Florida post exemplifies veterans helping veterans

Mike Ferullo’s 91-year-old Korean War veteran father is bedridden with cancer. Ferullo’s mother was able to secure a hospital bed through hospice to be placed in the living room, but several pieces of furniture needed to be moved out to make room for the bed. But with his parents living in Port Orange, Fla., and he in Virginia, Ferullo couldn’t quickly make a trip to move the furniture in the short amount of time that the bed was being delivered. That’s when a friend advised him to call the local American Legion post for help.

Less than two days after Ferullo spoke with American Legion Post 270 Adjutant Bob McLaughlin, the furniture was moved by McLaughlin and Sons of The American Legion Squadron 270 member John Leone.

“My dad now has a much more comfortable place to be," Ferullo said. "I’m not a member of the post. My father’s not a member of the post. They had no questions, no qualms. McLaughlin said, ‘This is what we do.’ This was a perfect example of veterans helping veterans.

“McLaughlin doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know my parents, but I’m a veteran and my dad’s a veteran. My mom needed help and that’s what they did. This is what the military does. It doesn’t matter what branch you were in. It doesn’t matter what time you serve. You just help each other out. And that’s what they did.”

McLaughlin was happy that Post 270 could quickly answer the call to help. “That’s what we do, and that’s what we’re supposed to do," he said. "We are happy that we could get it done, and get it done timely. Happy that we could help.”

Ferullo, a Gulf War veteran who retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 32 years of service, will be driving to Port Orange later this month to visit his parents and stop at Post 270 to thank them in person and to join The American Legion.

“I want to join the post because this makes me realize, what am I missing out on? Not being a member of the Legion, if this is what they do. Because maybe down the road another veteran is going to need my help, and I will absolutely drop what I’m doing and go help them because that’s what it’s about.

“And what’s amazing to me is McLaughlin could have very easily said to me, ‘I’m sorry, we only do it for post members’ or ‘We don’t do that at all.’ Two days later he drives over and moves the furniture. That’s just amazing to me. We’re just so grateful for them to do that. It renews my faith in humanity.”

Ferullo reached out to The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis to share how Post 270 in Port Orange cared for his veteran father and mother. “I don’t think people get recognized enough, and they didn’t do it for the recognition,” he said. “But I think it’s important for them to be recognized. They didn’t do it for any other reason than to help which is amazing to both my mother and me. It gives me a level of comfort to know that if I need something, I can reach out to Post 270 and they will help. Being 11 hours away (from his parents), that’s a huge a comfort to my wife and me. We are very thankful for them (Post 270).”