The historic American Legion Manuel L. Quezon Post 603 installed its newly elected officers on Aug. 11 at www.VallejoVetsBuilding.org. Incoming Commander Robert Asercion thanked all the Legionnaires for their volunteer efforts and outgoing Cmdr. Lee Horton for the job well done in the past two years.

Chartered on March 31, 1945, Post 603 honored 200 World War II veterans in 2011-2012, 400 Korean War veterans in 2013-2014, 600 Vietnam War veterans since 2014, Montford Point Marines in 2015, 125 Purple Heart recipients in 2015-2016, and 70 WWII veterans in 2016 with certificates of appreciation from the U.S. President, Congress, Secretary of Defense, California Senate and Assembly, Solano County Board of Supervisors, City Mayors of Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Benicia, and/or the Consul Generals of Korea and the Philippines.

Post 603 also raised funds to install "Purple Heart Trail" signs on Interstate 80, and spearheaded the "Purple Heart" designations for the City of Vallejo, Vallejo City Unified School District, Greater Vallejo Recreation District, Touro University California, California State University Maritime Academy and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Post 603 also submitted several City of Vallejo and/or Vallejo City Unified School District proclamations/resolutions for Veterans Day, National Education Week, Education Support Professionals Day, Day of the Special Educator, Martin Luther King Day, Women’s Military History Week, Bataan Death March, Caring for our Heroes and Seniors Week, Asian American Pacific Islander Month, National Police Week, Memorial Day, LGBT Pride Week, Juneteenth, WWII Veterans, Korean War Veterans and Vietnam War Veterans.

Post 603’s ongoing projects include assisting www.FilVetREP.org to honor World War II veterans who fought in the Philippine Theater of Operations with U.S. Congressional Gold Medals, working on legislation with State Sen. Bill Dodd, Assemblyman Tim Grayson and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry in renaming the Interstate 80 rest area to "Purple Heart Trail Safety Roadside Rest Area," designating Interstate 780 as “Women’s Purple Heart Trail,” designating the I-780 and Interstate 80 highway interchange as "Filipino World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Memorial Interchange," and partnering with various organizations to positively make a difference for our veterans and our community.

To join The American Legion, please email Nestor.Aliga@Comcast.Net or call 707-853-0062.