In an effort to highlight the work our American Legion posts are doing in their communities, we’re starting a new series that gives your local post a chance to share the ways you’re engaging with veterans in your area and serving your community. In this second installation of the series, we’ll learn more about Eagan Post 594. For this post, we interviewed Post Commander, Wayne Beierman.
Who We Are
At Eagan Post 594, we aren’t about beer, booze and brats. We don’t have our own building. Instead, we rent out a banquet room at a local bowling alley. Our post is community-oriented and we have an active color guard. We exist to serve our vets and strive to instill patriotism in our youth while serving the greater Eagan community.
We have a core team of people who are regularly involved in our activities at Post 594. If veterans have a passion for a certain event, we ask them to volunteer. We try to get everyone involved in something and we always recognize volunteers for their service.
We proudly support area youth in several ways, a few of which include involving youth in flag retirement ceremonies and donating books about the American flag to local school district libraries.
Our Commitment to Veterans
At Post 594, we’re always looking for ways to help out veterans and their families.
Last summer, our post volunteers mowed the lawn every week for a serviceman who was deployed overseas. The lawn was on a steep hillside and was too treacherous for his family to mow so we performed this service for them.
Our post participated in the “welcome home” event at the Hastings veterans home when they reopened to the public after COVID-19. We played games with the vets and took them out for nature walks.
On Veterans Day, we are invited into Eagan nursing homes and put on ceremonies for veterans who aren’t able to get out into the community to enjoy the day’s events.
We work at the Eagan food shelf, Open Door, packing groceries. At the food shelf, we give people the opportunity to purchase bags of groceries to donate to homeless vets. All the proceeds, tips and donations go directly to vets in our community.
Hy-Vee is one of our biggest supporters and partners with us to feed local vets. We volunteer regularly at the Fisher House—the VA version of the Ronald McDonald House—and make meals for veterans once a month. We haven’t been able to serve veterans in this capacity since the start of the pandemic and hope to resume this event very soon!
Our Events
During the year, we participate in a number of community events:
- We just had our 3rd annual blood drive and it was very successful. We exceeded our goal by 25%!
- Our Memorial Day services are some of our most well-attended events. These services are open to the public. We put on three Memorial Day services—two at area cemeteries and one at the Eagan Community Center. This year at the Eagan Community Center service we recognized police officers and firefighters who have passed away.
- Another one of our most well-attended events includes our Vietnam tribute honoring Vietnam vets.
- We participate in street cleanup around the city.
- Annually for the last five years, Post 594 has had an Enlistment Ceremony at the Eagan High School. This ceremony recognizes students who have signed up to serve our country through military service. This ceremony features a guest speaker, honors the parents of the enlistees and awards enlistees with a plaque and certificate of our appreciation for their commitment.
Final Reflections
Get out there, use your heart and support community veterans. You don’t have to do big things. Do small things that you can—when you can. As a team, we can make a difference. Join us today!
