Wednesday, April 30, 2008

What a GREAT idea!


 
Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey
to them your thanks, but weren't sure how or it felt awkward?

Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could be used and
has started a massive movement to get the word out.

Please everybody take just a moment to watch.... The Gratitude Campaign
...and then forward it to your friends!

Click on below.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php
Posted by Bill Moran at 14:06:06 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

National Convention October 17, 1923



(Policy still in effect)


WHEREAS, the fundamental law of our country guarantees to all peoples equal rights and equal opportunities and the right to worship their God as they see fit; and


WHEREAS, it is provided that our laws shall be made and enforced by representatives of our people, chosen under the law so to do; and
WHEREAS, membership of The American Legion is made up of those who served our country in time of great national stress, without distinction as to race, color, creed or class; and


WHEREAS, The American Legion is pledged to the orderly enforcement of our laws through lawful agencies; therefore, be it


RESOLVED, by The American Legion, in national convention assembled this 17th day of October, 1923, that we consider any individual, group of individuals, or organizations, which creates, or fosters racial, religious or class strife among our people, or which takes into their own hands the enforcement of law, determination of guilt, or infliction of punishment, to be un-American, a menace to our liberties, and destructive to our fundamental law; and be it further


RESOLVED, that we consider such action by any individual, groups, or organizations, to be inconsistent with the ideals and purposes of The American Legion.
Posted by Bill Moran at 13:56:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Houston Station Wins The American Legion's Top Journalism Award

 
KRIV FOX 26 Wins The American Legion’s 
Top Journalism Award
            INDIANAPOLIS  – KRIV FOX 26 in Houston, Texas has been selected to receive The American Legion’s Fourth Estate Award for a documentary chronicling the rehabilitation of wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan.


             “The Intrepid-Texas Lifeline,” went inside the Brooke Army Medical Center Burn unit where young men and women are battling the damage done by explosive blast and flame and coming to terms with facing a future without a piece of themselves – legs and arms gone forever.  The piece also featured those who descended on the Center from every corner of the country to deliver the wounded strength and hope.


“This production is truly a tribute to the warrior spirit, the love of families and the tender care being provided by fellow medics,” said Marty Conatser, national commander of The American Legion. “The construction of the rehabilitation facility known as the Center for The Intrepid serves as a lasting testament of immense and continuing gratitude.”


             Kathy Williams, Vice President and News Director, KRIV-TV added, "We would like to thank The American Legion for recognizing FOX 26 News with this award.  Our station has committed a great deal of resources to reporting on local military personnel and their families and ‘The Intrepid-Texas Lifeline’ was a shared passion among those in our newsroom who worked on the piece."


            "This year’s nominations were extremely competitive, well written and presented," said Robert L. Morrill, chairman of The American Legion’s Public Relations Commission. “But the KRIV documentary took the top honor with its riveting stories of America’s newest war veterans and their incomprehensive strength of spirit.”


           Previous winners of the award include WFOR-TV in Miami, United Press International, The Dayton Daily News; Dateline NBC; Fortune Magazine; ABC News; and the Detroit News.


The award will be presented to the FOX 26 News team during the 90th National Convention of The American Legion in Phoenix, Ariz. on Aug. 28, 2008. The program may be viewed at http://media.myfoxhouston.com/news/intrepid/.


With a membership of 2.7-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and patriotic youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.


KRIV FOX 26  is part of the Fox Television Stations, one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 35 stations in 26 markets and covering nearly 45% of U.S. television homes.  This includes six duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando. 
Posted by Bill Moran at 09:10:40 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2008 American Legion Legacy Run Registration is open

 
Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) 
Indianapolis, IN to Phoenix, AZ-August 17-21, 2008
legion.org/legacyrun
Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)
Registration for The American Legion Legacy Run, 1,800 miles on motorcycles for the children of our fallen warriors, is open to all interested motorcyclists.  An online printable registration form is available at website www.legion.org.


Registration fees remain the same as in 2006 and 2007:  $35 per Rider, and $15 per passenger.  Registration and participation is open to all interested motorcyclists.


All members of our Legion Family who do not ride, but who wish to directly support The American Legion Legacy Run, may also register.  We thank them for their support and will provide them with the same registration materials, patches, and souvenir map books that we will provide to the registered participants.


Registrants may complete and print out the full waiver/release form.  Mail us a signed copy--keep another copy for your records.  We will mail back a confirmation and copy of the 2007 and 2006 Run DVDs immediately.  In July 2008, after we have finalized and printed the run mapbook and other materials, we'll mail out the complete Legacy Run registration packages to all registrants.
Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)
As of April 29, there are 183 registered bikes, and 41 registered passengers.
Bill Sloan  
"AWACS"
American Legion Legacy Run Coordinator
 
Posted by Bill Moran at 09:06:52 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

National Emergency Fund - Reminder

 
To all:
 
Due to potential NEF activity this spring and summer, wanted to ensure the leadership of your department had a copy of the NEW National Emergency Fund Application Form and the policies that govern the program. 
 
Click on this link. 
  
http://www.legion.org/veterans/assistance/nef
 
Please use this form instead of the old one when submitting grant applications, if at all possible, as they capture much more information that is now needed to process these applications.  
  
Bottom line, the member must be displaced from their home to apply for grant monies and the area must be in a declared disaster zone. 
  
I encourage you and your officers to review the form in its entirety so in case questions come up in your visits, you can respond accordingly. 
  
Any questions contact me (msteinmetz@legion.org – 317-630-1379) or Jack Querfeld (jquerfeld@legion.org – 317-630-1330) if I am out of town.
 
Thanks for your assistance in getting the word out.
 
Michele Steinmetz, Assistant Director
Internal Affairs & Membership/NEF Coordinator
American Legion National Headquarters
 
         
Posted by Bill Moran at 09:01:25 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

New Arm for Veterans

This you guys have got to see.


New arm for Veterans


please check out the website below, this is awesome


http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/82

__._,_.___
Posted by Bill Moran at 08:54:50 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

VA Launch National Education Effort on Illegal Immigration

INDIANAPOLIS – Crime, terrorism and dependency on scarce government dollars are some of the major reasons why the nation’s largest veterans organization is concerned about illegal immigration. So concerned, in fact, that The American Legion today began a nationwide outreach to alert Americans to the dangers posed by illegal aliens and the government’s reluctance to seriously address the issue.


Through a radio spot campaign, news releases from posts across the country, letters to newspaper editors and a concerted outreach to America’s leading media pundits, at both the national and local levels, The American Legion will offer a free booklet about illegal immigration that not only discusses the far reaching problems it is causing but also provides a cogent strategy to address the issue.


“American Legion members have served in the U.S. Armed Forces throughout the world so that Americans can feel safe at home,” said Marty Conatser, national commander. “We have seen Third World countries.  We have seen poverty, political instability, disease and war.  Today we see the threat that open borders present to our homeland.


“With more than 14,000 posts and 2.7 million members, I am asking Legionnaires everywhere to start the national dialogue that needs to happen now,” Conatser said. “As a nation at war with operatives sworn to kill Americans, our government must shut down our open borders and take decisive action to address a crippling national problem.”

The booklet, “A Strategy to Address Illegal Immigration in the United States,” is available for download at www.legion.org/bulletins. 

A free hard copy can be requested by sending an email to acy@legion.org.  Conatser has asked Legionnaires to obtain a media kit, visit radio stations and offer the public service spot package of six 60-second radio spots that addresses various problems with illegal immigration and offers the booklet free to listeners.


“The American Legion is very much in support of legal immigration,” Conatser added. “Indeed the ancestors of countless Legionnaires immigrated here from around the world.  However, we are a nation of laws and since we all swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States when we donned our uniforms, we believe strongly that the security and sovereignty of our nation must be our highest priority through stringent enforcement of our immigration laws.”

Posted by Bill Moran at 08:43:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, April 26, 2008

VA Calling All Recent Combat Veterans

WASHINGTON (April 24, 2008) – On May 1, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will begin contacting nearly 570,000 recent combat veterans to ensure they know about VA’s medical services and other benefits.


“We will reach out and touch every veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to let them know we are here for them,” said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “VA is committed to getting these veterans the help they need and deserve.”


A contractor-operated “Combat Veteran Call Center” will telephone two distinct populations of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In the first phase, calls will go to an estimated 17,000 veterans who were sick or injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.  VA will offer to appoint a care manager to work with them if they don’t have one already.  Care managers ensure veterans receive appropriate care and know about their VA benefits.


For five years after their discharge from the military, these combat veterans have special access to VA health care.  The Department screens combat veterans for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.  VA personnel have been deployed to the military’s major medical centers to assist wounded service members and their families during the transition to civilian lives.


For the new call center, the second phase will target 550,000 OIF-OEF veterans who have been discharged from active duty but have not contacted VA for services. 

Once contacted, veterans will be informed about VA’s benefits and services.  The initial calls will be made by a private contractor, EDS, which specializes in technology services to improve business.  If needed, VA employees will make follow-up calls.

“We will leave no stone unturned to reach these veterans,” said Dr. Edward Huycke, chief of the Veterans Affairs - Department of Defense coordination office.
Posted by Bill Moran at 14:47:38 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

21-Gun Salute

Article taken from the Leatherneck Magazine (December 2007)

As of late we've received several letters concerning a 21-gun salute over graves.

We have to answer this question periodically because people have a tendency to make assumptions.

What you witness at a military funeral is a rifle (not gun) detail firing three volleys.

There are several legends concerning the reason for three volleys.  The currently favored version is the old custom of halting the fighting to remove the dead from the battlefield.

Once opposing forces had cleared their dead, three volleys would be fired to indicate that the dead had been cared for, and fighting could resume.

Today, firing three volleys is one of the highest honors provided a deceased military veteran. 

The firing detail can be any size, as a the number of rifles is unimportant.  It is the three volleys that are significant.

See chapter 25 of Marine Corps Order P5060.20, Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies Manual.
Posted by Bill Moran at 11:34:50 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday, April 13, 2008

SICK CALL


IRWIN L. CUCULLU

GENE MONTI

DAN WELCH SR.

GUY BUFKIN

BOO NOTO

LUKE SCIANNA

LAWRENCE SPENCE

LOU COOK

RUSSELL ELLIOTT

AL SUMMY

D. W. NORTH

BRANDON E. GRAFT



Posted by Bill Moran at 06:00:00 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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