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

Happy 250th birthday to the Marine Corps on November 10th.

A few years ago, a woman around my age asked me why I enlisted in the military instead of just going off to Canada. Her question gave me pause because I wanted it to have a profound impact on her. My response was, “I served my country because your freedom was - and still is - important to me. Not just your freedom but the freedom of every citizen of America and their children, grandchildren, and every generation that follows.”

Her response was “Oh,” and then she walked away.

Even though I felt at the time that my response was solid, it doesn't compare to the words of Patrick Kelly, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. I would like to share with you some of Mr. Kelly's words on patriotic duty.

“In our own day and age, many question whether anyone should be a patriot. Cultural elites tell us that patriotism means the same thing as blind nationalism. They insist that patriotism is an outdated ideal that should be put aside for the sake of so-called progress. They tell us that our love of country is misplaced because our country is not worthy of our love.

(Patriotism) It is not an excuse to exclude or vilify the foreigner or the immigrant. Rather, patriotism is a duty that flows from a sense of gratitude. We have inherited something precious, which we must treasure … and we must teach future generations to do the same. Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility.”

I agree with Mr. Kelly and, like him, I too believe each of us must take personal responsibility to work for the betterment of all people who make up the fabric of our nation. We are not a perfect nation, but we must always strive to become a more perfect union. To continue that growth, we, as a nation, must find the courage to self-sacrifice for the common good of our nation.

A lot of politicians and their supporters give lip service in the name of progress, but they are not willing to put forth true self-sacrificing efforts to help the less fortunate and to protect the ideals that our nation was built upon. Instead, some prefer to only point out the failures of our nation and place all social ills upon one group. Others prefer to deny past failures and only dwell upon our successes. To do either approach, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. I prefer that we do not shy away from our failures but rather expose them to the light of day, at the same time bring forth our successes. Our nation is more than the sum of its mistakes or achievements.

The men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces and those who have served in our armed forces make up only around one percent of our total population. For the sake of simplification, the remaining 99%, I believe, fall into four groups. One group desires to rewrite our entire constitution in the name of progress because they feel the constitution is a colonial document designed to hold people down. Another segment is resistant to any change. A small number want to change only if it serves them. While the vast majority of our citizens are complacent.

If we truly wish to cultivate patriotism and growth towards self-sacrifice, then we must teach each of the generations that follow, and that is a tall order for the one percent who understand the meaning of self-sacrifice, putting their nation before themselves.

Doug Thompson, Chaplain dotandjot@aol.com