POST FALLS, Idaho — Lillee Maxwell, 17, and Kayle Berscheid, 17, were two of the roughly 30 local military recruits from multiple services branches who were welcomed to the Future Heroes Fellowship Luncheon, hosted by the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls.
The post’s newest Commander Tim Shaw, a U.S. Navy Veteran, said the event launched a new program meant to connect new recruits and their families with veterans and a community support network.
During a brief address before lunch was served, Shaw told the recruits they were embarking on a journey that would mold them into men and women of character. “As you prepare to embark on your journey through boot camp, remember this, you are becoming a part of a long and proud tradition,” Shaw told the recruits. “You are following in the footsteps of millions of men and women who have served this nation with honor and sacrifice.”
“Once your service is complete, you will join a community of veterans who continue to advocate for each other and work together to improve our nation,” continued Shaw. “The American Legion… will be there for you when you return—to offer support, to ensure you get the benefits you deserve, and to help you reintegrate in civil life.”
Recruits and their family members conversed with veterans and military service personnel over lunch served the U13 Prairie Cardinals Baseball Team, which is one of three teams sponsored by Post 143.
Retired Master Chief Todd Tucker, who served from 1988-2018 and has over 2,000 jumps, told Kootenai Journal he became involved because he likes the history and mission of the American Legion. He especially loves the new efforts led by Shaw to focus on connecting with younger generations. “I love the camaraderie and, like others, long to be a part of something bigger than myself,” shared Tucker. “And we need to shift the image away from the old folks home.”
Maxwell, who already graduated from the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Pierce, Idaho, said the education and healthcare benefits for service members drew her interest to join the military, as well as the opportunities to travel outside the country. Maxwell is a U.S. Army recruit and already assigned to an infantry unit with orders to go to Germany.
Berscheid is set to graduate high school in Clark Fork, Idaho, before heading to Fort Jackson in South Carolina for boot camp. She said she joined the U.S. Army because military service is a family tradition—she has family members in all the service branches, with the exception of the U.S. Space Force. “Military service will set me up for the future,” shared Berscheid, who has not yet received a duty assignment.
One veteran at the luncheon advised the young recruits to keep focused, follow orders, and stay away from malcontents.
U.S. Navy recruit Emma Smith, 18, will graduate from Lake City High School in June, then travel to Great Lakes, Illinois, for boot camp in July. She is set to become a hospital nurse, a career she knew she wanted from a very early age. Her mother, Rhiannon, expressed her full support for Emma’s decision to serve in the military and shared that she had signed the permission needed to allow her daughter to get the ball rolling before she turned 18. “She’s going to do great.”
Post 143 was established in 1976 and is the largest Legion post in the state with over 700 members. Post members filled leadership positions during an election process in late April. Shaw was elected to replace Commander Jim Culpepper, who has served the post for many years and now transitions into a role overseeing multiple posts in Northern Idaho.
The community can help the Legion’s mission by supporting the current fundraisers—a gun raffle and annual golf tournament. Tickets for the gun raffle are $10 and will be sold through September. The golf tournament will be held at Links Golf Club on Saturday, May 31, and there are still sponsorship and player opportunities. Visit https://www.pfp143.org for more details.
