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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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We salute you and shine a light on your service... oint Big Sable P Lighthouse
MEN OF LIGHT Today we honor the service of the men and women who served so bravely... Giving to something so much bigger than themselves… Shining the light to provide the path for safety for all...
Ludington N orth Breakwate r Light
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To those in uniform serving today and those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day.
Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association P.O. Box 673 • Ludington, MI 49431 231-845-7417
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
Congratulations to All American Legion Posts on your 100th Anniversary
MANPOWER THANKS ALL VETERANS FOR THEIR SERVICE & SACRIFICE!
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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Whitehall Legion Post named after WWI fallen soldier BY Greg MeanS
next to his parents’ graves.
WHITEHALL – The Algot Johnson American Legion Post 69 is named after the last military member from the Whitehall area to be killed in action during World War I.
Pvt. Johnson’s remains are still in France where he was killed in action near Fismes, France on August 30, 1918. The 22-year-old soldier was buried in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, about 70 miles northeast of France near where he was killed.
White Lake Beacon editor
The post was organized on September 17, Algot Johnson was born May 2, 1896 in 1919, with 27 charter members who were war veterans. On August 1, 1920, the post received Whitehall to parents August and Clara who were immigrants from Sweden and lived on its official charter from the NationalLUDINGTON Ameri- DAILY NEWS | OCEANA’S HERALD-JOURNAL | WHITE LAKE BEACON Division Street. August Johnson was a sawyer can Legion Headquarters in Indianapolis, who worked sawing planks and boards. Indiana.
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PHOTO: Greg Means | White Lake Beacon editor
The wording on the memorial stone at Oakhurst Cemetery in Algot attended school in Whitehall where The American Legion was chartered by the Whitehall reads, Algot Johnson, 1896-1918, Co. M. 128 INF. IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED BROTHER WHO LIES BURIED IN he excelled in reading and penmanship. Like U.S. Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans LUDINGTON DAILY NEWS | OCEANA’S HERALD-JOURNAL | WHITE LAKE BEACON FRANCE. so many students in organization.
On August 30, 2018, the Whitehall post held a military memorial service for Pvt. Johnson at Oakhurst Cemetery in Whitehall on the 100th anniversary of his death. The noon service was under the direction of Post Commander Michael Bugajski and included a short eulogy, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps by the post Honor Guard.
the early 1900s, he quit school on June 11, 1911 at age 15.
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The service was held at the memorial stone placed in the Oakhurst Cemetery many years ago by Algot Johnson’s two brothers, located
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DAILY NEWS It wasLUDINGTON only seven LUDINGTON DAILY NEWS OCEANA’S HERALD-JOURNAL OCEANA’S HERALD-JOURNAL years later,WHITE when LAKEservBEACON WHITE LAKE BEACON ing as a member of Ludington Daily News 202 N Rath Ave., P.O. Box 340, Ludington, MI 49431 Co. M of the 128th In(231) 845-5181 • (231) 843-4011 fax original shoreline media logo fantry Regiment 32nd Oceana’s Herald-Journal (if you would rather just have the three 123 State Street, PO Box 190, Hart, MI 49420 Division of the Army, paper names added to that?) (231) 873-5602 • (231) 873-4775 fax when he was killed in White Lake Beacon 432 Spring Street, PO Box 98, Whitehall, MI 49461 action. (231) 894-5356 • (231) 894-2174 fax
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
The History OF THE AMERICAN LEGION
The Paris Caucus March 15, 1919
Committees established, purposes defined, temporary name chosen. The American Legion forms in Paris, France, at the American Officers Club (March 15) and Cirque de Paris (March 17). Organizers, who expect about 300, are surprised when hundreds more pour in. Officially, 463 register for the caucus, but more than 1,000 are believed to have attended. “Though some later remembered having signed attendance slips at the caucus, Pvt. George W. Munroe later said he ‘saw no evidence of registration at the caucus. As far as I could see, anybody who happened to wander in could sit down and take part. It was somewhat of a madhouse. When I reported to the Cirque de Paris, I presented my travel orders to the soldier on duty at the door, and he looked me over, handed them back, and directed me to the section reserved for the 1st Division. After that, I came and went as I pleased.’” The American Legion: An Official History, 1919-1989, Thomas Rumer The March 15 opening session is scheduled to start at 10 a.m., but confusion reigns, and it does not begin until 2:55 p.m. Lt. Col. Eric Fisher Wood presides. Among the recorded attendees are Pvt. Harold Ross, who goes on to become editor of The American Legion Magazine and, following that, founder of The New Yorker magazine; future Secretary of the Treasury Capt. Ogden Mills; and future father of American
military intelligence, Lt. Col. William “Wild Bill” Donovan. The first four 15-member committees of The American Legion are: Convention, Permanent Organization, Constitution and Name. The committee tasked with naming the new organization reports 12 nominations: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Comrades of the Great War Veterans of the Great War Liberty League Army of the Great War Legion of the Great War Great War Legion The Legion The American Legion American Comrades of the Great War Society of the Great War The Great Legion American Comrades
At the second meeting of the caucus, on March 17, Lt. Col. Thomas W. Miller of Delaware, a former member of Congress who enlisted as an infantryman in the Army after an unsuccessful re-election campaign, brings the final session to order. Without a gavel to start the meeting, he pulls from his pocket an 1873 silver dollar, which he always carries with him, and raps it on a table. The day’s business includes choosing the organization’s name, membership eligibility criteria and the preliminary drafting of a preamble to The American Legion Constitution. (Miller would later serve as a national Legislative Committee co-chairman, would co-author
the organization’s federal charter, serve on the National Executive Committee both for Delaware and Nevada, and in 1968 would be elected Past National Commander by a vote of the 50th American Legion National Convention in New Orleans.) After much debate, in a motion reportedly accelerated by hunger just before lunchtime, “American Legion” is chosen and adopted as a temporary name for the association. Following the final afternoon’s business, the first American Legion executive committee meeting is called to order, with Milton Foreman of Chicago as chairman. “They were to promote an organization which would not take form until the following November. They had no funds whatever, no offices, no staff, no literature. They had been named the temporary executives of a great idea.” “A History of The American Legion,” Richard Seelye Jones, 1946
The St. Louis Caucus May 8, 1919
Veterans bring their message home, adopt a constitution. The American Legion’s constitution is approved at the St. Louis Caucus after Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., rejects chants of “We want Teddy!” to serve as first national leader of the organization. Roosevelt, Jr., with plans to eventually run for elected office, does not want The American Legion to be politicized in any way. Former Dallas Mayor Henry D. Lindsley is instead named
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
chairman of the St. Louis Caucus, conducted at the Shubert Theater. There, plans are made for the election of a national commander at the first national convention in Minneapolis in November. Before declining nomination to permanently lead (but serving as temporary chairman of the St. Louis Caucus), Roosevelt calls the gathering to order using a gavel made from the steamship Roosevelt’s rudder that carried Adm. Robert Edwin Peary during his explorations of the North Pole. “I want the country at large to get the correct impression of this meeting here. We are gathered together for a very high purpose. I want every American through the length and breadth of this land to realize that there is not a man in this caucus who is seeking anything for himself, personally, but that he is simply working for the good of the entire situation … Now gentlemen, it is my absolute determination to withdraw myself.” Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., temporary chairman of the St. Louis Caucus of The American Legion, May 8, 1919 By the end of the St. Louis Caucus, drafts of The American Legion preamble and constitution are approved, temporary officers chosen, a national convention site is selected and the name of the organization becomes permanent. Among the participants are approximately 25 AfricanAmerican veterans, including Earl B. Dickerson, who would later become a prominent Chicago lawyer and civil rights leader. “Our first duty is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, to get this boy on his legs, and once we get it on its legs, it will be like the mighty Niagara Falls. There is not anything in the world can dam it up. It will be a power that shall be known, and with influence all over America, and for good all over the world. Let’s be quiet and let’s be sensible today until we get this boy on his legs. He’s just a recruit, a raw recruit, and he has to be trained and we are going to do that thing now.”
Among the veteran delegates attending the first national convention are 140 women wh are members of the newly formed organization. Also marching in the convention parade is a Boston bull terrier named “Sgt. Stubby,” a former stray that was smuggled overseas to serve alongside his master and best friend, James Robert Conroy of the Connecticut National Guard, on the western front. On Nov. 10, The American Legion Committee on Auxiliaries meets and listens to a report from approximately 12 women of different organizations who express interest in forming an official American Legion Auxiliary. A report from the committee is delivered to the national convention that “recommends that The American Legion recognizes an Auxiliary Organization, to
Chaplain John Inzer, Alabama, speaking about the formation of The American Legion at the St. Louis Caucus, May 10, 1919
First American Legion national convention November 10, 1919
Veterans storm into Minneapolis, pass first resolutions and close ranks after Centralia massacre. “Minnesota Legionnaires devoted a great deal of time and energy preparing to host the first national convention of The American Legion, but the weatherman failed to cooperate.” “Legion 50,” Ben Gimmestad, Ross & Haines, Minneapolis, Minn., 1970 Minneapolis is the home of the first American Legion National Convention. Temperatures dip to 11 degrees above zero, with light snow, during the convention parade, and weather is later blamed for Minneapolis losing its bid to become permanent home of The American Legion National Headquarters. Indianapolis is chosen instead, and Washington, D.C., finishes second in the voting. Despite cold temperatures and snow flurries, approximately 15,000 march in the first national convention parade, and the David Wisted Post of Duluth, Minn., which already has 2,500 paid members by this time, is declared The American Legion’s first official band.
be governed by the rules and regulations prescribed by the National Executive Committee, to be known as the ‘Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion,’ to which shall be eligible, all mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters of members of The American Legion, and of all men and women who died honorable deaths in the military and naval service of the United States between the declaration and the formal conclusion of the World War.”
Navy capable of rapid expansion sufficient to meet any national emergency.” The report begins by stating: “We have had a bitter experience in the cost of unpreparedness for national defense and the lack of proper training on the part of officers and men… we realize the necessity of an immediate revision of our military and naval system and a thorough housecleaning of the inefficient officers and methods of our entire military establishment.” The American Legion would fight for another four decades for universal military training – or UMT – which it did not achieve but in the mid1950s spurred major changes and improvements to the Ready Reserves, including legislation that permitted the president to activate 1 million reservists at any time of emergency. As the first national convention continues, news hits on Nov. 11 that four American Legion members marching in an Armistice Day Parade in Centralia, Wash., are shot to death in the streets. Blamed, arrested and convicted are members of the International Workers of the World (the “wobblies”), regarded as Bolshevikaligned radicals. When one of the suspects is jailed, a mob breaks in, pulls him out, hauls him away and hangs him from a bridge until dead. Eleven others associated with the wobblies serve sentences for their parts in the shooting. The massacre galvanizes the early American Legion at its first national convention and hardens its position against the IWW, Bolshevism and other threats to democracy. Among the business completed on Nov. 12, the convention’s final day, is the first youth program singled out for recognition by The American Legion, thus beginning an organizational alliance that continues today in communities worldwide:
Also Nov. 10, following the decision to name Indianapolis permanent home of the national headquarters, American Legion National Adjutant Lemuel Bolles announces that “as soon as practical” The American Legion Weekly Publishing Corp. will “also have headquarters at Indianapolis.” The magazine office, however, remains in New York until 1976.
“RESOLVED, That the American Legion heartily commends the principles and achievements of the Boy Scouts and recommends that each Post assist the Scout troops in its community in whatever manner practicable.”
The American Legion’s Committee on Military Policy reports during the convention that it favors universal military training but “strongly” opposes compulsory military service during peacetime.
September 27, 1920
The committee calls for a “relatively small regular Army and Navy and a citizen Army and
An official flower Poppy is chosen at the second national convention. The red poppy is named the official flower of The American Legion during the organization’s second national convention, in Cleveland. Made
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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Honoring & Celebrating Our Nation’s Veterans November 11
H
Congratulations to our local American Legion Algot Johnson Post 69 on
100 Years!
CONGRATULATIONS ON 15 YEARS HHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Celebrating the American Legion’s
100TH ANNIVERSARY
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Celebrating 100 years of the American Legion, let us pause to reflect on the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces. We honor the memory of those who lost their lives protecting our nation’s freedom, and we salute all those who have served in our military past and present. Their selfless dedication reminds us that freedom is not free, and we will never forget their courage and extraordinary contribution to our country.
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famous by the 1915 John McCrae poem, “In Flanders Fields,” the poppy, which grew in great abundance on the battlefields of France, becomes known worldwide as a symbol of military sacrifice and remembrance.
‘Here lies in honored glory’ November 11, 1921
President, generals join Legion to dedicate Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President Warren G. Harding and the Allied generals of the Great War, flanked by American Legion officers and members, dedicate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony salutes the legislative victory of Hamilton Fish, Jr., a founder of The American Legion and former captain of “Harlem’s Hellfighters,” the famed all-black 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I.
A code for Old Glory June 14, 1923
American Legion leads national conference to set rules of respect. President Warren G. Harding is the keynote speaker at an American Legion-organized conference in Washington to establish rules of respect and procedure for the U.S. flag. The National Flag Conference brings together 68 organizations, including military service branches, educators and government officials. The event is coordinated by The American Legion’s Americanism Commission.
Boys State begins in Illinois June 23, 1935
Program promotes democracy and citizenship amid radical threats. Legionnaires Harold Card and Hayes Kennedy organize the first American Legion Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. Meant to counter the Soviet Union’s communist Young Pioneer camps, Boys State quickly catches on as a program to teach young Americans their rights, privileges and responsibilities as franchised citizens, as they set up their own city, county and state governments and elect representatives. Each participant is instructed in the duties of public office, learning its functions, powers and limitations.
Parade for the ages September 21, 1937
Quarter million march and watch on New York’s 5th Avenue. One year later, on Flag Day 1924, the conference reconvenes and officially establishes Flag Code. States, schools and municipal governments across the country begin following the code. Congress, meanwhile, waits 19 years to pass the rules into federal law. “That piece of red, white and blue bunting means 5,000 years of struggle upwards. It is the fullgrown flower of ages of fighting for liberty. It is the century plant of human hope in bloom.” American Legion National Commander Alvin Owsley, 1923
Rise of the Sons September 12, 1932
Male descendants of wartime veterans establish an identity of their own. Sons of The American Legion is founded at The American Legion National Convention in Portland, Ore., following three years of study by national committees. Within 10 years, SAL membership surpasses 37,000. The following year, Bruce P. Robinson Squadron 133 in Indianapolis is credited as the first local Sons of The American Legion squadron.
The American Legion National Convention Parade in New York City lasts nearly 18 hours and involves more than 250,000 marchers and spectators, drawing national media coverage.
U.S. Flag Code adopted June 22, 1942
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, flanked by The American Legion special committee that drafted the bill and supportive members of Congress, signs the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. His signature brings to a crescendo eight months of tireless work by The American Legion, which produced more than 1,500 personal case studies in a 24-hour period and presented them to Congress, showing the lack of support for disabled World War II veterans who had come home. National Commander Warren Atherton of California had assembled a blueribbon special committee to conceptualize, draft and push to passage the omnibus bill that would provide education, training, business loans, home financing, timely disability compensation, hospitals, discharge review and more. Past National Commander Harry W. Colmery of Kansas drafted the bill in longhand from his room in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., in December 1943. Following that, with support from the Hearst newspaper empire, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 began a circuitous journey to the president’s desk, overcoming challenges from congressional caucuses, military branches and even some other veterans groups. It took a last-gasp search by The American Legion to find Rep. John Gibson of Georgia and fly him overnight from Jacksonville, Fla., to Washington to break a 3-3 impasse on June 10, 1944, and bring the bill out of a conference committee. Otherwise, the measure would have died there.
Federal guidance based on American Legion conferences. Congress passes Public Law 77-623, Chapter 435 – U.S. Flag Code. The federal guidance for rules on the display and care of the U.S. flag are nearly identical to those established by The American Legion flag conferences of 1923 and 1924. Many states, municipalities and schools have already by this time enacted flag codes, based on the Legion conferences and massive promotions through the years, by the time Congress codifies them in federal law.
The GI Bill signed into law June 22, 1944
Hard-fought American Legion initiative changes the nation forever.
The GI Bill would go on to change the economic, social and military landscape of America, fueling a half-century of prosperity, democratizing higher education and building the middle class. All future renditions of the benefits package would strive to produce the same kind of impact.
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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President Eisenhower signs into law the Reserve Forces Act of 1955, essentially the outcome of nearly 40 years of American Legion lobbying for compulsory Universal Military Training (UMT). The measure authorizes the president to call 1 million reservists up for active duty in a time of emergency and for a massive increase in personnel: nearly 3 million in the Ready Reserve and another 2 million in a Standby Reserve to go along with a nearly 2.9 million active-duty force. Seeing the law as a step in the right direction but by no means UMT, American Legion posts nationwide meet with their schools to help recruit volunteers to join the Reserves and the mandatory six-month military training program that comes with it.
from Harvard University, serve as a U.S. diplomat, author, broadcaster and three-time U.S. presidential candidate. In 1999, he receives The American Legion National Commander’s Public Relations Award.
Infusion for the American Heart Association May 29, 1946
Legion funding pumps life into research organization during its infancy. Dr. Leonard Rowntree, chairman of The American Legion’s Medical Advisory Committee, presents a check for $50,000 to a little-known and financially struggling non-profit organization called the American Heart Association. The Legion’s National Rehab Committee had been authorized to spend $25,000 to help the AHA, and the American Legion Auxiliary raises $25,000 to match it. At the time, as heart disease is accounting for one in four U.S. deaths, The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary seize the opportunity to take a national leadership role to “inaugurate a nationwide program in the study, prevention and treatment of rheumatic heart disease.” The funding leads to American Legion-sponsored heart research and provides the AHA a springboard to life-saving work that continues today.
Child Welfare Foundation October 15, 1953
Landowner’s gift launches American Legion grant program to assist other groups. An American Legion committee is authorized to study the feasibility of a special fund for children’s programs after former American Legion Department of Arkansas Commander Dr. Garland Murphy, Jr., offers to the national organization fractional rights to 10,000 acres of oil-rich land he owns in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota. In return, Murphy asks that proceeds from the contribution be used solely to serve children. Out of this contribution is born the American Legion’s Child Welfare Foundation. On July 9, 1954, the foundation is incorporated as a distinct non-profit organization whose mission is to benefit young people with physical, mental or environmental challenges.
The first three CWF grants, totaling $22,500, are awarded to the Delinquency Control Institute, the National Association for Retarded Children and the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Through its first 60 years, the CWF goes on to award nearly $15 million to associations, programs and organizations that help young people in need, and continues to do so today.
President meets future president July 24, 1963
Boys Nation delegate from Arkansas has lifechanging moment. Future U.S. President Bill Clinton, then a 16-year-old student at Hot Springs, Ark., High School, famously meets and shakes hands with President John F. Kennedy at the White House during American Legion Boys Nation. Clinton had been chosen as a delegate to Boys Nation after participation in Arkansas American Legion Boys State. The experience that summer, and the opportunity of meeting JFK, help inspire Clinton to begin a life of government service that would lead him to the White House in 1993 when he was inaugurated for the first of two terms as President of the United States.
Oratorical champion elected Boys Nation president July 25, 1967
Future presidential candidate, author and diplomat Alan Keyes notches a rare double.
The Reserve Forces Act of 1955
Alan Keyes of San Antonio, Texas, the son of a Vietnam War veteran, follows up his April 1967 American Legion National Oratorical Contest championship with election as president of American Legion Boys Nation three months later.
A compromise to the Legion’s long Universal Military Training push, law ramps up Reserve component.
At 16, he is the youngest national oratorical champion to date, and is the only youth to date to claim top honors in both Americanism programs. He goes on to earn two degrees
August 10, 1955
His unique distinction in American Legion history stands until April 18, 1999, when another Texas teen, Kevin Sladek of San Marco, wins the National Oratorical Contest less than a year after his election as president of American Legion Boys Nation.
A storm of support from The American Legion August 17, 1969
Hurricane Camille’s devastation leads to establishment of relief fund. Hurricane Camille devastates the Gulf Coast, killing 259, destroying communities and causing nearly $1.5 billion in damages. Many American Legion posts are obliterated, and veterans are left homeless after the storm surge of 24 feet and floods that extend as far north as Virginia. Restoration is expected to take months, if not years. The disaster leads The American Legion to establish a reserve fund for disaster relief, offering up to $1,500 for displaced veterans and up to $5,000 for posts that are damaged or destroyed. The reserve account is the genesis of what will become the National Emergency Fund, formally established 20 years later.
The Freedom Bell January 17, 1975
American Legion casts massive replica to tour the country for bicentennial. Representatives of The American Legion, The
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
Netherlands and the U.S. State Department gather at a foundry in Aarel-Rixtel, Holland, to pour 20 tons of molten metal into a mold to cast the Freedom Bell. A double-scale replica of the famed Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the massive symbol is offered as a gift to the United States from The American Legion during the bicentennial commemoration. The bell, tuned in the key of F for “freedom,” is scheduled to travel on the bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the continental United States over a 21-month span beginning April 1, 1975, in honor of the 200th anniversary of American independence. Approximately 7 million visit the 28-car train – a rolling museum of U.S. history – during its tour, and tens of millions more see it pass throughout the country. The American Legion’s Freedom Bell is eventually given a permanent home outside Union Station in Washington, D.C.
‘Rick Monday… You made a great play’ April 25, 1976
Chicago centerfielder rescues the U.S. flag during a game. During a game between Chicago and Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium, two protesters run onto the field and attempt to set a U.S. flag on fire. Cubs centerfielder and former American Legion Baseball player Rick Monday rushes to rescue the flag and prevents it from being burned. ESPN later describes Monday’s act that day as one of the top 100 plays in Major League Baseball history.
Charles R. Figley, Ph.D., Purdue University, “American Legion Study of the Psychological Adjustment Among Legion Veterans” 1978 The “American Legion Study of the Psychosocial Adjustment Among Legion Veterans” by Purdue University Dr. Charles R. Figley reveals psychosocial challenges faced by Vietnam War veterans in civilian life. Working with Robert W. Spanogle, national director of Internal Affairs and future American Legion national adjutant, along with John Sommer, Tom Haynes and Lloyd Wignall of the national staff, with support from National Commander William J. Rogers, Figley’s survey of 681 Legionnaires leads to a set of recommendations for the organization:
American Legion study advances understanding of the condition among veterans.
• “Mobilize a national effort” to encourage more research on the psychosocial conditions of veteran adjustment • Encourage the VA to offer research grants, fellowships and other types of funding on the adjustment process • Encourage the VA and National Institute of Health to sponsor national and international research symposia on the process • Encourage the administration to form a commission to set policy for veterans to include programmatic mental health research • Bring to the VA’s attention the importance of the military experience, especially wartime experience, as a factor in future psychological functioning • Fund a six-month feasibility study to establish a Center for Veteran Studies to unite research efforts, raise attention about the U.S. war veteran and develop effective adjustment programs
“The combatant left Vietnam as he came, alone. He boarded the freedom bird with his cohorts, not his company or platoon. Time in Vietnam was the single necessary similarity among passengers. The guys they knew best were either back in the world, back in the Nam, or dead. Back in America at last, no fanfare awaited them. Only faceless, expressionless clerks processing their papers to thrust them back into the world as fast as they were plucked out of it … most Americans were oblivious to his return.”
This work – which documents such symptoms among veterans as long-term sleeping problems, anger and discomfort in the company of nonveterans – is presented by The American Legion to then-VA Administrator Max Cleland, and ultimately leads to expansion of VA Vet Centers around the country and to the February 1980 acceptance of post-traumatic stress disorder as an official diagnosis, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Diagnosed PTSD is later given status as a service-connected disabil
Monday, who played 19 seasons of Major League Baseball, would in 2006 join The American Legion and the Citizens Flag Alliance to testify on Capitol Hill in support of a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from deliberate desecration. Monday played American Legion Baseball for Santa Monica Bay Cities Post 123 in California. He is named American Legion Baseball’s Graduate of the Year in 1976 and in 2007 receives The American Legion’s James V. Day “Good Guy” Award.
The road to PTSD recognition April 1978
ity eligible for VA benefits.
The Agent Orange odyssey September 3, 1981
American Legion policy statement demands objective answers from federal government. Three years after the organization’s first resolution seeking independent study into adverse health conditions of Vietnam veterans and birth defects among their children, The American Legion National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, passes a resolution stating the organization’s policy on Agent Orange, which by this time has been linked to thousands of cancers and other illnesses, as well as miscarriages. Deadly dioxin in the chemical mix of Agent Orange is blamed, and The American Legion urgently calls for studies “to proceed without delay using all resources available to ascertain with scientific validity the effects of Agent Orange on veterans who were exposed to it during their active military service.” The Legion demands that the studies be conducted by independent scientific authorities, not by the UCLA School of Public Health, under contract with the VA. The Legion resolution reveals that veterans suffering with conditions presumably linked to Agent Orange have filed for VA benefits but that “very few claims for service connection have been granted… (and) a significant number of Vietnam veterans have expressed displeasure with the manner in which they were attended to during their Agent Orange examinations at VA medical facilities.” The resolution calls for an independent epidemiological study, a mechanism to establish presumption of service connection for certain disabilities traced to Agent Orange exposure, close monitoring of the long-term health effects of exposed veterans and proper treatment during VA examinations.
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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From the bottom of our hearts
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
Gone,
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
SHORELINE MEDIA
We salute the brave men and women whose courage, determination and dedication to freedom make us so proud to be Americans.
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
This resolution, along with continued American Legion research and persistence, leads to a congressional mandate for the federal government to conduct a study on the cause and effect of Agent Orange-exposed Vietnam War veterans. The federal government, eight years after the Legion’s resolution, announces that despite $40 million in funding already allocated to the Center for Disease Control, cannot conduct such a study. The American Legion, for the first time in history, sues the federal government on behalf of all veterans for failing to obey the congressional mandate, setting the stage for one of the organization’s most historic accomplishments, in the following decade. The battle for benefits and acceptance of Agent Orange exposure as a service-connected disability continues today. The American Legion successfully argued for expansion of benefits to veterans suffering from conditions previously not accepted as exposure-related and seeks similar fairness for veterans who handled the defoliant stateside, in the air, at sea and in some locations during the Korean War.
The Vietnam Wall August 26, 1982
American Legion deflects controversy, contributes more than anyone to memorial. The American Legion, at its national convention in Chicago, presents a check for $1 million to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, making it the single largest contributor to the monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The road to its dedication is anything but smooth. Following congressional authorization to raise funds for the memorial on two acres of national park property in Washington, D.C., the design of Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin, 23, is chosen twice by two separate panels of judges. Her design, announced as the winner on May 6, 1981, is met with vocal and influential criticism and an initial refusal by the Department of Interior to break ground. The stalled project leads The American Legion to call a meeting with Secretary of the Interior James Watt and to launch a letter-writing campaign seeking President Reagan’s intervention. The Legion is ultimately credited for breaking the government logjam over the design, which leads to the beginning of the project on March 26, 1982. The American Legion sponsors the four-day “National Salute to Vietnam Veterans” Nov. 1114, 1982, the crescendo of which is the formal dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Nov. 13, attended by thousands.
posts to national conventions, is as follows: This table, set for one, is small, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner, alone against his or her suppressors. The tablecloth is white, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to arms. The single red rose in the vase signifies the blood they may have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America. This rose also reminds us of the family and friends of our missing comrades who keep the faith, while awaiting their return. The yellow ribbon on the vase represents the yellow ribbons worn on the lapels of the thousands who demand, with unyielding determination, a proper accounting of our comrades who are not among us tonight. A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter fate. The salt sprinkled on the plate reminds us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait. The glass is inverted. They cannot toast with us this night. The chair is empty. They are not here. The candle is reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, away from their captors, to the open arms of a grateful nation. Let us pray to the supreme commander that all of our comrades will soon be back within our ranks. Let us remember and never forget their sacrifices. May God forever watch over them and protect them and their families.
American Legion Riders are born
September 1993 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall becomes the most visited monument of remembrance in Michigan post puts advocacy on wheels. the nation, receiving more than 3 million people per year, with a traveling replica that crisscrosses In Garden City, Mich., Chuck “Tramp” Dare and the country. Bill “Polka” Kaledas, commander of American Legion Post 396, launch an association to bring This Table, Set for One American Legion Family members together to share a common love for motorcycles and advoAugust 27, 1985 cacy for veterans and their communities. American Legion remembers POWs/MIAs at At a regular meeting, Post 396 members pass a every official meeting. resolution for the new program to be known as the “American Legion Riders,” which today has Resolution 288, adopted at the 67th American chapters throughout the country and around Legion National Convention, calls for desigthe world, raising funds for scholarships, veternating a POW/MIA Empty Chair at all official ans services, community programs, children’s meetings of The American Legion as a physical hospitals and other interests of The American symbol of the thousands of American POW/ Legion. The Legion Riders lead the annual MIAs still unaccounted for from all wars and Legacy Run to The American Legion convention conflicts involving the United States. The mescity and have helped raise more than $12 milsage, recited in prayerful solemnity from local
lion to provide college funds for the children of military personnel who lost their lives on duty, or became 50 percent or more disabled, following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial November 11, 1993
Legionnaire’s efforts, national resolution lead to a monumental breakthrough. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial, designed by Texas sculptor Glenna Goodacre, is dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The project, spearheaded by American Legion member Diane Carlson Evans, a Vietnam War U.S. Army combat nurse, culminates more than a decade of lobbying, fundraising and overcoming bureaucratic and governmental obstacles. Carlson Evans, buoyed by an October 1985 American Legion national resolution supporting the memorial, had participated in the 1982 dedication ceremony for the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington and came away feeling that the more than 10,000 women who served in uniform during the Vietnam War were not adequately represented. In the final of more than 30 approval hearings in Washington, Carlson Evans testifies to the Department of the Interior: “Our wall would be much higher and much wider without the contribution of these brave women.” In 2013, Carlson Evans is selected to serve on The American Legion’s 100th Anniversary Honorary Committee and in 2018 is presented the organization’s prestigious Patriot Award for her military service, dedication and persistence to honor America’s military women.
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SHORELINE MEDIA
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
American Legion looks to increase membership By DAVID L. BARBER Special to the Daily News
Though it’s been over four decades since the last draft in the United States, Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 is sending out draft notices – sort of. “We’re looking for new members — those who want to serve their community,” said Post Commander Peter Probst. “Our members do a lot of things for our community, everything from going into the schools to talk with our young students and answer their questions about service and patriotism, to providing honor guards at funerals for our veterans, to taking part in community functions like parades and more. “We host a number of community events within our post, too. And we’re always open and ready to support the efforts of others who are doing good things here and who might need a place to host a fundraising event, or two. We try to get out in the county for anything and everything we can. “We give out 10, $500 scholarships a year to our high school kids,” he said. “Our auxiliary gives out scholarships, too. A lot of times we drive a veteran to, and back, from his or her doctor’s appointment.” Probst said the Ludington-based post cur-
rently has about 900 members — Sons of the American Legion and its Auxiliary, included — of which only about “... 60 to 70, or so, are continually active in providing volunteer efforts that support the post and community.” A Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Army, Probst said he and others within their post would like to see younger candidates answer the Legion’s call to community service. “Of course, we’d like to get younger – youth is always a good thing,” he said. “Our members – our active members – always step up when needed. Our Sons and our Auxiliary are really important to us. We count on them, a lot. They are all very dedicated, and they do a great job. We work, together.” Worldwide, the American Legion has about 2 million members who serve their communities through more than 13,000 posts. Chartered by Congress in 1918, the Legion has built an All-American tradition steeped in honor and sacrifice. “We do good work here,” said Probst. “We have a lot of programs — so many it’s sometimes hard to keep up with. “But it all starts with or veterans — those who served. That’s what they have in common — their service. We have members who go back to Pearl Harbor and World War II. We have mem-
bers who have fought in every war, since. “And, like I said, we’d love to have the ones who served most recently — the younger ones — come and join us,” said Probst. “Our doors are open to everyone who served.” For information on joining the American Legion, you can visit the Edwin H. Ewing Ludington Post No. 76 at 318 N. James St., or call (231) 845-7094. You also can visit the Legion’s website at www.legion.org
DAVID BARBER | Daily News
Ludington’s annual Fish on for Freedom, a day-long celebration that celebrates the service and sacrifice of our veterans, culminates with an awards ceremony and luncheon at the Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 — just one of several community activities held at the Ludington post every year.
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
displays at american legion post 76 By DAVID L. BARBER Special to the Daily News
The walls of Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 shout sacrifice. They sing of patriotism, and whisper words of praise and appreciation. The walls, framed with cherished miscellanea from wars that have since been assigned to the pages of history books, are a living, breathing reminder of those who wrote that history. Indeed, American Legion Post 76 is as much a museum of sacrifice and honor, as it is a gathering place — a clubhouse, if you will — for those who served their country in times of great upheaval and outright evil. Located in the heart of the city at 318 N. James St., Post 76 — an appropriate numeral distinction, don’t you think, one that is a reflection of this country’s history-altering, history-defining Spirit of ’76 — has a treasure trove of military paraphernalia brought home to be tucked away inside the scrapbooks of local soldiers, sailors and airplane personnel. Quite thankfully, some of those keepsakes have been shared with the community and are on display there. “We really have some wonderful items (on display here),” said Post Commander Peter Probst. “We have a little bit of everything — uniforms, guns, swords, other weapons and more. We have actually run out of room to display everything we
have, and we’re going to start rotating a few things here and there so we can put other things on display. “Every time I walk through here, I see something I haven’t seen before. I stop and look. A lot of people have done a lot of work in putting up these displays.” Probst said the mini museum is “... all about, and for, our community.” “This little museum here (is a gift from our community). It took a lot of people a lot of years to put it together. We have many families who have donated items to be put in here, and we are very grateful for that. It’s all really interesting. “You know, you live here, and you get visitors, and they all say, ‘What a patriotic town – they really take care of their veterans,’” Probst said. “It’s amazing how many people come up and thank us for what we’ve done, thank us for our service.” Among the hundreds of items on display in Post 76 are war currency, posters and newspapers, military caps and hats, magazines and books, uniforms from the different services, medals, maps, canteens, backpacks, model ships and airplanes, and more. Normally a members-only gathering place, several times each year, said Probst, Post 76 is opened to the public for one community event, or another, at which time area residents are encouraged to tour the museum portion. “Of course, during those community events, we are happy to have our guests walk around and look
DAVID BARBER | Daily News
Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 Cmdr. Pete Probst stands by one of the displays inside the post’s location in Ludington. The post has numerous artifacts showing many of the conflicts local servicemen and servicewomen fought in.
at all that we have on display,” sad Probst. “Sometimes other organizations will host an event in here, and whenever that happens, (those attending are encouraged to take a tour of our museum).” Encircling the interior of Post 76, and its museum dedicated to the war heroes of Mason County, are hundreds of white license plates that serve as calling cards to a sundry of other American Legion posts located through America. “If I’m going to California, or wherever, I’ll take a half-dozen or plates from our post and I’ll stop by other posts along the way and I’ll trade,” said Probst. “Same way if members from other states stop in here and bring one of their (plates) — we’ll trade. We’ve had a lot of fun with that.
DAVID BARBER | Daily News
White license plates from various posts from around the United States are above displays from different branches of the U.S. armed forces at the Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 building in Ludington.
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Flags, photos and plaques make up a display at the Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 in Ludington.
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Newspapers and helmets are shown in a display at the Edwin H. Ewing American Legion Post No. 76 in Ludington.
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Mission
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans. Hundreds of local American Legion programs and activities strengthen the nation one community at a time. American Legion Baseball is one of the nation’s most successful amateur athletic programs, educating young people about the importance of sportsmanship, citizenship and fitness. The Operation Comfort Warriors program supports recovering wounded warriors and their families, providing them with “comfort items” and the kind of support that makes a hospital feel a little bit more like home. The Legion also raises millions of dollars in donations at the local, state and national levels to help veterans and their families during times of need and to provide college scholarship opportunities. The American Legion is a nonpartisan, not-forprofit organization with great political influence perpetuated by its grass-roots involvement in the legislation process from local districts to Capitol Hill. Legionnaires’ sense of obligation to community, state and nation drives an honest advocacy for veterans in Washington. The Legion stands behind the issues most important to the nation’s veterans community, backed by resolutions passed by volunteer leadership. The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism. The organization belongs to the people it serves and the communities in which it thrives.
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
SHORELINE MEDIA
Facts
ABOUT THE LEGION «The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. «There are nearly 2 million members of The American Legion, making it the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization. «The American Legion has more than 12,000 posts in communities throughout the United States. In addition to posts in every state, The American Legion has posts in the District of Columbia, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. «In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the original GI Bill, or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, ushering in monumental changes in U.S. society. Six months earlier, The American Legion wrote the first draft of what later became the “GI Bill of Rights” – considered The American Legion’s single greatest legislative achievement. Higher education becomes democratized after 8 million veterans go to school on the GI Bill, get better jobs, buy houses in the suburbs and raise families. «On Aug. 9, 1921, a Legion-led effort resulted in the creation of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which later became the Veterans Administration. «The first “Flag Code” is drafted during a Legion conference in Washington in 1923. Congress adopts the code in 1942. Today, The American Legion is at the forefront of efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag from physical desecration. «The American Legion donated $1 million to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund for construction of the Wall in Washington, becoming the largest single contributor to the project. «The American Legion announces its sponsorship of an independent study on the effects of exposure to Agent Orange on Vietnam War veterans. Congress receives the results of the “American Legion-Columbia University Study of Vietnam-era Veterans” in 1989. «Today, more than 2,000 high school students annually participate in The American Legion’s Junior Shooting Sports National Air Rifle Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The first event was held in 1991. «In 2010, The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors program won first place and $250,000 in PepsiCo’s Refresh Everything Project. OCW received the most votes in an online contest and defeated hundreds of other groups and charities to take first place. «The American Legion provides free, professional assistance -- for any veteran -- in filing and pursuing benefits claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. «Legion Baseball was formed in 1925 during an American Legion South Dakota Department state convention. By 1926, Legion Baseball posts in 15 states developed. Today, the program registers more than 5,400 teams in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. «Approximately 20,000 young men annually participate in Boys State, a Legion program dedicated to promoting leadership. Boys State alumni include former President Bill Clinton, news commentator Tom Brokaw, professional basketball player Michael Jordan, astronaut Neil Armstrong and many more «Since 1938, The American Legion National High School Oratorical Program: “A Constitutional Speech Contest,” has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship. Many politicians and news anchors have been participants, including CNN anchor Lou Dobbs. «Since 1919, American Legion posts have sponsored more than 2,500 Scouting units across the country. And annually, The American Legion honors an Eagle Scout of the Year with a $10,000 scholarship.
SHORELINE MEDIA
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
I Am The American Legion:
I Am The American Legion:
I Am The American Legion:
Julie Muhle
Holly Lewis
LZ Harrison
When her father encouraged her to join American Legion Post 15 in Juneau, Wis., Julie Muhle knew little about the organization and its legacy of service. The more she learns, though, the more passionate she becomes about all things Legion.
For Holly Lewis, doing the work of The American Legion in her community means following the lead of the organization’s founders.
In addition to serving as Post 15’s adjutant, Muhle is chancellor of the Wisconsin American Legion College program. Training a new generation of leaders is her way of communicating the Legion’s rich past while helping build for tomorrow.
She finds her inspiration in one particular phrase in the preamble to the Legion’s constitution: “To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation.” “‘Inculcate’ means to teach repeatedly,” Lewis says. “It’s our job to teach repeatedly. What applied 100 years ago still applies today, and it will apply in the future.”
L.Z. Harrison Jr. joined The American Legion in 2010 just to be part of the American Legion Riders. Within a year, he stepped up to serve as director of the Riders’ chapter at Richland County Post 6 in Columbia, S.C. “At the time, there were just a few members,” says Harrison, who immediately set out to grow the group’s membership. “When I took over, I made it a goal to have a full room at the meetings. We reached that within about a year. Now all of our meetings are pretty full.”
You served your country.
“The inspiration to go out and recruit comes from the education we’re working on,” she says. “Offering Legion College courses – helping students learn what the Legion is about – is how we inspire people to want to go and talk more about that.” Watching her students grow in their enthusiasm for the Legion adds to Muhle’s energy. “When I see everyone scribbling notes, I think, ‘Hey, I’ve just taught them something new.’ This is what the learning is all about.” Muhle and other Legion College instructors travel around the state to lead beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. Students give up a Sunday to attend. “That’s dedication,” she says. “They take the information back to their posts and implement it. They learn a lot, as I have.” • • • • •
Branch of Service Army (1984-1985) Rank Private first class Military job Cryptoanalyst American Legion post Post 15, Juneau, Wis. Years in The Legion 11
An example is the annual Flag Day retirement ceremony hosted by Stevens-Christian Memorial Post 557 in Wintersville, Ohio, where Lewis is commander. Community members turn in roughly 500 worn flags. “Our post feels that our flag retirement is really important to the community, especially to our youth,” she says. “It’s a teaching opportunity for our local Boy Scouts, Young Marines, our grandchildren, our children, to teach them what it means to have respect for our flag and how to retire it properly.” “Success would mean that there wouldn’t be a child in this community who didn’t respect our flag, respect what it stands for, and know its proper handling and care.” • Branch of Service Navy (1985-1992) • Rank Petty officer second class • Military job Ocean systems technician (maintainer) • American Legion post Stevens-Christian Memorial Post 557, Wintersville, Ohio • Years in The Legion 11
He’s proud of all that Post 6’s Riders do for their community, from riding in parades and other patriotic events to participating in funerals for veterans whose cremated remains have long gone unclaimed. They also raise money for The American Legion’s Legacy Fund, which provides college scholarship money for children of post9/11 veterans who died on active duty or have a combined VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater. When South Carolina started its own Legacy Run, “we weren’t sure how the turnout was going to be,” he says. “Our Riders really took it to heights, and every year they get bigger. A lot of why they do it is for healing. For a lot of veterans struggling with depression, anger issues and that sort of thing, riding with the Legion Riders and having a cause you believe in – such as the Legacy Fund – gives them a feeling of worth.” • • • •
Branch of Service Army (1984-2004) Rank Sergeant major Military Personnel/human resources American Legion post Richland County Post 6, Columbia, S.C. • Years in the Legion 10
As a veteran, your life of service has just begun.
Help your community, your country and your fellow vets. And have a good time making differences with people who get you.
Be part of the legacy. Share the vision.
The American Legion www.legion.org
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SHORELINE MEDIA
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
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SHORELINE MEDIA
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
Wilwin Lodge By Jeff Kiessel Asst. Managing Editor
EDEN TWP. — Wilwin Lodge, located at 3383 E. Hawley Road in Custer, is a nearly 1,200 acre-facility owned by the American Legion and is a premier veteran’s sanctuary for rehabilitation, recovery, support and healing. Wilwin’s mission is to provide a premiere facility that can care for our disabled and handicapped veterans in a relaxed atmosphere and to provide the necessary therapeutic care needed, administered by licensed professionals; to utilize the property as a reconnect center for returning war veterans and their families after long deployments; to provide a visitation place for all veterans to utilize on special occasions, events, or vacation; to provide a place for our youth to go to enjoy the outdoors, including scouting groups, community groups and/or other youth organizations. “This (property) is for the veterans, American Legion members and scouting activities (Boy Scouts),” said Duane Miller, chairman of the Wilwin Lodge board of trustees. “Any veteran from any branch of the military and from anywhere can come out to Wilwin Lodge.” In fact, members of both the American Legion and Boy Scouts from across the state celebrated their respective 100th birthday together
at the lodge’s property in late October, dubbed Camporee. Clyde Sinclair, the American Legion scouting committee chairman, said back in 1919 when the American Legion was founded and writing its resolutions, one of the original resolutions was to support scouting. “Since the legion was created, it has been supporting scouting,” Sinclair said. “We are here today because we are having a birthday party for the American Legion and its 100 years of supporting scouting. We wanted to have Camporee get as many scouts from across the state and to bring them here to Wilwin Lodge to have some fun.” On the 1,200-acre property is a place known as Veterans Village which include four cabins and a recreation center that was built in 2017. All the cabins are ADA compliant and fully functional and designed for two people each. “This design is not exclusive to Wilwin,” Sinclair said about the Veterans Village. “We can bring in a counselor and fill the others with veterans and this is where they will stay for a week. Each cabin is air conditioned and has heat. They are located near Lake Wooduff (a 65-acre spring-fed lake) so they can use the facilities (and) fish.” The lodge includes a main house which acts as the center of the facilities housing area.
Handicapped accessible, the main house has four bedrooms and three full bathrooms capable of housing 8 to 12 people. A wrap-around porch on the south and west sides of the house overlooks the lake. A fully ADA-compliant apartment that can house two people is available adjacent to the main house. The two bedroom apartment is located above the ADA-compliant apartment and can house up to five people comfortably, but is not ADA accessible. Wilwin has over 15 miles of recreational trails within its boundaries that can be used for hiking, running, golf-cart driving and bicycling. There is acreage with milkweed. This attracts the migration of thousands of monarch butterflies on their way south in the fall. Trails lead into the marsh to a walkway and an observation platform for the observation of waterfowl and wildlife. It is home to an abundance of wildlife including white-tail deer, black bear, rabbits, fox, coyote, porcupine, skunk, bald and golden eagles, ducks and geese, wild turkeys, squirrels and other small animals. The facility is within a few miles of the nationally famous Pere Marquette River, rich in boating activities and fishing. The lodge is open from May to November with hopes of one day becoming a year-round facility.
American Legion
SALUTING AREA VETERANS Remembering and Grateful for all who have served
1 00 YEARS
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AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
THANK YOU Veterans for your Service & Sacrifice
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231-893-6945
huntshardware.doitbest.com | 115 E. Colby St., Whitehall, MI
Thank You for your Bravery and Service!
THANK YOU,
VETERANS
GENERAL CONTRACTING • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • DESIGN / BUILD
(231) 894.8409
8868 Water Street, Montague, MI 49437 • www.winbergconstruction.com BOARDWELL MECHANICAL says Thank You to our troops and veterans for your service including our own:
Thank You For Your Service!
15% miliTarY diScounT Parts | Vehicle Rental | Labor
Veteran Owned 4235 Fruitvale Rd. Montague, MI Mon 9am-8pm Tues-Fri 9am-6pm Sat 9am-3pm
(231) 893-1945
ED BOARDWELL
United States Navy 1956-1960, Photographer/Mechanical, Rank-Airman
We Salute Those Who Served Thanks, Veterans! We Have all the Solutions you need! CatchMark Technologies proudly honors all those who have sacrificed on behalf of our country! INCLUDING OUR VERY OWN:
Kara Raeth - Army John Goede - Navy Brent Raeth - Army
CatchMark Technologies 2740 W. Holton Whitehall Rd Whitehall , MI | 616-384-4616 CatchMarkit.com
PATRICK KING
United States Air Force 2005-2014, Heavy Equipment/Logistics, Rank-Staff Sergeant
BOARDWELL MECHANICAL PROUDLY SALUTES ALL OF OUR VETERANS AND CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS
SHORELINE MEDIA
25
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
A Salute to Our Heroes: Our Veterans
On Veterans Day, we pause to reflect on the courage, dedication and loyalty of our nation’s military veterans. Throughout history, their hard work and sacrifice have kept us safe and protected our freedom. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid, and we salute them for their service. To all of the brave men and women who have sacrificed to put their country first, we thank you.
A special thanks to these local veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service.
Stan Bennette U.S. Marine
Alexus Del Tour
Dieter Muralt
Larry R. Wisner
Lysle P. Hansberger Jr.
Corporal Marine Corps
Airman 2nd class Air Force
Chief Boatswain’s Mate U.S. Coast Guard
Staff Sgt., serving from 1958 to 1964 in Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan and El Toro Marine Air Station. He is a highly decorated Helicopter Crew Chief. Stan is the husband of Duane Dee Bennette. Cooper
Michael Del Tour
Stan Bennette
Mark Levandowski
Noel H. Kibbey
Louis Wolven
John Fletcher
Steven M. Fillmore
Gail Altschwager
Dawna Wilson
Robert M. Wilson
Sergeant Army
E-5 Navy Corpsman Navy
First Sergeant/E-8 U.S. Marine Corps
Sergeant Marine Corps
Sergeant, US Army Korean Veteran
PFC U.S. Army
SSgt. US Marine Corps Helicopter Crew Chief Vietnam vet
Spec 5 Army
Airman 2nd Class U.S. Air Force
FTG-2, Navy Cuban Blockade Vietnam, Round World
Spec 4 Army
Sergeant U.S. Army, WWII
Robert C. Jaekel
Robert W. Nash
Marines
William Nash II
PFC First Class Army
Stationed in Germany Army
Burton J. Tanis
Robert J. Tanis
Archie W. Eastway
Frank Bird
Private First Class US Army, 1943-1945
Sergeant, US Army 1967-1969 Vietnam
A Salute to our heroes
A special thanks to these local veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service.
US Army, Korean Conflict
PFC, Army
Please Join Us for an informative event about Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits
Nov. 14th at 10:00 AM
Professionals Proudly Serving West Michigan for Over 20 Years!
Learn about VA Benefits of Aid and Attendance for Assited Living Care for Veterans and Spouses of Veterans from Anna Urick Duggins, Attorney at Parmenter Law
VETERANS DISCOUNT OF
10%
OFF
A SERVICE CALL OR TUNE-UP When You Mention This Ad
WE SERVICE ALL BRANDS
Light refreshments will be provided RSVP to Jennifer Carter at 231-672-2796
Let our professional HVAC Technicians take care of all your heating needs... before the big winter FREEZE! Upgrade your System • Free Furnace Quotes
CALL THE HVAC PROS AT MARTECH
Sanctuary At The Oaks is a non-profit, faith-based retirement living community dedicated to quality of life and a lifetime of service for its senior residents. 1740 Village Drive Muskegon, MI 49442 (231) 672-2796
(231) 893-2375
9999 US Hwy. 31, Montague, MI 49437 www.martechenterprise.com
HEARTFELT Thank You TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS In honor of three family members, all serving in WWII, Thank you for your bravery and service to our country.
And in special memory of Uncle Melvin Lear for giving his life to serve our country Dad, Glenn William Lear
Uncle Marlin Lear
Lynda Lear Balkema
223 E. Colby St., Whitehall 231-981-8170 • info@corerealty.com
SHORELINE MEDIA
27
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
A Salute to Our Heroes Vance Sanders Sergeant Army
Christopher Sanders Sergeant Army
Andrew Sanders
Petty Officer First Class, Navy
Wayne Abbatoy
Roger Francisco
James Francisco
Lyle E. Hanson
H. Warren Tibbits
Philip McTaggart
Larry Sanders
Sergeant Army
William Sanders Chief Navy
PFC Army
John Charles Krim
Airman Basic Air Force
Alfred H. Ardolf
PHM 3/C, Navy, Marine Corps WWII
Michael Companion
Spec 5 Army
Richard A. Fassett
Richard Mather
Gary Ransom
E4 Army
Lance Ransom
E5 Navy
Dale Fritz
Ian Fritz
Larena Kramer
Justin Kramer
Adam Sylvester
Alvin Jamison
Jim Sikkenga
Brandon M. Fisher
David G. Fisher
Michael D. Fisher
Saara Sniegowski
Served 2011-2015
Served 1950-1952
SPC5 Army
Cpl., Army. 4th Inf. Div., Band, Trumpet
USMC 1991-1995
CPT Army Retired
Senior Airman (E-4) US Air Force
Army
SSG Army Reserve
Airman 2nd Class US Air Force
Major Army National Guard
2nd Class Petty Officer (E-f), US Navy
Sergeant, US Marine Corps, Vietnam 1971-74
Air Force
Senior Master E-8
Airforce, Tuskegee Airman WWI, Korea, Vietnam
Sgt. (E-4) US Air Force Served from 1983-1989
Served 1978-1982
A special thanks to these local veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service.
Y3 USN SV Navy, World War II
82nd Airborne 1983-85
Navy
Cpl. Army
Scott Sniegowski Master Sgt. (E-7) US Air Force
Served from 1981-2001
28
SHORELINE MEDIA
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
CELEBRATE
LIFE Mason County Department of Veteran’s Affairs Connecting Mason County Veterans with the benefits they have earned through their service to our country
Every Life deserves a special time of honoring and celebrating. We pause to honor the lives of the men and women who served and sacrificed. Thank you for your service. And Congratulations to the American Legion on it’s 100th Anniversary of helping America’s Veterans!
Jim Wincek Accredited Veterans Service Officer 920 Tinkham Avenue, Ludington, MI 49431 231-583-2028 jwincek@masoncounty.net Monday & Wednesday Noon-5:00 pm Tuesday & Thursday 8:00 am-1:00 pm
305 E. State St., Scottville 231-757-3333 www.wymanfuneralservice.com
H
The
LUDINGTON AREA SENIOR CENTER “Keeping Seniors Active and Independent” Providing Activities for Healthier Living • • • • • •
Matter of Balance Classes Diabetes Support Group Painting and Craft Classes Taxes / Tax Credits Medicare / Medicaid Assistance Exercise Classes - Tai Chi, Zumba, Yoga, Stretch / Balance, Line Dancing
• Clubs - Coin, Walking, Garden, Weight Watchers, Boot Scooters • Fun in-door activities • BOOM Shop, showcasing local artists and artisans
Stop in and see what’s new, or read a copy of our monthly newsletter! A digital copy can be accessed on our Facebook page. Come join in on the fun, ages 50 and up
308 S. Rowe, Ludington
Veterans AND
Thanks to the American Legion for all you do! Brian's Auto Parts & Service 231-723-6288 2515 Grant Hwy. (on South US 31) • Manistee Fax: 231-723-9441 • Toll Free: 800-294-6288
231-845-6841
H
SHORELINE MEDIA
29
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
A Salute to Our Heroes Joseph Robert Farber
Kim A. Loncar
PFC, Army
MSgt. USAF 1985-2007 Retired
Lisa Kroesing
Donald Farber
Specialist 4, Army 1975-1978
PFC, Army World War II
David A. Boughan
Lauren Nicole Nguyen
Shirley R. Fassett
John L. OstenSacken
Jack Varso
Burl Farber
Earl C. Hanks
Samantha C. Helms
3rd Class Petty Officer US Navy, World War II
PFC, Army World War II
USAF 1954-1958
Corporal, Eighth Army Air Force - England
E5, 2nd Class Quartermaster, Navy Nuclear Submarine
A/C US Air Force 2008-2013
Corpsman Navy
John Henry Converse
Sgt E7 Army, 1943-1968 WWII and Korea
David Lilleberg
E-5 Sgt., Army
Cpl., US Army WWI Co. I, 126 Infantry
Lanny Hartman
Fred S. Olds Jr. Pvt., USMC
Dan Vanderboegh
James Ray Steiger
Gary L. Dewey
Wesley E. Carlson
Fredrick F. Brunner
James Brouder
Orval W. Smith
Edward Frank Baker
James Sniegowski
Tammera Sniegowski
Alexander M. Oomen
Al F. Krusniak
Raymond P. Guiher
Served from 1978-2003
Served from 1983-2003
E4 - Staff Sergfeant US Air Force 1991-96
MR1, Navy
PFC Army 5th 1952-1954
Senior Master Sgt. (E-8) US Air Force
M1 U.S. Navy, WWII
Technical Sgt. (E-6) US Air Force
E4, Army
Spec 4, Us Army
Lance Corporal Marines
E5, Army
PFC, US Army WWII Co. B, 87th Infantry
T-5 Corporal US Army 1945-1947
A special thanks to these local veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service.
Hiram W. Price
E4, Army
Lance Corporal US Marine Corps
Private, U.S. Army
30
SHORELINE MEDIA
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
Countryview BAKERY
We Salute and Honor all those who have Served Put in your orders now for the holidays!
WE HONOR THE MEMORIES OF OUR BRAVE AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THIS COUNTRY Their courage, commitment and selflessness will always be remembered with gratitude. We will never forget that freedom is not free.
MUFFINS • CAKE • PIES • BREADS GRANOLA • COOKIES • SUGAR FREE CHEESE • MEAT and more! FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL BARBECUE RIBS Coleslaw and Baked Beans 3 PM to 8 PM
Your Mason County Chiropractic Physicians (DC) Graduates of the Prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic
• Neck, Back, Sciatic Pain • Muscle & Joint Pain • New Patients Welcome • Insurance Accepted • Same Day Appointments
Dr. John Hendricks
Open Mon.-Sat. 9-6 PM
231.425.6791 • 231.233.6292 5722 W. US 10, LUDINGTON
Chiropractic Physician
Chiropractic Physician
Dr. William Ingle
Dr. Lewis G. Squires
5828 W. US 10, Ludington (next to Briggs)
321 N. Jebavy, Ludington
414 W. US-10, Scottville 757-3356 www.squireschiropractic.com
843-3771
843-4088
Chiropractic Physician
Each Health Care Facility Individually Owned & Operated
(Behind Little Caesars and Bela Floral)
QUALITY PRE-OWNED VEHICLES
With Gratitude to Our Veterans
Proudly Serving The Community For 44 Years!
Thank You Veterans For Your Service! 2014 DODGE CHARGER
Loaded, 114,000 miles
1996 CORVETTE COLLECTORS EDITION
2012 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA 4X4 UNLIMITED
114,000 miles, LT1 V-8
129,000 miles, heated seats, upgraded stereo
2000 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4
2011 FORD FESTIVA
2010 FORD F150 4X4 XLT
1999 CHRYSLER SEBRING JXI CONVERTIBLE
Cummins Diesel, manual 6-speed, 224,000 miles
155,000 miles, 4.y liter, auto
2323 WEST US HWY. 10 LUDINGTON, MI 49431
(231) 757-9000
2007 CAMRY XLE
Leather, power, encrypted police interceptor package, 127,000 miles
NORTHERN CLASSIC AUTO SALES
4413 W. US 10, LUDINGTON
845-1768
39,000 original miles
Florida car, 96,000 miles
SHORELINE MEDIA
31
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
A Salute to Our Heroes Lenny Gajeski
Leonard Tomaszewski
Walter Johnson
Carl M. Nielsen Gordon V. Danish Army, WWI Nielsen
Don G. Wallace
Lou Anne Wallace
Jean M. Nielsen
John J. Wallace
Daniel A. Trim
Danielle Trim
Joshua A. Trim
Dianne M. Trim
Tamara Ellzey
Carly A. Gehris
US Army
US Army Kuwait
Timothy G. Murphy US Army Iraq
US Navy, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington DC
Junior Cable
Harvy Cable
Ethel Cable
Evart Cable
Ezra Cable
Wendy J. Beal
Thomas Eilers
James A. Wicklund
William F. Wicklund
David M. Bean
E3 - M5SR US Navy
Rudolf Vorac
US Army WWI France 2nd Division
Mark W. Trim US Army Global War on Terrorism
US Marine Corp Afghanistan
Staff Sgt. Army
Colonel, Air Force Active duty service of 25 years
Larry Pierce EAS-2, US Navy Vietnam
David Landis Spec - E4 Army
US Army, Korea
US Army
Tech Sgt. Army
Aviation Ord. 2nd Class US Navy - Squadron 191 Vietnam
US Army, Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada
Lieutenant Army
Airman 1st Class US Air Force 1951-1955
PFC US Army 2nd wave D-day Omaha Beach
US Army WWII & Korea
US Army Desert Storm
Buck Sgt Army
E6 (EN1) US Navy Served 1997-2006 & 2009-2013
A special thanks to these local veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service.
Pvt. Army
US Air Force Korea
US Army Iraq
Master Sgt. US Army Air Corp
Navy
32
AMERICAN LEGION • 100 YEARS
SHORELINE MEDIA
HHHHHHHHHHH 1919
2019
We Salute
The American Legion
INDIAN SUMMER ® HHHHHHHHHHH