ALASKA Legionnaire 1624 POW/MIAs still unaccounted for - Why? VOL. 97 No 02 March/April 2016 The American Legion Department of Alaska 1550 Charter Circle Anchorage, Ak 99508 National Dale Barnett National President Sharon Conatser will join our 97th annual department convention April 21-23. Looks s Corner By W.E. Gene Franks like everyone is looking for Spring, if it hasn t already come and gone! That time of year again, to start gearing up for many upcoming activities. The Department Convention is just around the corner, April 21-23, with the host Post being Susitna Valley Post 35 in Wasilla. If you are planning on attending, your Post needs to submit your name to Department as a delegate to the convention. Jim Scott, our Boys State Director, has forwarded all the information on Boys State to your Post. Now would be a good time to set up your committee that will be interviewing these candidates for Boys State. Although at the time of this writing the results are not known, but Jan Scott held the annual Oratorical contest in Anchorage at the end of February. The winner of this contest will be attending the National Contest held in Indianapolis, IN commencing April 15th. By now you should have had your second call for your Post elections. These elections must be completed by April 1st. You should make every effort to attend the meeting when your elections are held to voice your opinion. Kirk Waldhaus, Department 2nd Vice has written a nice article on The American Legion Baseball for the Department of Alaska, take a minute and read it. Another reminder that should you have an individual in your Post that you feel should be the,, or Legionnaire of the year, you need to submit their name to Department for consideration. In addition, you may even have the recruiter of the year that no one took the time to complete the necessary form and submit their name. March 9 is our next membership goal of 90%. Presently we have 13 Post who have made that goal with six (6) of those Posts at or above 100%. We still need a little extra effort to renew/retain those members who have not yet renewed their membership. The ability to renew your membership on line is a great asset and we are ahead of the National average for those who have used this method, and for those of you who have renewed on line, thank you. In addition to having our own National of the Sons of The American Legion, Kevin Collier in attendance at our Department Convention, Dale Barnett, the National and Sharon Conaster the National President will also be in attendance. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEABEES 5 MARCH 1942...Inside... Auxiliary...pg 7 Oratorical...pg 3 Boys State...pg 3 S.A. L...pg 6 Department Officers...pg 2 Service Office...pg 4 Honor Flight...pg 2 Taps...pg 4 National Exec Committee...pg 5 Vice s...pg 3 Hello s Corner By Scott Kline from the great wet south. We have been getting a lot of the liquid sunshine down here on the panhandle. While the rest of the country is trying to figure out what to do with the cold temps and the white stuff, my question to them is, how do I get my trees and bushes to stop budding? I usually get a rather negative response but hey, really, what s a guy to do in this situation? Last week we will have crowned our newest oratorical winner and now we need to wish the winner all the luck and good fortune in the world as they head off to the national competition. I don t know about the rest of you but it sure is cool seeing our own SAL National Kevin Collier bouncing around the country making visitations and getting the face of the SAL out to other areas of our great nation. Thanks Kevin, for representing our SAL and making Alaska look good. You have done an excellent job. It will be nice to see Kevin during his home coming the first weekend in March, again, Good Job, Kevin. Right around the corner is legion baseball, turn over a new leaf and go out and support your team and fill those stands. After school is out we have Boys and Girls state, Scottie Dog has been hitting the pavement to promote this activity so it would only be a nice gesture to give him what he wants, 40 participants to start, hopefully more. Scottie Dog has put his best foot forward on this so we need to give him all we have to meet this goal. Something else around the corner is department convention. I m looking forward to the convention being at Post 35 in Wasilla. If its anything like the fall meetings, we for sure will be having a good time. It will be tough giving up the gavel as I have really enjoyed my time as Department. A couple of times i had to ask myself what in tarnation did you get yourself into? But after making a couple visitations and traveling with Alaska delegates back east, it was clear to see. We re out there keeping the benefits for our Vets and gaining ground on getting them more of what they deserve. There are so many good Legionnaires in our department I couldn t possible list them all. There s no question as to why we are the largest vet organization in the US. I do believe that the honor flight is right around the corner, many thanks go out to Ron Travis for his efforts pertaining to this activity. It would be nice to either send these Vets off or greet them upon their return. Mar 13, 2016 - Daylight Saving Time Starts Forward 1 hour
Page 2 Alaska Legionnaire March/April 2016 From The American Legion, Department of Alaska Department Sponsored Insurance Programs The Legionnaire Insurance Trust has been The Department of Alaska s sponsored member benefits program since 1988 and continues to fulfill our members needs while being the only such program to benefit our Department for 26 years. For more information on the products and services provided by the Legionnaire Insurance Trust, call: 1-800-235-6943 or visit our web site at: www.thelit.com THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OFFICERS 2015-2016...Scott Kline...444 Schoenbar Rd, Ketchikan, AK 99901 First Vice...Elexzanderia Carr...4300 Ambler Cir., Anchorage, AK 99504 Second Vice...Kirk Waldhaus...13126 Cape Circle, Anchorage, AK 99515 -Finance Officer...Gene Franks...1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, AK 99508...Martin Carlton...8351 Henry Cir., Anchorage, AK., 99507 Sergeant-At-Arms...Nate Carter...2250 Sentry Dr., Anchorage, AK 99507 Chaplain...Clare Sullivan...PO Box 2089, Seward, AK 99664 Historian...Ray Hollenbeck...1457 N. Pioneer Peak Dr., Wasilla, AK 99654 Judge Advocate...Ken Jacobus...310 K St, Ste 200, Anchorage, AK 99501 Executive Committeeman...Art Bell...1770 Morningtide,Anchorage, AK 99501 Executive Committeeman...Jim Petito... 6340 W. Admiralty Cir., Wasilla, AK 99623 Executive Committeeman...Kyle A. Parkerson...6740 Reedyke Circle, Anchorage, AK 99504 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMEN NEC Committeeman...Jim Pisa...4043 Hampton Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504 Alternate Committeeman... Harry Pawson...1150 Crowberry Circle, Anchorage, AK 99515 DEPARTMENT COMMANDER S AIDES Con Miller Post 30...Jim Scott...1124 Holmes Rd., North Pole, AK 99705 Susitna Valley Post 35...Matt Larson...PO Box 870491 Wasilla, AK., 99687 Ketchikan Post 3...Hunter Davis...PO Box 23470, Ketchikan, AK 99901 General Buckner Post 16...Don Ridl...PO Box 74, Homer, AK., 99603 THE LAST FRONTIER HONOR FLIGHT UPDATE RON TRAVIS, PRESIDENT/COFOUNDER I have written a couple of articles regarding the Last Frontier Honor Flight since we started the program in January of 2013. I wanted to share what s happened since the first article. As of October 2015, we have made 5 flights back to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials. We have flown 98 WWII Vets & 25 Korean War Vets. These veterans have come from literally all over the state. From Nome, Barrow, Kotzebue, Shishmaref, Selawik, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Delta, Salcha, Willow, Wasilla, Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, Nikiski, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Metlakatla, Petersburg. I may have missed some but you can see we have been all over the state. The American Legion throughout the state have been very supportive, as well as Alaska Airlines, Geneva Woods, Elks, Eagles, Rotary Clubs, VFW s and Auxiliaries and the AmVets. Without their help these flights would not have been possible. As we continue on, our WWII Vets are getting harder to find, we would ask the Legion Posts to look over their membership and reach out to your WWII and Korean War vets and help them to apply. We don t want the posts to mistake, that we are not asking for them to finance them, we will raise the money, we are asking for your veterans that live in your area. One particular area we haven t flown anyone is from Juneau, I m sure there are some Veterans in that area that would qualify, we just need someone or Legion to reach out and send us the names we will take over from there. This program is a good program that reminds our Greatest Generation and our Korean War veterans that the rest of us have not forgotten. The reception our veterans receive in Portland and Washington D.C. and of course Anchorage, is proof that we are proud of them. To get more information about the Last Frontier Honor Flight, visit our web site: thelastfrontierhonorflight.com, also see us on Facebook, The Last Frontier Honor Flight. Or you can call me direct at 907-892-6097. The space shuttle Challenger at the Aero Space Museum Vets and Guardians touring the Aero Space Museum, in D.C. Lynda Travis in front of the hidden Kilroy at the WWII Memorial. Veteran Quinten Stanley our oldest veteran on this trip at 95 and his guardian Bill Lindow, at the Lincoln Memorial.
March/April 2016 Alaska Legionnaire Page 3 1st Vice News By: Elexzanderia Carr Congratulations to the Posts who have reached or exceeded their 100% goal! Barnett wants to see all departments succeed at hitting 100% so please, everyone help your post meet that goal. Remember that membership is everyone s business; so let s send e-mails, make phone calls, knock on doors and send letters. Continue to get your membership in as we reach our final target date. Remember there will be a cash drawing held at the Department Convention. March is community service month, and is a good time to show your local community the great work that the American Legion does for them. Boys State selections will occur this month, and we finish out this year s membership campaign. March 15-17 is also the anniversary of the founding of the Legion. This is an occasion for post officers to focus on projecting the proper image of the American Legion in the community - a great time for your newly elected post officers to promote the programs sponsored, services provided, and also the appearance of the post and grounds [clean up after break up]. This can be perceived as a reflection of the attitude, initiative and civic awareness of the post membership. The post should be a pillar of the community. Children and Youth month is in April, so please coordinate children and youth activities and recognition with the post s auxiliary unit. The election of post officers is to be held prior to the Department Convention, which will be held at Susitna Valley Post 35 in Wasilla. You cannot vote unless your dues are current. I want to remind all posts that I am here for any help with memberships. Stay healthy: live, love, laugh and always be good to yourself. Alaska - you can lead the way to increase our membership. For those of you travelling to the Department Convention in Wasilla, May you have a safe and pleasant journey. In closing, I want to thank S.A.L. for a great steak feed at Post 28! I 2nd Vice News By: Kirk Waldhaus have one comment for all you folks that have been making light of the easy winter, and the comfortable temps, It ain t April yet. But, with that said, spring is just around the corner. Soon the pollen will be in the air, the Legion Department Convention will be upon us, breakup will be in full swing, the birch sap will be dripping on my car, and last but not least it will be spring training for the 2016 Legion Baseball season. I wrote in this space last summer as I was leaving for the National American Legion Convention about the importance of the American Legion Baseball program. This is with out a doubt one of the premier programs for high school youth in the USA. Since the beginning in 1925 Legion Baseball has taught hundreds of thousands of young Americans the importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship. The program is also a promoter of equality, making teammates out of young athletes regardless of their income levels or social standings. So far this looks to be one of Alaska s the best baseball seasons ever. Starting off with the Spring Break Baseball Camps. The camps kick off with the 13th Annual American Legion Indoor Youth Baseball/Softball Camp 3-day Clinic March 14 16, and continues with the Alaska Airlines Youth 2-day camp March 17 18. Both camps and all activities are being held at Hanshew Middle School. The entry forms and information can be found at www. alaskalegion.com or you can pick up forms at Sleep Comfort by Nerlands Midtown Mattress Superstore in Anchorage. This year the Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour will Include teams from the lower 48 and Hawaii. The teams that have committed so far are: Columbia Post 19 from Tennessee, West Warrick Post 74 from Rhode Island and Lanakila Post 11 of Hawaii. The Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour consists of 4 tournaments in June and July, played in Fairbanks, Wasilla, Kenai and Anchorage. There are also league games all summer going on all over Alaska. With the next month or so check out the web site for schedules and game times. So, come on, lets all go out to the ball game and support our Alaska American Legion Baseball Teams. Oratorical News By Jan Scott Department Chairman Next time you read the Legionnaire, it will contain the information about the Department of Alaska Oratorical Champion that will attend the National Level of the High School Oratorical Scholarship Program A Constitutional Speech Contest on April 15, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Department Contest was held on February 27, 2016 at Central Middle School in Anchorage, Alaska at 9:00 AM. I want to thank all the volunteers who were at this event. This contest encourages youth of this nation to become familiar with our Constitution which is the foundation of our country. This program originated in the Department of Missouri by William A. Kitchen, an attorney and former Department, during the school year 1934-35. By 1938 it included a national level contest with eleven departments participating and over 4,000 students competing. Then America was still basically rural with amplifiers and sound systems were the novelty not the norm. Therefore the concept of orations or oratorical delivery was thought to be the proper vehicle to conduct the contest. Today the same rule applies, which make this aspect of the program unique to other similar contest. This program has grown to include all fifty states as well District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and France. The national finial includes a panel of judges from around the United States. One year in the past the judges were from Georgia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Rhode Island, Colorado and Kentucky. One person can make a difference. Each Department winner receives $1,500 for participation at the National Contest which is a group of 6 contestants. Each time contestant advances to the next level,. $1,500 is added to their scholarship funds. The top three compete on Sunday morning receiving 14,000, $16,000 and 18,000 for scholarships. I enjoy working this program at every level; local: department and national. 460-6707 Janscott1.js@gmail.com Alaska Boys State Director (907) 322-2752 Jim Scott scottydog1124@gmail.com American Legion Alaska Boys State is steadily moving toward online registration. You might be wondering why I don t just say Boys State instead of American Legion Alaska Boys State the reason is The American Legion is getting lost. When students are asked who sent them to Boys State they say My school, My parents, many times I don t know. Therefore, we have been encouraged by National to always include American Legion along with Alaska Boys State in an effort to keep the brand recognition going. So far I ve only heard of applications coming in but haven t received any which is not surprising given it is the middle of February and most Post haven t held their interviews yet. Once the interviews have been held and your decision as to who you are sending I should get an email with the applications attached. After receiving the applications, I will direct them to the On-Line Registration Packet. If I haven t messed up somewhere along this journey, we will have completed the first step to the 2016 Alaska Boys State transition from paper and pencil to digital. Thank you to American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Director Vonn Lamm and her tech support Ann Robinson, with their support the transition has been a bit easier than trying to do it with my limited knowledge about how to set up the online registration. By the time you read this the Boys State interviews should be scheduled and some registration packets should be in processing. From the reports I m getting it seems as though the interest is there and we should be able to reach our goal of 40-50 citizens. HELP Boys State is going to need more volunteer staff to administer this year s program. We need volunteers to work the week of June 12-18, 2016. In an ideal world we will have people to fill the positions for the entire time as city counselors, kitchen help, legislative counselors, life guard, recreational counselor, nurse and administrative people. Anyone that would like to observe the program for a day or just a couple of hours please call. The American Legion levels the playing field between the haves & the have nots. Therefore, we cover all costs. Donations (personal or business) will gladly be accepted, no donation is too small and there is no limit to how large they can be. Matt Larson is working on getting 6 laptops from HP, we should know something before too long on that endeavor.
Page 4 Alaska Legionnaire March/April 2016 By: Clare Sullivan, Department Chaplain Taps Happy Steve E. Arnold Post 33 William Barbour Post 01 Layton A. Bennett Post 12 James T. Boley Post 77 Michael Caum Post 09 Joseph L. Cloud Post 09 George L. Collum Post 29 Dale P. Crouch Post 20 Roy E. Douglass Post 16 Arthur W. Fox Post 17 Richard Gregoire Post 16 Michael M. Hamrick Post 20 Milton S. Hancock Post 20 Jack L. Jerreries Post 57 Stanley Jones Post 05 Earl J. Kramer Post 16 Joe M. Lampman Post 20 Eugene E. McBride Post 08 Glen W. Mood Post 77 John Proetto Post 12 Veterans Service Office ~ Martin Carlton Dennis D. Putnam Post 30 Lloyd E. Rowe Post 29 Kenneth L. Schank Post 01 Rush M. Seitz Post 16 Don H. Silvernail Post 6 Hardy M. Smith Post 30 Morgan Solomon Post 11 John W. Spriggs Post 77 Walter G. Williams Post 01 Paul G. Wilson Post 20 Spring! Well almost, but our Winter has been like Spring in many places throughout the state which has been good on the heating bills however it is still tough on those who are having a rough time making ends meet and suffering from personal problems whether related to military action or just the challenges of life in our times today. We as Legionnaires have an ongoing obligation to continue to help others in the spirit of mutual helpfulness. We do a pretty good job within our posts and communities and our activities as individuals and posts do reflect the phrase Service to God and Country. In our actions however, we need to remember this is not only our motto but also our mission in a very important American Legion program that describes our attitude and way of life. It speaks to our actions and humanity toward others in the furtherance of what our preamble states. God and country are not really separate when you think about it. Our National Chaplain, Chaplain Randy Cash, explained at the 2015 National Convention in Baltimore, While the organization has evolved and changed over the years, the basic foundational principles are the same For God and country, we associate ourselves together When the founders of the American Legion were writing our preamble, the 1919 discussion brought about the question of whether they should have God in it. Chaplain Cash said, There was little debate, if any, regarding whether or not to include For God in the preamble To the founders of The American Legion, service to country was service to God, and service to God was service to country, the two being mutually inclusive. One cannot stand without the other. The founders were also conscious of the variety of beliefs within the ranks, and Chaplain Cash further told the convention delegates the Legion s first four national chaplains John Washington Inzer, Charles H. Brent, Francis A. Kelly and Thomas H. Wiles were influential in establishing non-sectarian religious and patriotic principles of individual obligation to the community, state, nation and God. This speaks volumes, as it indicates that when we are serving others we are serving God irrespective of our religious affiliation; and since our founding in 1919, we as Legionnaires have managed to make it work in all 55 of our Departments! Not bad when you think about it as we all have a tendency to be a bit vocal and opinionated! Our current national chaplain, The Rev. Dr. H.C. Kelley further informed, Like our nation s founding fathers, the veterans who founded The American Legion acknowledged God as the source of all our rights and freedoms. Apart from God, our history as a people has no meaning. In this faith our institutions were created, our laws enacted, and our liberties secured. To safeguard our sovereignty and our prosperity, that same belief must direct our political, social and economic paths today. Conceding the erosion of moral and spiritual values in recent years, and recognizing our dependence upon God, The American Legion reaffirms its commitment to bring all Americans closer to their Creator and remind them of His proper place at the center of the nation s life. As we can see, the message is still carrying on from our beginnings in 1919. For God and Country not only is our motto but a code and mission. It defines who and what we are as veterans; we were once called to serve this great country beginning with our military service, and now continue that service and work to preserve and protect our sense of state and nation as former military and citizens of the greatest country on the planet. Thanks for reading, and keep up the great work and remember we represent the past generations of Legionnaires who worked so hard to preserve our freedoms including our freedom of religion and our uniquely American way of life. 26th February will be the last day for Breka as Alaska VSO. She is resigning to be with her husband who is being transferred in the Army to Ft. Hood Texas. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication Breka. You have made an impact on many veterans. We wish you well. Jamie Carlson will be the new VSO in training. She has a wealth of experience working in the VA. She will be an asset to those veterans who are looking for assistance in applying for VA benefits. Welcome Jamie. Some veterans have waited more than two years to have their dependent claims adjudicated. In the coming months, VA will be working to reduce the backlog of dependent claims. Have patience while the VA works on those claims. As American Legion s, we are tasked to provide information and assistance to our veterans when it comes to VA health care and compensation benefits. It is our duty to fulfill that commitment to our utmost ability. Post s and all veterans, if you have questions related to either VA health care or VA compensation benefits; do not hesitate to call our Anchorage Office at 907-257-4802 or the Kenai Office at 907-260-7640 ALRiders ~ Mark Burg ~ Director Hello Legion Family, First of all I hope you all had a marvelous holiday season. The American Legion Riders throughout our state have been doing a great job supporting our Posts and events benefiting our communities and our veterans. Chapter 1 along with other local groups got an opportunity to place wreaths on the headstones out at the National Cemetary on Ft. Richardson during the national Wreaths across America program. We have recently been working on fundraising for the Midnight Sun Service Dog organization. A great group of people that put together a service animal, and a veteran who needs help. We have been involved with the ASYMCA to send out care packages for those young men and women deployed overseas and not at home during these turbulent times, to give them a little piece of home. We recently have been working on putting together another batch of deployment boxes for some of our troops on the African continent. I hope we all will keep them in our hearts, minds and prayers as they serve our country and fight for our freedoms. Please keep informed of your posts community programs and get involved, one pair of hands lightens the workload a great deal, not to mention the ideas you have, can make a difference. Don t forget that ALRA will be holding our state convention the day before Department Convention in Wasilla at Post 35. We will be holding elections so if there is a position you are interested in working, please let us know. So here we are at the start of February and contrary to popular belief spring and motorcycle season is right around the corner and approaching rapidly. Well at least for those of us who have a itch to get astride our bikes, twist a throttle and feel the wind break across a windscreen. There have already been a few days where we felt the temperature and balmy winter breeze and wondered to ourselves could I get away with a short ride. But soon the days will get warmer and the roads will dry up and we will be able to ride but until then we just have to content ourselves with getting our rides cleaned up and prepared for that first chilly excursion on the road out of town. Just to remind those of us who wait till the last minute and then short cut our preparations you can still find the Spring Ride Checklist on the American Legion Riders Alaska website at alaskalegionroders.org. Oil needs to be changed, brakes checked, cables lubed along with the cleaning and polishing that makes them all nice a shiner. The main thing is not to just look good but to be safe doing it. So let's start thinking about slapping in some new spark plugs, charging the batteries cause it won't be too much longer before we will be riding. As a final note, It s time to get re-energized in our efforts to benefit the Legacy Scholarship Foundation. Explore ideas and pass them on. God bless all of you. For God and Country, Mark Berg ALRA Director, Bobby Dunno Assistant Director
March/April 2016 Alaska Legionnaire Page 5 2016 Calendar of Events March 4-6 Sons of The American Legion National Kevin Collier Homecoming info on web site 9th Legion Birthday national membership target date (90%) 13th Daylight Savings time begins 17th St. Patricks Day 25th Good Friday 27th Easter April 97th annual department convention Susitna Valley Post 35 Wasilla ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seward Post 5 Taco Tuesday Friday Night Steaks Food Served most nights at Post Merlin Elmer Palmer Post 6 Unit 6 March 08th Italian Night - $10 per plate March 20th CherretteSpring Fling Ladies luncheon 1p-4p Bridal fashion show - games-tickets $5 door prizes special guest Dept. President Sharon March 22nd Italian Night - $10 per plate Matanuska Valley Post 15 Taco Monday Tuesday Pool League Wednesday Dart League/NHL Hockey Friday Steak Night General Buckner Post 16 Family 2nd Saturday Auxiliary Dinner 6 pm Taco Tuesday 5 pm Friday Burger & Brew 6-8 pm 3rd Friday Steak Night 6 pm George H. Plumley Memorial Post 20 Sunday Breakfast 10am - 1pm Every Friday is Steak Night 6-8 pm with an added Special Dish Every Sunday Breakfast Menu Dishes 10am-1pm Every Friday Aux Unit 20 Sponsors the Friday Night Raffle 12 pm - 8 pm Drawing (sign up once a day to enter) every Saturday must be present 4 pm Membership drawing (no sign ups) every Sunday must be present 2 pm Spenard Post 28 Wednesday Burgers, Chicken, Tacos 6-9 pm Friday Steak 6-8:30 pm Saturday Night Food 6-9 pm Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday Karaoke - 9 pm Chappie James Post 34 s night starting at 6:30pm every Thursday Susitna Valley Post 35 Open Daily @1pm NON-SMOKING Meeting Nights: Legion: 1st and 3rd Tuesday 7:pm Auxiliary: 1st Tuesday 7:pm Sons: 1st and 3rd Monday 7:30 pm Riders: 1st Saturday 6:pm Monday: Hamburgers by Lori 6pm - 8pm Wednesday: Taco Night by Jane 6pm - 8pm Texas Hold em 7pm -? Fridays: Steak Night 6pm - 8:30 pm Live Music Senior Appreciation Dance: Last Thursday of Every Month 2pm - 4pm Everyone Invited. Karaoke, Dancing, Fun, a place to meet old and new friends C.R. Huber Post 57 Sunday Breakfast 10-2 NASCAR Every Sunday Thursday Burger Night 5:30-9 PM March 16, 2016 5-9 PM SAL Prime Rib Dinner $16 St. Patricks Day Green Beer!! National Executive Committeeman From the Doghouse By: Jim Pisa Vietnam, U.S. Army, Medal of Honor Recipient, military advisor to ARVN, in Chau Phu, South Vietnam, one of four MOH recipients from Pueblo, CO. Wrote his memoir called The Rescue of River City, Honorary Life member of Joseph T. Craig Post 3 in Ketchikan. The rest of the story at the end. National Emergency Fund (NEF): Do you know that the NEF provide mediate financial to Legion family members and posts affected by natural disasters? Do you realize that as Alaskans, we are not immune to such disasters. Last years wildfires throughout the state, flooding along the many rivers, volcanic eruptions and of course earthquakes. The fund can provide up to $3000.00 for qualified Legion Family members and up to $10,000.00 for posts. The NEF covers expenses such as temporary housing, food, clothing and other daily household items. The money is given to them to cover out of pocket expenses. It s not a low interest loan, you don t have to pay it back. Where does this money come from? The money comes through donations from you The American Legion Family and from fund raising from the post. When National Dale Barnett was sworn in, he said the NEF was his primary fundraising campaign and hope to raise $1 million dollars to keep the fund viable. Do you know what the Department of Alaska s goal for 2015-2016 is? Our goal is only $2956.00. When you break that down per member, it s approximately $.50 per member. So during the Department convention in April, wouldn t it be nice to present National Barnett with a check for that amount or more? Membership: Do you know that the last national membership barometer in early February showed that the Department of Alaska was number 54 out of 55 departments in The American Legion? Do you know that we have failed to reach 85% department membership by the February 10th cutoff date? It s time for all post membership chairperson and post members to start contacting members who have not renewed for 2016 and find out why they have not renewed. It might be as simple as they forgot, or financial problems have caused them to put The American Legion on the bottom of their list. Give them a call, I m sure that they would be willing to volunteer a few hours at the post to help pay for their membership. Department Convention: For though of you who have inspirations of running for a department office this year, need to get your letters of endorsement and support from your post indicating what office you intend to run for. Letters need to be Department no later then 30 days prior to convention. This years convention will be held at Susitna Valley Post 35.Convention packages have been sent to your post. For more information contact your post adjutant. By the time you read this our delegation will have returned from our Washington D.C. annual visit, to Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young s offices to discuss The American Legion s priorities concerning Veterans concerns. Some of the concerns will be Mental Health issues, Improve VA health care system, ending veteran homelessness, expand veteran employment opportunities, providing transition assistance and protecting the American flag. I will report on the out come of our meeting at the department convention. Boys State: That time of the year where the Post Boys State chairperson should be visiting the local schools and promoting the program. Our Boys State director Jim (Scotty Dog) Scott can and will provide you with all the information you need to promote the program. If need be, I m pretty sure Scotty Dog would be more the happy to assist you in a visit if possible. Just give him a call. Baseball: Pretty soon you will be hearing those familiar words PLAY BALL. It s time for all post s that sponsor a team to get the word out to the membership to get out to the ball field and support your team. More on baseball as the season gets closer. The Rest of the story: Major Drew Dix, (ret), received the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 31, 1968 in Chau Phu, Vietnam. His Medal of Honor citation can be found on the Medal of Honor website. Major Dix served as Executive Officer of the 4th Battalion 9th Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) at FT. Wainwright Alaska 1981-1982. Author of The rescue of river City. In 2010 he co-founded the Center for American Values in Pueblo CO.
Page 6 Alaska Legionnaire March/April 2016 S o n s o f Th e A m e r i c a n L e g i o n Well Detachment Mike Jimer son Gentlemen, I guess this will be my last newsletter to you as my second term of your Detachment. Once again I am going to harp on you about membership. We need to be at 80% by March 9th. So try to carry your credentials on you or in your car, because you never know when you can recruit a new member. I will have a story about this at convention. Once again I d like to thank Squadron 35 for their superb attendance and performance in the kitchen for our Annual 32 oz. steak fundraiser at Post 28. Remember our Department Convention will be held on April 21st through 23th, in Wasilla, Susitna Valley Post 35. Our National will be in attendance, of course. Also Kevin s homecoming will be held March 4th 6th in Anchorage. Special rates still may be found at the Hilton. Be sure to remember your veterans, every day. We have lost several of our veterans this year at my home post, but their wonderful memories still linger on, and they are often fondly spoken about. Finally remember gentlemen without our veterans there would be no Sons of the American Legion. So if I don t see you at Kevin s homecoming then I will see you at convention. American Legion Merlin Elmer Post 6 Charles J. Petticrew, Sr. offers this news item from the local weekly Wrangell Alaska paper: Wrangell s American Legion Merlin Elmer Post 6 inducted its oldest and youngest members on Feb. 6 NEVER TO OLD... Above, Ted Haux, age 97, fills out his paperwork at the Stikine Inn. He had joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 at the age of 22, but shortly after completing basic training Haux was medically discharged in 1943....OR YOUNG 24-year-old Kristen Gronlund is inducted into the Legion. After graduating Wrangell High School she joined the Navy in 2009 as an intelligence specialist. She ended her enlistment in 2015, after serving in Bahrain...TO JOIN
March/April 2016 Alaska Legionnaire Page 7 AUXILIARY From the Desk of: President Sharon Cherrette The National for the Sons of the American Legion, our first from Alaska, Kevin Collier, had his homecoming the first weekend of March at the start of the Iditarod. Legion Family members travelled from around the Nation to attend his homecoming. It was a great experience and a wonderful time was had by all. I can t believe it is election time at the Unit level and Department Convention is just around the corner. According to our Department Constitution and By-laws, Unit elections are to be held in March. The new officers officially take over (in Alaska) at the end of Department Convention. Chairmanships and officers at the Department level officially take over at the end of National Convention (September). Department Convention is being hosted by The Legion Family 35 in Wasilla. Convention packages have been sent to the Posts and Units. My Poppy project for this Convention is a carry bag. Instructions are on the Department s web site (www. alaskalegionauxiliary.org); and was also sent out in the Fall Conference minutes. Units should be finishing up their year-end reports for the Auxiliary programs. These reports need to be sent to each Department Chairman. Please send each Chairman an email of your report; please send an email reporting even ZERO activity for a program. The reports cover the period 01 April 2015 through 31 March 2016. The reports will be briefed at Department Convention by each chairman. If you are unsure of who the chairman or what the programs are, please check our Alaska Auxiliary website for more information (www.alaskalegionauxiliary.org). Also, in the telephone directory sent out by our Department Secretary to each Unit, there is a listing of all the chairmen. We would love to have 100% reporting from all the Units by our chairmen. Department Chairmen, don t forget to send your report to your Division Chairman (Western) and a copy sent to the National Chairman as a courtesy. Please make sure to also send a copy of your report to Linda Schmitt, our Department Secretary. She gets many calls from National Chairmen asking for assistance on the reports. At Department Convention, we are planning to have an Initiation Ceremony for those in attendance who have never been initiated. I was initiated (now a member for 20 years) by our National Legislative Chairman, Lisa Williamson, during my Fairbanks visitation. Please let Linda Schmitt know on your certification of officers form or by separate email of those wishing to participate in the initiation ceremony from your Unit. We are hoping to have our National President, Sharon Conatser, be a part of the Initiation Ceremony team conducting the proceedings. We are a bit behind in membership this year in our part to meet National s goal of achieving 1 million Auxiliary members by the Centennial (2019-2020). Linda sent out a listing to the Units with the names of individuals who haven t renewed for 2016. Please reach out to these individuals and see if there is something we are missing, or if there is a personal reason for not renewing. If the person is struggling to make ends meet, maybe the Unit could pay the person s dues for this year. Maybe she can no longer drive to meetings or needs assistance and doesn t want to be a bother, so she doesn t renew her membership. Maybe she can do something for the Unit from home sew, crotchet, knit items for the VA Domiciliary, the VA Medical Center, new baby arrival kits, Fisher House items, etc. Don t forget the individuals who belong to your Unit but live in another location. They can assist in their local communities and provide the information to you on what they did. Some members have their memberships paid by a sister, brother, parent, grandparent, or friend who are now themselves on a limited income. Some Units hold fundraisers during the year to assist Unit members with paying their dues. The member can pay it forward when she gets back on track. Remember to Create an Internal Culture of Goodwill. Be positive during your gatherings--leave the we ve never done it that way before, we tried it before and it didn t work, the hostilities and the gossip outside the building. Maybe something that didn t work in the past, may work now. Maybe someone has a fresh idea give it a chance; NO NEGATIVITY. Just make sure it doesn t conflict with National s or Department s policies and procedures (or Alaska laws). If you have an event you are planning with a set date, please let Diane Berry at Department Legion Headquarters know by EMAIL (dianeberry@ak.net) so she can add it to the Legionnaire paper. The paper runs in 2-month increments. Remember the Auxiliary mission as you plan your activities: In the spirit of Service, Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. Remember you are a WONDERFUL working group of individuals who accomplish much within your communities. Each and every one of you are an important part of this great organization. I am sending a great BIG BEAR HUG your way for all your hard work and dedication! VETERANS AFFAIRS & REHABILITATION-Sue Waldhaus I noted the following on the OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS website (in a communication from our National Auxiliary) that I think speaks to our whole mission as the American Legion Family and to the Auxiliary VA&R programs. Whether it is helping our 65,000 hospitalized veterans through another day, mentoring youth through the sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities or serving as an advocate for troops wounded in Iraq/Afghanistan who are recovering in military facilities around the country---with your help The American Legion will continue to stand in the gap for our veterans. It s been a busy couple of months with holiday activities with/for our veterans and their families. The JBER Hospital Stocking Proj. grew to include the Palmer Veterans & Pioneer Home, Anchorage Pioneer Home, Fisher House, The Domiciliary & Providence Extended Care facility. Two hundred stockings, 75 mugs and lots of handshakes, cards and thank you s were given. Thank you to all 5 units, 2 Juniors, 2 SAL members and 1 Legionnaire who helped. Now it s time to look to the cold months of winter and the coming of spring, the coming to the end of our Auxiliary reporting year with Dept. Convention, etc. There is soooooooo much information on the website about VA&R. One prominent item: the number of SCHOLARSHIPS available through the Auxiliary and Legion Family. Deadline for submission to the Unit is March 1st. Surely you know of a veteran s child who might be eligible. Help them fill out the form and get it submitted. This is a real resource we underuse. Did you observe The Four Chaplains in Feb.? It s not too late. Do it now. Lot s of resource online. Check out the Caregiver initiative online. This is one area Alaska could really get involved in. Let s! VA&R is a year round effort that encompasses everything we do for our veterans. Listen and watch for opportunities to address the needs of the veterans, and community. Lastly, A REMINDER THAT YEAR END REPORTS ARE DUE BY APRIL 10th. Hugs, Sue From the SECRETARY S DESK By: Linda Schmitt My goodness! Where has this year gone it seems like just yesterday that we were getting prepared to go to Seward for Department Convention and now here it is time to prepare for Department Convention at Susitna Valley Post, Unit and Squadron 35 in Wasilla! I guess time really does fly when you re having fun! Please don t forget SAL National Kevin Collier s Homecoming is March 4-6 at the Anchorage Hilton. I hope to see a lot of you at Kevin s Homecoming Banquet on Saturday evening. Hopefully, all of the Units in the Auxiliary are one Call away from electing their Unit Officers for 2016-2017. First call should have been held during your February meeting with second call and elections being held at your March meeting. Remember to mail your 2016/2017 Unit Officer s contact information to me at Department as soon as you have held your elections. Every Auxiliary Unit in the Department of Alaska should have received their Call to Convention and Susitna Valley Post 35 Registration information along with the scholarship application for the Merrilyn Stock Memorial Scholarship. These three items were all mailed out to the Units on January 22nd. Please be sure to follow all instructions and pay particular attention to the deadline dates for submission of the various documents as well as where they are to be submitted. If anyone is planning to run for an office in the Department of Alaska, it is absolutely imperative that you contact me for permission to circularize your letters of endorsement. You must also submit a copy of your endorsement letter that has been signed by your Unit President and Unit Secretary. You can be nominated from the Convention floor, but you will still have to submit a letter of endorsement to be considered for an office. So far, the only signed letters of endorsement that I have received are for Department Secretary/Treasurer. Time is getting short, please get your letters submitted ASAP! As a gentle reminder, all Units should have the Girls State applications into their schools by now. February 15th was the deadline to have this accomplished. Also, March 15th is the deadline to have all National Scholarship applications submitted to National Headquarters. So, if you know of any high school students looking for some help to attend school, lead them to the Auxiliary websites to check out the scholarship information: Department of Alaska www. alaskalegionauxiliary.org and National www.alaforveterans.org.
March/April 2016 Alaska Legionnaire Page 8 Jack Henry Post 1 Meets 1st Thursday @ 7 PM Art Bell 1st Vice Jim Grant 2nd Vice Dave Young - Tim Benintendi Finance Officer - Ray Untiet Chaplain - David Mazack Dale Chubin Sergeant At Arms Elizabeth Ipsen Executive Committeemen Mark Berg & Jim Sartin 272-5242, FAX 272-5792 P.O. Box 91285 Anchorage, AK 99509 JOSEPH T. CRAIG POST 3 Meets every Monday, 7pm Potluck every 3rd Saturday James Boyd Jim Van Horn Hunter Davis ROBERT G. BLAIR POST 17 Walter Sargent Tom Saunders Mike Nichols 318 Center Ave., Kodiak, AK 99615 Office: 486-3258 / Bar: 486-5757 NINILCHIK POST & UNIT 18 Ray DeMoss David Behm President Kirsten Lewis Sec/Treas Betty Randall 225-2021, P.O. Box 5121 Ketchikan, AK 99901 www.americanlegionpost3.com Mile 136.5 Sterling Hwy SUSITNA VALLEY POST 35 SEWARD POST 5 Meets 2 ND Tuesday 7p.m. Clare Sullivan Michael Calhoon Donald (John) Christensen Taco Tuesday ~ 4 p.m. Steak night Friday ~ 4 p.m. P.O. Box 306 Seward, AK 99664 907-224-5440 DORMAN H. BAKER POST 11 David Kent Jonathan Lyle Jeff Gray Pull tab sales at the club 452-2228, 129 First Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 LYNN CANAL POST 12 - John Newton - Ralph Strong - Jim Moran First Vice - William Ronstad 766-2530 MATANUSKA VALLEY POST 15 Jerry Hoskins Ed Jarmin Bill Kennedy Jr. Club Manager Evie Glanzer Meets 1st & 3rd Mon., 6 p.m. P.O. Box 1146, Palmer, AK 99646 745-4440 www.akpost15.org Support our FLAG! General Buckner Post 16 Family Don Ridl William Sheldon SAL Chip Dugan President Beth Anderson Meetings - 6 PM SAL - 2nd Monday Legion - 3rd Wednesday Aux - 3rd Thursday Phone 567-3918 GEORGE H. PLUMLEY MEMORIAL POST 20 James Herrick Al Diaz Herb Stettler 283-3222, 902 Cook St. Kenai, AK 99611 AURORA BOREALIS POST 21 All Female Post -Tanya McPherson -Naomi Sweetman - Elexzanderia Carr Meeting 3rd Saturday @ 2 pm Sept - May P.O. Box 91116 Anchorage, AK 99509 Sponsors Dimond Baseball Team MULDOON POST 29 Meeting 3rd Tuesday @ 6:30 pm William Timmons 1st Vice Alvin Cleveland Serivice Officer Carol Gross 1467 Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 907-338-3550 Fax 907-338-0756 muldoon29@gci.net JACK HENRY UNIT 1 President Wenda Suddeth Secretary Jill Pawson Meets 1st Thursdays @ 7 p.m. P.O. Box 92747, Anchorage, AK 99509 Spenard Post 28 Nathan Carter 1st Vice Tim Wheeler 2nd Vice Trace Henderson Arnold Heck Finance Kirk Waldhaus Chaplain Martin Carlton Historian Mike Metcalf Michael Ihli Sgt-At-Arms Eric Dufford Judge Adv. Kenneth Jacobus Exec.Committeemen Tim Griffeth James Davis Robert Sparks Annual Sponsors of Boys & Girls State AL Baseball Service High Boys Scout Troop 214 Cub Scout Pack 214 Dimond High JROTC Post 28 Scholarship Program 7001 Brayton Drive Anchorage, AK 99507 907-344-3841 Con Miller Post 30 Harold Schuster Terry Huisman Canteen Manager Steven L. Huisman 3614 Old Richardson Highway - Moose Creek 907-490-6830 P O Box 56615 North Pole AK 99705 James Petitio Ron Travis James Francois Monthly Meetings Legion & Aux - 1st Tues 7pm ALR - 1st Sat 6pm SAL - 1st & 3rd Mon 7:30pm P.O.Box 870370 Wasilla, AK 99687 907-376-3500 Mile 46 Parks Hwy www.facebook.com/post35ak GRANDE DU ALASKA GRAND CHEF DE GARE Billy Smith GRAND CHEF DE TRAIN Ken Bartlett GRAND CONDUCTEUR Tom Schanrock GRAND CORRESPONDANT Alvin Diaz C. RUSSELL HUBER SQUADRON 57 Dale Toenies Thomas McClelland Finance Officer Darrel Williamson P.O. Box 70448 Fairbanks, AK 99707 C. RUSSELL HUBER Post 57 Linda Boisseau Ruben Iorga Jimmy L Russell Jr 1st Vice Cary Toenies Sunday Breakfast 10-2 NASCAR Every Sunday Thursday Burger Night 5:30-9 PM SAL Prime Rib Dinner $16 March 16, 2016 5-9PM St. Patricks Day Green Beer!! Sons of the American Legion Detachment of Alaska 2015-2016 Mike Jimerson 1st Vice Dave Dieckgraeff 2nd Vice Rhett Apiki Adj/Finance Kevin Collier Chaplain Rolf Aarseth Sgt. At Arms Douglas Blair Historian Jim Kemphill Exec. Committeemen Dave Webster Alan Dykstar Jeff Axhelm NEC Howard Fruhwirth Jr Alt. NEC John Whitlock THE ABOVE AD IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT Where great Cooks Shop 701 S. Goose Bay Road Suite H Wasilla, Alaska 907-376-3177 ALERT! ARTICLES DUE (for LEGIONNAIRE) April 15 can not guarantee placement if you delay PUT LIFE INTO YOUR MEMBERSHIP PUFL Keep a good thing going - become a Paid Up For Life (PUFL) member of The American Legion. Avoid the effects of inflation by never having to pay a dues increase. And if you carry American Legion Life Insurance, you ll never risk its lapsing because you forgot to pay your dues one year. ALASKA LEGIONNAIRE OPT OUT FORM YES! I would like to view the Legionnaire online at www.alaskalegion.org instead of receiving it through the mail. Please permanently remove me from the Legionnaire mailing list. This option will not effect any of the Legion mailings. NAME: Membership No : Address: City: State Zip Code E-mail: Signature: Please mail this form to : The American Legion, Department of Alaska, 1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, AK 99508 or fax this form to (907) 278-0041