By Ed Pierce
Veterans from the American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 in
Windham have got to be happy and a bit humbled following the 102nd
Maine American Legion Convention in Brewer last weekend. During the convention,
Post 148 was recognized with 13 different awards, including two of the most
prestigious, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2021 and the 2021
Humanitarian Award.
Windham Police Officer Ernest MacVane gratefully accepted the
2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award from the Department of Maine
American Legion Commander Matthew Jabut during the convention on June 12 as his
family watched. 
Windham Police Officer Ernest MacVane received the 2021
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award during the
American Legion's 102nd Annual Convention in Brewer on
Saturday, June 12. Presenting the award to MacVane are
Department of Maine American Legion Commander Matthew
Jaubaut, left, and Maine American Legion 2nd Vice
Commander Kurt Thurston. COURTESY PHOTO
MacVane was nominated for the award by Post 148 Adjutant David
Tanguay for his consistent hard work and community engagement with the Windham
Police. MacVane was recognized for successfully apprehending a felony drug
suspect and executing a search warrant the led to the recovery of stolen
property and a stolen firearm.
He also drew praise for his efforts while responding to a
reported drug overdose in which his actions most likely saved a life. While off
duty in another community, MacVane witnessed an attempted carjacking and leaped
in to help, successfully detaining the suspect until local police officers
arrived at the scene to make an arrest.
MacVane has 22 years of law enforcement experience and said he was deeply moved by the recognition and that his family was able to attend the event and see him receive the award for his work for the Windham Police Department.
Windham resident and Post 148 member Brian McCarthy was honored during the convention with the 2021 Maine Humanitarian Award. McCarthy is a police officer in South Portland and was honored with the award for his continued efforts with the Guardian Ride, a fundraiser for the Maine Army National Guard’s 488th Military Police Family Readiness Group.
McCarthy has served with South Portland Police
Department for more than 12 years and has distinguished himself working in
patrol, as well as in his additional duties as a member of the Southern Maine
Regional SWAT. He served 20 years in the military before retiring and chose to
undertake an annual fundraising bike ride to make a difference for members of
his former military outfit, the 488th
Military Police Unit in Waterville.
For the past three years,
McCarthy has taken off from work for seven-day trek across Maine on his
mountain bike, taking pledges for the trip which spans as much as 350 miles at
a time. His determination and willingness to help has raised more than $10,000
for the initiative in three years.
All monies McCarthy collects
from his “Guardian Ride” are used by the 488th’s FRG for back-to-school supplies, a summer cookout for unit families
and single soldiers alike with water sports and camping, a catered unit
Christmas party with a visit from Santa, emergency relief funds for families in
need, and for keeping unit families in touch with their soldiers stationed
overseas.
Like Officer MacVane, McCarthy was nominated
for the Humanitarian Award by Tanguay, who first heard about the Guardian Ride
initiative during a function at the post in Windham.
Three local American Legion members were
recognized at the convention for their efforts on behalf of Post 148.
Henry “Chuck” Wynot was honored as Post
Service Officer of the Year for 2020, his third such award in five years. Whynot, approached the post adjutant about starting a regular
Veterans Social Coffee at the Windham Veterans Center in 2016. He had
indicated that he visited four to five “housebound” veterans each week and
found that some of them just needed a place outside the home that was safe for
them to go.
Through the years, strong bonds of friendship have been formed with many of the members and because of the coffee, on average, some 15 new veterans have joined the Field-Allen post and many of them have become integral members of the organization. In March 2020, just two weeks before the fourth anniversary of the coffee, everything was halted because of concerns about the COVID-19 virus spreading in the community. This ended a 203-week run of the Veterans Coffee gathering without ever missing a single Wednesday.
But in early April 2020, an interesting thing happened. Whynot and several of the Veterans Coffee members started coming to the WVC on Wednesday around 9 a.m. and they set up chairs in the parking lot at appropriate social distances to spend some social time together. They brought their own coffee and face masks and the tradition for veterans continues to this day.
Jane Fisher was honored as Post Service
Officer of the Year for 2021 at the convention. And David Tanguay himself was
honored as Recruiter of the Year for 2021, his second such award in the last
four years.
Field-Allen Post also won a number of other American Legion
Awards presented during the annual convention including:
** Post Excellence Award for 2020 and 2021 (consecutive honors
from 2014 to 2021).
** Americanism And Youth Programs Award for 2020 and 2021, the
fifth consecutive award.
** Department of Maine “Goal to Grow” membership award for 2020,
the fourth consecutive) award.
** National Membership Award for achieving a “New High” in membership
with awards for 2020 and 2021, marking 12 consecutive years of 100 percent-plus
membership.
** Post Newsletter First Place Award for 2020 and 2021, for
the eighth consecutive year.
** Post Narrative History for 2020 and 2021, First Place.
** Post Yearbook History for 2021, Third Place.
** Post member Edmund Pierce, the managing editor of The Windham Eagle newspaper, was honored with the Fourth Estate Award for 2021 for outstanding coverage of veterans and veterans’ issues in Maine. <
