Leon “Skip” Johnson
The Korean War Veterans is an organization made up of veterans of the Korean War and others who have an interest in helping the causes of the many who are in need of help for themselves, friends, or family members who require support. It is not a requirement to be a Korean War veteran to become a member of our organization, and veterans from all branches of the services are always welcome to join us at our meetings. One of the key benefits being provided by this organization to many locally consists of supplying, on an as-needed basis, an assortment of medical equipment to the veterans or their families-in-need. This includes such things as crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, braces, and more. The motto for the club currently is “Freedom Is Not Free,” and many man hours are dedicated, ensuring that anything made available through our organization has been checked over well and is safe at the time it is turned over to the person or family in need.
We all are aware that we’re still in phase one of the coronavirus disaster, and most of the community activities are still in a holding pattern or, at best, relaxing to some degree slowly in a limited number of areas. Hopefully, expectations are that by the end of the heat of the summer months, things will relax somewhat, and planning can get back to some degree of normalcy. Typically, the Korean War Veterans meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 11 a.m. Meetings are held at the SunBird Community Center in the Lakeview Room on the main floor within the Community Center. On the upper level of the Community Center there is a restaurant that is currently open in a limited capacity because of restrictions placed by the governor’s office. It is a nice way to start off the day with an early breakfast, or perhaps lunch, and a great way to add a few new friends to your list.
The staff of the Desert Navy and the Korean War Veterans have made arrangements to stay in touch with a weekly get-together for lunch at the IHOP, located in the Target shopping center off Arizona Avenue. Lunches are scheduled for 2 p.m. each Tuesday. The room scheduled is used for special events and is well isolated from the normal seating inside the main restaurant area. It’s a pleasant getaway for a couple of hours and a nice way to stay current on what’s going on around town. Due to the uncertainty of the virus, as changes are monitored daily, the outlook is looking somewhat positive, but this could possibly change at any time. Always be aware of your surroundings, and stay safe and stay healthy.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call Chapter Commander Leon “Skip” Johnson at 970-481-3005 on any of the above. He’s anxiously waiting to hear from you.