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County native completes term as AMVETS president

County native completes term as AMVETS president

JAMESTOWN -- Last fall, Mary Lanphere was elected as the National AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary President. For a lifelong supporter of veterans, it was the honor of a lifetime, not just for herself, but for her family.

Now that her time as President has come to a close, Lanphere reflected on the impact she had on the organization and its partners. From raising six figures in support of a partner organization to showing support in a variety of ways across the country, Lanphere did the duties of the job admirably. Her late husband, Jim "Frito" Lanphere, would be proud.

Nobody was more proud of Mary Lanphere than her late husband, Jim. A veteran of the Marine Corps from 1961-1967, Jim Lanphere passed away in mid-August last year, just before Mary took over as the organization's new leader.

Lanphere spent the past year as President trying to honor the legacy of her late husband and so many others like him. In her role as President, which expired Aug. 31, Lanphere visited departments across the nation to be a resource for veterans and their families, whether it be answering questions or offering support and encouragement.

"I enjoyed the travels this year, but it's good to be home," Lanphere said.

Year after year, Lanphere became a fixture at conventions and events on behalf of the Ladies Auxiliary. But in her role this past year, she got to visit with many new faces at departments across the nation. She said she loved meeting "the people in the background" of the organization across the nation.

"There are so many wonderful people out there," Lanphere said.

Lanphere even participated in the AMVETS annual Rolling to Remember motorcycle demonstration ride in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day weekend that honors prisoners of war, missing service members, and veterans struggling with mental health. She hopped on the back of a motorcycle in support, and said it was a meaningful experience to participate in with so many guests in attendance cheering on the riders.

Lanphere's personal project as Auxiliary President was to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. She solicited donations from various AMVETS and Auxiliary posts across the nation throughout the past year, both through private donations and fundraisers. When it was all said and done, Lanphere raised $44,340 to benefit the various programs within the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

The foundation was established in honor of Stephen Gerard Siller, a firefighter who lost his life while saving others at the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Its mission is to support Gold Star and fallen first responder families in an attempt to end homelessness for veterans and provide a better life for both veterans and their loved ones.

"Our veterans should never go without a home, and they should never go hungry," Lanphere said.

From providing mortgage-free homes to families of fallen heroes and specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders to scholarships available for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs for the Children of the Foundation, Tunnel to Towers aims to show the support and unity that our country exhibited in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 a quarter-century ago. That mission resonated with Lanphere, especially this year on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

"It really left an impression that we came together as a country, working together," said Lanphere. "At that time, there were so many people that stepped up and said, 'You're not going to do this to our country,' and re-enlisted or enlisted in the military."

Lanphere always had a lot of respect for the military. It started when a couple of Marines visited her home around the holidays when she was a child. She was living in a one-room shack without running water, and vividly recalls one of the Marines saying to her how he wished he could do more for her.

"Even as a child, that meant a lot -- that somebody cared," Lanphere said.

That interaction sparked a passion in Lanphere that eventually led to an impactful career with the Women's Auxiliary. She joined a local chapter in Jamestown in 1997, first to AMVETS Post 1996, and later Auxiliary Post 726. Lanphere had been volunteering to raise money for organizations dealing with children's diseases, and when she wanted to make a difference in other ways, she turned to AMVETS because of her husband's involvement as a veteran and her respect for the military.

Over the next several years, she began her climb up the ladder, from an officer at the local level to a statewide officer, then eventually as President of the statewide department in 2007-2008. She then moved to the national level, and advanced from the role of Vice President to President a year ago.

Lanphere has been a Chautauqua County resident throughout her life, as a resident of Fredonia, Brocton, and Portland. Her daughter, Lisa Waldron, is the Highway Superintendent for the town of Arkwright. Now that she has finished her term as Auxiliary President, Lanphere can turn her focus back to her local branch of the Auxiliary in Jamestown.

"I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and doing things with them, and enjoying family time," Lanphere said.

The first thing on her mind is the annual dinner for Veterans Day, scheduled for Nov. 7 at the veterans club on Fluvanna Avenue in Jamestown. Veterans and a guest dine free of charge, while the general public is welcome to attend at a small cost.

Membership in AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary is open to the mothers, wives, widows, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters of AMVETS. Membership is also open to female veterans who are currently serving or who have honorably served in the Armed Forces of the United States, including the National Guard and Reserve components, at any point after Sept. 15, 1940.

For more information about the AMVETS National Ladies Auxiliary, contact its headquarters at (301) 459-6255.