There’s an old adage that says: Behind every great man is a great woman. This holds true for the women of the Chillicothe American Legion Auxiliary. At the helm of these women of Unit #9 is President, Nancy Kaelin.

Nancy Vonk was born and raised in Chillicothe. As an identical twin, her sister Anita and she were always together and shared the same values of being involved in their community and helping others. Sadly, after battling cancer, Anita passed in 2023.

Nancy attended local schools and graduated from IVC in 1975. From there she went on to study at SIU, but never finished after going home once and meeting a handsome older guy from Chillicothe named, Paul (PG) Kaelin. Paul was in the Navy and had just come home from Vietnam. The couple hit it off and after two weeks Paul asked her to marry him! Nancy thought they needed a little more time, so they waited eight months before tying the knot. They were married 7-1/2 years before Paul died of complications associated with Agent Orange. They have one son, Cash, now 45 years old.

Paul had joined the American Legion and was going to meetings when Nancy asked if she could join him one night. When she got there she saw a flyer about the Women’s Auxiliary. She was qualified to join under Paul’s service and wanted to volunteer—that was 45 years ago. During that time Nancy has been the local President too many times to remember. She has also been; District President, Sergeant-at-Arms, District Finance Chairman, and had many Chairmanships. Nancy loves working with all the people and veterans at the Legion. Nancy relates, “The Commander of the Legion, Kim Corrington, has been doing a fantastic job running the legion since taking on the duties at the Post.”

There are 35 women in the Auxiliary that give of their time and talents throughout the year. Dues are $30 a year to join, which of most all of it goes to national programs for veterans.

The Auxiliary members meet the second Monday of each month at the Legion Hall to plan events. These women work throughout the year raising money by having fundraisers, selling raffles and 50/50 tickets, working in the kitchen, having bake sales, and occasionally dinners. The legion has bands on Saturday nights, weather permitting, at their pavilion adjacent to their building to raise money, too. Locally, the monies raised support Freedom Paws in Rome—training service dogs for vets, supporting veterans in Chillicothe at the Arc Nursing Home and Evergreen Senior Center by sending cards, and providing gift bags at holidays with money added to buy things at their facility. They also give money to fund college and trade school scholarships each year, raise money for memorials, and provide funeral dinners to the families of veterans that pass. The women of the American Legion Auxiliary also work hand in hand with the VFW Auxiliary, as most of them are members of both organizations.

In the corner of the Legion when you first enter, you will find a table for the prisoners of war/missing in action. An American flag drapes the wall behind the table. On the table are flowers, a candle, a Bible, and two small flags The table is perfectly set for a meal awaiting the return of the soldier. This memorial was done as an Eagle Scout project a few years ago.

The Auxiliary is always looking for new members. You only need to be a  relative of a serviceman or woman, from any branch of the services. As of 2022, men who have a spouse that has served and is a member of the post can also join.

The Auxiliary have some raffles coming up before Christmas with some nice prizes. One being a large beautiful wooden flag donated by a local man, as well as wreaths and other items to be added. Stop in and visit and buy a few tickets to help the Veterans.

Thank you to Nancy and all the women of the American Legion Auxiliary for the work you do to support the veterans in Chillicothe and the country. May we never forget them and their sacrifices to keep us free.

God Bless the U.S.A.