The American Legion Riders of Kosciusko and Columbus completed a mission to bring gifts to the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Kosciusko last Sunday. American Legion Post 44, based in Kosciusko, met at Kangaroo Crossing before riding their motorcycles to Weir to meet up with Columbus’s American Legion Post 69, and escorted them and their gifts back to the Veterans Home in Kosciusko.
American Legion Riders Posts 44 and 69 are pictured together after arriving on their motorcycles alongside vehicles stocked with a variety of gifts for veterans at the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Kosciusko.
Landon Gibson / The Star-Herald
Free of charge, riders from Post 69 brought a large collection of books, toothpaste, body wash, underwear, disposable pull-ups, shampoo, t-shirts, pens, crossword puzzles, magazines, and Christmas cards in order to assist and brighten the lives of local veterans.
American Legion Riders Post 69 Commander William Quick said the two posts in Columbus and Kosciusko try to organize this drive annually, but they were unable to make it happen last year due to COVID-19.
“We raise money every year, and we go out and get supplies for anything they may need,” said Quick. “This is the closest veterans home to our town, and we like to come over and just let them know that they're thought about.”
His wife, District 4 Auxiliary President Mattie Quick, said their post brings essentials and other items for free every year so veterans will not have to spend their own money on them.
“They don't have to spend their money on it,” said Mattie Quick. “We give it to them for free, so they have a little money to spend on what they need to spend it on.”
Post 69 Riders from Columbus brought boxes of books, including Zane Gray novels, for veterans to read.
Landon Gibson / The Star-Herald
American Legion Riders Post 44 Ride Director David White, who has been involved with the organization for the last decade, said the ride was completed successfully and safely, and the impact gifts have at the state veterans home every year is special.
“All of this is for the veterans. Every year, we do something for them such as the riders from Columbus bringing things down,” said White. “Our local veteran organizations, through the United Veterans of Attala County, do similar things. It means a lot to them, and we are just honored to be able to help.”
Mississippi Central Area Ride Director Roy Webber said bringing these gifts lets veterans know they are cared for. He added that the state veterans’ home in Kosciusko covers the entire central area of the state, from South Jackson to North Grenada. And he offered ways for the community to give back to these American heroes.
“Hopefully it shows them that somebody cares about them,” said Webber. “We have veterans here that lived in the state of Mississippi all of their life, but their family has moved away, so they have nobody. If you want to watch a light come on in some of these veterans’ eyes, come in here one day, and just sit down and talk with them. They don’t ever get a chance to talk to people, and every time they meet somebody new they can tell their stories to, they light up.”
The American Legion is not finished with their work this year. According to Webber, in December, riders will return to the veterans’ home to drop off items for Christmas.
“The American Legion tries to get with all of the veterans’ organizations, and the United Veterans of Attala County comes together, and we all pay a portion of it. We bring one big gift up here and it’s usually t-shirts, underwear, and socks because those are things everybody needs,” said Webber.
Webber said one of the best ways to help veterans is to help and support veteran organizations such as the American Legion and its divisions including Sons of the American Legion, Legionnaires, Auxiliary, and Legion Riders. Currently, there are two Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Kosciusko, VFW Post 5051 and VFW Post 1983.
“The small part of it is supporting us,” said Webber. “The big part is coming and visiting with these veterans.”
