Message From Our Chaplain
Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460
Veteran-Owned and Serving You Since 1902
At Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460, we know how much it means to serve. As a veteran-owned organization, we are committed to meeting the needs of those in our community. We’ve been open since 1902, and that means we’ve spent over 120 years helping people right here in Solon, IA.
As part of our mission, we are open to the public for meals, special events, and more. To learn more about Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460 and what we’re all about, read this recent letter from our chaplain from December 2024.
A Message From Chaplain Doug Thompson
I wrote this message last November, and I debated whether I should use it in one of my Chaplain Messages. I decided to let it sit for a while, and maybe I would just ball it up and toss it in the trash. When I reread it, I will admit I took out some of the words I had used that were fueled by my anger.
Last November, we were wrapping up our huge remodeling project at the Legion. A lot of people provided their time, talent, and treasure to make this project successful. The tiling project was one of the many projects that were donated to the Legion. However, there was a person who sat at the bar and made some disparaging remarks about the worker who was installing the tile. These remarks got back to the worker, and he left early.
The person who sat at the bar was displeased with the fact that the tile installer was of Vietnamese heritage. His remarks about this young man were, what I was told, cruel and demeaning. The tile installer, Lynn, left early because he felt threatened, and he decided that he would later finish the floor project but not the walls. When I learned of this the next morning, I tried to assure Lynn he was safe and I would protect him as well as others if this person were to ever become aggressive, which I doubt would have been the case, because people like that are more talk than they are a real threat.
As a veteran myself, I can say I hold no hate towards anyone, and that includes the people from South or North Vietnam. In fact, over the years, I have gone out of my way to assist the refugees from Vietnam with donations and personally welcome them to America. I even, on more than one occasion, apologized because our nation had abandoned them, yet these people held no animosity towards America's government or her people. When I was making a donation back in 1976, I met two Caucasian women from Cedar Rapids who were collecting the donations. One woman told me her son was wounded in Vietnam, and the other told me her son was killed. Yet there they were helping Vietnamese refugees through their church.
The Vietnamese who made it to America adopted our customs, and the majority have flourished. Many of the children, when they became of age, joined our armed forces. The generations that followed have joined our military services, and some of them paid the full price protecting America's freedom. I know this because of the names that are etched upon the Wall of Remembrance.
As for the person who sat at the bar wallowing in his hate, I hope he finds peace. Hate is a learned behavior. Hate has a way of festering and infecting the soul of a person. This insidious infection is contagious, but it can be cured. A case in point was a sea captain who commanded a slave ship in the 1800's. At one point in his life, he found forgiveness and the true meaning of God's love. So much so that he penned the words to the song Amazing Grace.
I am glad I wrote this message. It has helped to soothe my emotions of anger. I hold pity for both Lynn and the man who made his hateful remarks. I am now reminded of the words of our Lord Jesus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, and “But to you who are listening I say, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Doug Thompson, Chaplain
Note: For those of you who do not know, Chaplain Thompson was a US Navy Corpsman - Fleet Marine Force veteran and served a tour in Vietnam.
Denny Hansen
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