Thirty years ago this month, the bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, shook our nation, as the cowardly attack took American lives and served as a warning of things to come.
The War on Terror is still being waged against an enemy whose uniform consists of clothing worn on the street.
To honor the fallen, the annual Fall Veterans Memorial will be at 12:15 p.m. Saturday at Mentor Civic Center. The service will be about 45 minutes in length and commemorate the soldiers, sailors and Marines that served in Beirut and the invasion of Grenada.
While the greatest loss of life was Oct. 23, 1983, when 220 Marines, 18 sailors and 3 soldiers were killed in the barracks bombing, another 30 were lost in Beirut from the U.S. Peacekeeping Force and three were lost in Grenada.
The Lake County Marine Honor Guard will conduct the color guard details; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7754 in Fairport Harbor will handle the honor salute; and Beirut veteran Al Opra will play Taps.
Marine veteran Bill Sickles, commander of the Greater Lake County Young Marines and a Beirut veteran, will be the guest speaker.
The memorial service is open to the public.

Chardon VFW Post serving cabbage roll dinner
VFW Post 6519, 752 Water St. in Chardon, will host a cabbage roll dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the post home. Call the post for tickets at 440-285-3699.

Learn about benefits at Willoughby Legion
American Legion Post 214, 4304 Center St. in Willoughby, will host a registration for Veterans Affairs benefits (health information, etc.) from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the post home.
Please bring a copy of your DD-214, financial information for 2012, spouse information such as date of birth and Social Security number, as well as the date of marriage. Come and speak with a VA employee and learn about the benefits you are entitled to.
For details, call the post after 3 p.m. at 440-942-7762.
 
Flag disposal ceremony at AMVETS
AMVETS Post 40, 9141 Jordan Road in Mentor, will host a flag disposal ceremony at 2 p.m. Oct. 12, at the post home. If you have old flags that need to be disposed of, they can be dropped off at the post for proper disposal.
 
Clambake season
n The Annual Steam Engine Clambake will be Oct. 12 at Gunny’s Hall, 8720 Twinbrook Drive in Mentor.
Dinner includes one dozen clams, chicken, sweet potato, corn, clam chowder, cole slaw, roll and butter, and homemade ice cream. Tickets are $20 per person and extra clams will be available. For details and tickets, call 440-974-9380.
n American Legion Post 214, 4304 Center S. in Willoughby, will host a clambake beginning at 4 p.m. Oct. 12 at the post. Steak and one dozen clams will be $24 and chicken with one dozen clams will be $22. Entertainment by D.J. Woody will be provided from 7 to 11 p.m. Call the post after 3 p.m. to place your order at 440-942-7762.
n AMVETS Post 40, 9141 Jordan Road in Mentor, will host a clambake, beginning at 4 p.m. Oct. 19, at the post home. Tickets are $20 each and a cash bar will be available. For tickets, call John McCallister at 440-521-7235.
n Chardon VFW Post 6519, 752 Water St. in Chardon, will host the annual clambake from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 26, at the post home. Tickets are $25 per person and $10 for extra clams. Tickets are available only in advance before Oct. 20. For information or tickets, call 440-285-3699.

Fish dinners at Willoughby Post
VFW Post 1500, 38295 Pelton Road in Willoughby is hosting fish fry dinners the first and third Fridays of the month at the post home. For details, call 440-951-9233.

Gunny’s Hall serving all week
Gunny’s Hall, 8720 Twinbrook Drive in Mentor, serves an all-you-can-eat Sunday breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon between Labor and Memorial days. The cost is $7.50 per person and special orders can be taken for an additional $1.50.
The detachment also serves lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu will include the daily special and regular menu items.
Fish fry meals will be served 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Friday at the hall.
For details or questions, call 440-974-9380. Meals are open to the public.

AMVETS host holiday bazaar
AMVETS Post 40, 9141 Jordan Drive in Mentor, will host a holiday bazaar at the post from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 16. The event is open to the public. Tables are $15 or donate a gift basket to raffle and receive half price for the table. For details, call 440-257-5825.
To submit items for this column or the online listings, send them to: The News-Herald, Attn.: Larece Galer, 7085 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094; fax to 440-975-2293; or via email to LGaler@News-Herald.com.

Fisher House is a home away from home for families of veterans that are undergoing long-term medical procedures at a Veterans Affairs hospital.
And the Greater Cleveland Fisher House got one step closer to becoming a reality after a recent fund raiser at VFW Post 7754 in Fairport Harbor.
Gini Geffert, assistant executive director and senior county veterans service officer for the Lake County Veterans Service Commission, with help from her staff, VFW Post 7754 and the Men’s and Ladies Auxiliaries of Post 7754 raised $16,150 to help make Fisher House Cleveland a reality.
Fisher House homes are built near major veterans medical facilities to house veteran’s families free of charge.
And this is not the first Fisher House fund raiser that the post has been associated with. Three years ago the post raised over $10,000 for the Fisher House at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
The fund raiser was a huge success and shows what veterans and the community do to help others.

Card Party at Wickliffe Legion
American Legion Auxiliary Brewer-Tarasco Post 7, 29919 Euclid Ave. in Wickliffe, will host a card party 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 19 at the post home.
Tickets are $9 per person, with a salad bar, supper and desserts. The evening fun will include a 50/50 raffle, themed baskets and  door prizes.
For details or tickets, call Lucille Greig at 440-944-9732 or Dolly Hillier at 440-585-0449.

All-you-can-eat chili and soup dinner in Burton
Atwood-Mauck American Legion Post 459, 14052 Goodwin St. in Burton, will host an all-you-can-eat chili and soup with corn bread dinner 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at the post home. 
The dinner is $5 for adults and $3 for those age 12 and younger. For details, call Martha at 440-479-0297.

Dinner and show
benefit Honor Flight
Friends of Honor Flight Cleveland will host a dinner 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Oct. 27, at VFW Post 8548, 7604 Lake Road in Madison Township, with proceeds benefiting Honor Flight Cleveland.
Honor Flight makes it possible for veterans to visit Washington D.C. free of charge to visit their memorials.
Dinner, at $8 per person, will be followed by a performance by the Matheny’s presenting “This is My America.” A Chinese auction and a 50/50 raffle will be a part of the evening fun with all proceeds going to Honor Flight Cleveland.
For details call Claire Jo Turkenburg at 440-428-6194.

Annual clam bake in Chardon
The Chardon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6519, 752 Water St. in Chardon will host the annual clam bake, 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the post home. Tickets are $25 per person and $10 for extra clams. They are available by pre-sale before Oct. 20.
For tickets or details call 440-285-3699.

Lake County DAV Chapter meets Saturday
Lake County Chapter 42 of the Disabled American Veterans meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Marine Corps League’s Gunny’s Hall, 8720 Twinbrook Drive in Mentor.
The meeting begins at 11 a.m. and is usually one hour in length. All Disabled American Veterans are welcome.

Military Honor guard available
American Legion Post 459 of Burton has a full military honor guard available to perform military funeral services for any honorably discharged service man or woman. The honor guard is led by Newell Beaumier. Sergeant-at-Arms is available 24/7, with only a few days notice.
To request the honor guard call 440-834-8764, please leave a message if no one answers. This is a free service to all honorably discharged military personnel.

Spaghetti dinner at Mentor AMVETS
AMVETS Post 40, 9141 Jordan Road in Mentor, will serve a homemade spaghetti dinner each Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m. Dinners, which are open to the public, are $7 per person and include all the trimmings. For details, call 440-257-5825.

Fairport VFW offers fish fry dinners
VFW Post 7754, 540 New St. in Fairport Harbor, will host a perch fry tonight at the post home.
Lunch will be served 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner is served 4 to 7 p.m. The dinners are open to the public and are served on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.
For details call 440-352-1123.

To submit items for this column or the online listings, send them to: The News-Herald, Attn.: Larece Galer, 7085 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094: fax to 440-975-2293; or via email to LGaler@News-Herald.com.

It is the end of June already, where does the time go?
The coming week will bring the Fourth of July with all of the trimmings. This is the holiday when every American celebrates independence from England gained through revolution. Good, bad or otherwise, the country has survived and will continue to survive for years to come.
In my opinion, the country has survived because we all have a voice in what happens to us.
We voice that opinion by voting for our leaders. If we do not like the way things are going, we can vote them out of office. Voting may seem like a small thing to many, but in the grand plan it is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
This may seem just a little premature since elections are in November, but a gentle reminder to register to vote and exercise the American right to be heard can never come too early.
The politicians will be asking for that vote, so why not give them what they ask for? Independence always comes with responsibility.

Poppy sale a success
Palmer-Roberts American Legion Auxiliary Unit 214 of Willoughby hosted Poppy Days on four Saturdays in May at the Willoughby Farmers Market.
The Auxiliary Unit table was set with poppies, membership applications and other American Legion Auxiliary brochures and patriotic wrapped candy. On the first Saturday, Willoughby Mayor David Anderson stopped by, donated to the fund and got poppies for his staff to wear in the Memorial Day parade.
The unit had a very profitable month at the market, and the money raised will help veterans. Poppy funds can only be used to assist veterans, with much of the money helping to support the Veterans Affairs hospitals, as well as hospitalized and homeless veterans.

Geauga Honor Guard always available
Geauga County residents have an honor guard available to perform full military funeral services for any service man or woman.
The Honor Guard, led by Sgt. at Arms Newell Beaumier, is available with a few days notice, and most local funeral directors are aware of the group’s existence. For information or details, call Bo at 440-834-8764. Please leave a message if there’s no answer.

Texas Hold’em to benefit Young Marines Trip
A Texas Hold’em Benefit begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Jefferson Eagles, 133 S. Spruce St. in Jefferson.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the tournament begins at 6. There will be a $55 buy-in and a 75 percent payout. Hot dogs and chips will be provided pre-games and post-games. The Eagles Club bar will be open to tournament players.
All proceeds will benefit the Ashtabula County Young Marines’ trip to Washington, D.C. For details, call Doc Lee at 440-275-1079.

Auxiliary hosts Chinese Auction
A Chinese auction sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6519, 752 Water St. in Chardon, will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 7 at the post home. Doors will open at 11 a.m. For details, call 440-285-3699.

Airplanes gather again at Lost Nation
The United States Aviation Museum will sponsor Gathering of Eagles XVI July 14 and 15 at Willoughby Lost Nation Airport. Get close to the machines that protected our freedom and talk with some of the pilots and crew who flew them.
The event is $12 for adults; $6 for children ages 4 through 12 and children younger than 4 will be admitted free. For details, call 440-759-4148 or visit www.usam.us.

To submit items for this column or the online listings, send them to: The News-Herald, Attn.: Larece Galer, 7085 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094; fax to 440-975-2293; or via email to LGaler@News-Herald.com.