choice trophy for our Chow Hall Chili!!
Thank you to all who came through our mess hall line and especially those who voted us their choice.
Hope to see you all again next year on the square.
Here are some pictures of our team in action, the bikes and the crowd....
Flag Retirement Ceremony Held
Before our regular monthly meeting for July 2018 we held a Flag Retirement Ceremony at the Hall. This is done annually.
Well over 200 Flags, collected throughout the year, were retired in an honorable manner.
As a reminder, there is a collection box for unserviceable flags located near the front entrance of the Hall on State Street.
Post 676 Color Guard at Rivets Military Appreciation Night - 2018
Recon patrol....
The Anthem...
Our new friends from Down Under. Great bunch of guys!
Recon patrol....
Post 676 provided the Color Guard for the Rockford Rivets game on Saturday, July 7th. It was Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark and we got to meet and thank several of the vets in the crowd.
We also felt very fortunate to meet several young men from the Australian U19 Football Team (American football), who were in town prepping for the International Tournament to be held in Mexico City later this month. We had a very enjoyable time chatting with members and coaches from the team. A great bunch of guys and worthy representatives of their country.
Thanks to the Rivets for honoring the military and vets and for inviting us to participate. It was an honor. And good luck to the Australians in the tournament!!
The Color Guard also made a brief appearance on WREX sports at 10 PM.
Here are a few pictures from that night....
July 4th Events - 2018
Well, it was a hot one!! Another 4th of July Parade, Chicken Dinner and Tractor Pull is in the books. As always, it was quite a success. Here are pictures from the day's activities. We hope you enjoyed the events.
The Post would like to acknowledge and thank all those who participated and especially those who worked so hard to make it all happen:
- Gold Star Post 676 Legion Auxiliary
- Gold Star Post 676 Sons of the American Legion
- Durand 4th of July Committee
- All the friends of the groups above and others who volunteered.
Thank you all, we couldn't have done it without your help.
Happy Independence Day to all!!!!
Memorial Day Service 2018
On 5/26, at the Hall, the American Legion Gold Star Post 676 and Auxiliary hosted a wonderful Memorial Day service for the community. The ladies of the Auxiliary put together a program which included an introduction from Post Commander George Fagerstrom, prayers from Post Chaplain Neil Drier, a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by Cassidy Prenot, and POW/MIA remembrance and wreath placement by Post Advocate Ed Barker.
The three local Girl's State participants, Celia Rothermel, Kirsten VanZee and Kiley DeSchepper, then read letters home, written nearly 100 years ago, from a WWI soldier, Private William K McLaughlin, who was stationed in France.
Commander Fagerstrom presented two 60 year Legion Membership Awards to long time members of Post 676, Forrest Clark and Tel Tedrick.
The Auxiliary conducted a candlelight service to remember those veterans of the Durand area who gave their lives during wartime and those who served and have passed away since last year. A reading of 'In Flanders Fields' was given by Sherrie Fagerstrom.
The young ladies of Girl Scout Troop #1223 then performed a demonstration of Flag folding. They did a very nice job and presented the folded Flag to the Commander.
The Legion Firing Squad fired a salute to their fallen comrades. And a wonderful rendition of Taps was played by Terry Flanagan.
After closing remarks from the Commander the attendees enjoyed cookies and other refreshments courtesy of the Auxiliary.
Attached are pictures from the ceremony......
Memorial Day Flag Placement
Memorial Day is upcoming on Monday, May 28th.
In preparation, Durand American Legion Gold Star Post 676 members and volunteers placed flags Saturday on veteran's graves at several area cemeteries.
The Legionaires were assisted by members of the Du-Pec Football team and their families. Our deepest thanks to all those who helped honor our local vets.
These pictures were taken at Durand Cemetery.
Members and Guests Enjoy Another Successful Ham-Go at the Hall
On March 23rd the Post hosted another successful Ham-go. At 6PM guests began arriving to enjoy the delicious meal and desserts prepared and served by the ladies of the Legion Auxiliary.
At 7 PM the games began. There were 30 games called, each with a nice ham as the main prize. When we had multiple winners, and there were several, a tie-breaker ham was also awarded. During the evening six additional hams were awarded as door prizes for those who bought raffle tickets. The evening ended with a final round to distribute the remaining prizes.
For an idea of the festivities take a look at the photios in the adjacent slideshow.
Many thanks to the Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of the Legion volunteers who assisted with the event.
The next scheduled Bingo event will be our November Feather Party. Mark your calendars for a chance to win a turkey!!
Hope to see you in the Fall.
Merle Benning honored for 70 years of Legion Membership
On March 12th we had the opportunity to recognize a rare acheivement. Merle Benning has been a member of the American Legion for 70 years. He joined in 1948 after returning from service with the Army in Europe.
Here are some photos from this morning's ceremony at Medina Manor honoring Merle Benning's 70 years of membership in the American Legion.
Commander George Fagerstrom of Post 676 presented a Certificate of Continuous Membership signed by The Legion's National Commander and Adjutant, as well as a special cap pin.
Congratulations Merle, and thank you for your service and your dedication to The Legion!
Gifts for Yanks presented at Medina Manor
On December 28th officers of Post 676 paid a holiday visit to Medina Manor and presented Gifts for Yanks to the 20 or so veterans living there.
This is a yearly tradition sponsored by the American Legion Department of Illinois. Gifts included jackets and other clothing and personal items.