From the President-Elect

1 year ago

Hello to all our fine SHGTUS members. I’d like to start off by thanking everyone who had the chance to attend the Reunion this year. What a great time we all had, right? Its success is due to each of you who attended and the many that put endless hours in making it happen. Thank you all again.

I’d also like to take the time to thank everyone who took the time to vote in this year’s election of our returning and new Board members. I promise we’ll do our best to make sure the mission is supported and our members are supported in the same fashion as they’ve been in the past. As we all know, the new Board was tasked with voting for selected positions and I was honored by being selected to represent the Society as the next President for 2022-2023. I will work hard to try and fill the shoes of a great SHGTUS President, Gavin McIlvenna (1997-98). I’ll certainly need some longer shoe strings to tie them up for sure. It would take too many words to say just how much he has done for us this past 5 years, so, Thank You Gavin; you leave us in a great position to move forward.

A little about myself. As many of you know I’ve been on the Board for some time now serving as the Secretary and prior to that as the Tomb Guard Assistance Program Chairman. Both are great positions within the Society. Serving our country in uniform was a wonderful personal achievement; serving as a Sentinel was a true honor. I was a Sentinel and Assistant Relief Commander on both 1st and 2nd Reliefs from 1981-1983.

Since those days, seemingly so long ago now, I’ve been very fortunate in having my wife Kari along for the 38 year journey. I’m planning on another 38, if that’s possible. We’ve raised a great family of 2 kids And now, their families are growing as well. Our son Tyler LeGrand, US Army Veteran with the MP Corp, is married to our beautiful daughter-in-law, Whitney. They’ve given us our happier than life and excitable grandson, Cayden Ty who turns 4 in February. He loves his “Gruntpa” and “Nano the Golden.” They live in the Raleigh NC area. Our daughter Kinsey Nichole Mennitt and her husband, Branden are avid snowboarders (I wont be trying that anytime soon). They live in Liberty Lakes WA with their 2 dogs: Tootsie and Minny. Minny is pure fireworks, fiery and out of control.

If you have time and would like to help, I encourage you all to participate in the growth of our Society. Please reach out, we can certainly use the hands. At the same time, reach out to your relief-mates. Tell them what the Society means to you and what it would mean to the Society if they would become a part of something that was built for them.

Lonny LeGrand, Jr (1981-83)
12^th Society President
president249@tombguard.org
Badge #249
703-623-6839