The LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS LEGION LEGION NEWS LEGION ALASKA LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS LEGION NEWS NEWS April 2007 Alaska Legionnaire Page 1 LEGIONNAIRE 1948 POW/MIAs still unaccounted for - Why? Vol. 88 No. 4 April 2007 Happy Easter! Sunday - April 8th The American Legion Department of Alaska 1550 Charter Circle Anchorage, AK 99508 ASYMCA Keeps Base Residents Rolling ELMENDORF AIR FORCE appointments and to do their shopping. BASE, Alaska - Staff members of the The crew also has standing appointments Armed Services YMCA here have to pick up civilian employees stepped up to solve a transportation who either don t drive or don t have problem for people stationed here and vehicles at bus stops near the gates and at nearby Fort Richardson, Alaska. drop them off at their offices, and then The neighboring bases share an exchange take them back out to the gates at the store, a hospital and other end of the day. Some, like interns, may amenities that are not conveniently located not have vehicles, and other employportation. for those who don t have transees don t drive for a variety of reasons. For instance, it s about eight miles one way from the housing area at Fort Richardson to the combined exchange On weekends, the transportation service will take residents from either base to a transportation hub in downtown An- Air Force Airman Waylon Roberts, his wife, Chasity, found the Armed Services YMCA shuttle service very helpful on trips to the store located on Elmendorf, chorage as well. local combined exchange store. Roberts re- store officials said. And even though A nonprofit organization, the Armed cently arrived at Elmendorf Air Force Base and is assigned to the 3rd Medical Operations Squadron. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley the store is on Elmendorf, residents here Services YMCA is a national member don t get much of a break. It s still an association of the YMCA of the USA across-base walk. and works with the Department of Defense. women. The Armed Services YMCA solved The ASYMCA has provided The program was requested by the this problem with a free shuttle service child care, hospital assistance, spouse servicemembers, said retired Army Lt. Col. Peter that runs from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. support services, food services, computer Mulcahy, Armed Services YMCA of Alaska s Since March 2006, John Williams, training classes, health and executive director and a former unit commander the local ASYMCA s transportation wellness services, holiday meals, and at Fort Richardson from 2000-2002. He said the manager and a former Army staff sergeant, other services to servicemembers and transportation issue came up repeatedly at town and his staff of two have been their families for more than 140 years. hall meetings. driving residents of the two bases to It is focused on junior-enlisted men and See VISITATION page 5 s Corner By W.E. Gene Franks, Department Just like the other few busy months this time of year, April is no exception. In addition to the fact that it is Children and Youth month, the Department Convention will be held at Seward Post 5 April 25-28. In attendance will be our National Paul Morin, National for the Sons of The American Legion Earl Ruttkofsky and the National President for the Auxiliary, Joann Cronin. This could be referred to as a full house. By now or during this month your Post should have your new slate of Officers installed, and I know everyone is looking forward to a great year. Hopefully by the time you receive this Legionnaire, Department will have received the appropriate paper work from our new Comrades in Japan. When approved, John Pierce will be the new of Post SFC Paul Smith 2222, located in Yokota, Japan, WELCOME ABOARD. Our Department 1st Vice Pisa has said just about all you can say concerning membership in his article so we won t beat a dead horse. As mentioned in last months Legionnaire, our web-site is up and running. We should just about have it complete after the Department Convention with all the new information. For those of you who have checked the web-site out, you will see that the Legionnaire is included. Trying to streamline and become more efficient, Department can use your help. This of course will only apply to those of you who read the Legionnaire, meaning that there are many copies that wind up in the trash can at the Post Office or at home. See ADJUTANT page 3 Remember Veterans First! By Gary Red Smart, Department Hello to the American Legion Family. I saw some of you at the W.D. Convention in Fairbanks. It was a very good and fun time. Being old-timers the weather didn t bother us much. Thank you to Post 30 for hosting. Also thank you to Post 11 and to Post 57, you all did a lot of work and we enjoyed it very much. Now we must get ready for Dept. Convention at Post 5 in Seward. They would like us all to join the Red Rooster Club. Just kidding. Many things will be brought for your attention. As good Legion members we will do what is right. Some Post will have to work harder to get their membership up to par. Remember Veterans First. For God and Country! Inside... Alaska starting to move up in membership... pg. 2 VA not doing enough for Iraq vets...pg. 4 NEC News... pg. 5 American Legion to Honor Emmy Award Winning Television Series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... pg. 5 S.A.L and Auxiliary News... pg. 6,7 ATTENTION MEMBERS DIMOND AIRPORT PARKING NOW OFFERS PARKING DISCOUNTS TO ALL LEGION MEMBERS To receive parking discounts you must show your membership card at their pay booth.
Page 2 Alaska Legionnaire April 2007 THE ALASKA LEGIONNAIRE (USPS 012-100) OFFICIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF The American Legion, Department of Alaska 1550 Charter Circle Anchorage, Alaska 99508 Member of The National American Legion Press Association W.E. Gene Franks, Managing Editor Peggy S. Bateman, Editor Susan K. Chojnacki, Department Public Relations Chairman/Graphic Designer The Alaska Legionnaire (USPS 012-100) is published monthly for $3.00 yearly subscription. Office of publication is The American Legion, Department of Alaska, 1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, Alaska 99508. Periodicals postage paid at Anchorage, Alaska. Printed by Anchorage Printing, a private firm in no way connected with The American Legion, Department of Alaska. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members and families of The American Legion, Department of Alaska, and other approved subscribers. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsement by The American Legion, The Department of Alaska, or Anchorage Printing, of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. For information on advertising, call (907) 278-8598, fax to (907) 278-0041 or email to: legion@anch.net. SUBSCRIPTION RATES PAYABLE IN ADVANCE Members of The American Legion, Department of Alaska subscription included in payment of annual dues. ALL OTHERS: United States and possessions - $5.00 per year; Foreign - $10.00 per year. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Alaska Legionnaire, 1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, Alaska 99508. Call Department Headquarters for an advertising rate card at 278-8598 or contact Susan Chojnacki email: grafittiak@aol.com 333-6540 FOR A PRICE QUOTE CHANGE OF ADDRESS Using this form, provide new address, attach entire address label from recent paper, and mail to: Alaska Legionnaire 1550 Charter Circle Anchorage, Alaska 99508 Name New Address City, State, Zip *** Attach Old Address Label Here *** Alaska starting to move up in membership By Jim Pisa, Department First Vice & Membership Chairman Only two (2) more membership target dates left for 2006-2007 membership. 95% membership due by April 6 and 100% membership by May 4. So far, this year Department of Alaska has failed to reach any of the target dates. This is not very good for any department, let alone Alaska. Our yearly quota is only 7,959 members, but we have only renewed, transferred or signed up 6,686 members. Membership teams need to start making phone or house calls to delinquent members and have them renew as soon as possible. With membership race ending in the next 3 months, Alaska has started to make its move. We have gone from 53 to the 46 position. Well Done but we still have a long way to go, with a lot of bumping and drafting and not many pit stops left. The department now has 15 posts that have achieved 100% membership. The newest post to cross the line and earn a checker flag are C. Russell Huber Post 57 and Spenard Post 28. Bravo Zulu Let s talk about Post 77 for a minute. Post 77 is a post created to place all legionnaires in without a home post. Many are from a post that has lost their charter or have signed up by DMS. You may wonder how you get them to transfer to your post. Very simple, all you have to do is give them a call, invite them down, explain to them about your post activities, meeting night etc. Second, all they have to do is fill out and sign the Member Data Form. And that is all there is to it. Selling The American Legion to them should not be too hard since they are already members and have interest in belonging to the world s largest veteran s organization. One of the best reasons to transfer them and others to your post is that it will put you in the running for the Joseph T. Craig award. This award is presented to the post with the highest percentage of Post 77 transfers. If you need a listing of members, living in your area all you do is give department a call and request a THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OFFICERS 2006-2007...Gary Red Smart...P.O. Box 2141, Palmer, AK 99645 First Vice...Jim Pisa... P.O. Box 210402, Auke Bay, AK 99821 Second Vice... Barry Perkins... P.O. Box 872400, Wasilla, AK 99687 -Finance Officer... Gene Franks...1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, AK 99508 Service Officer... Leon Bertram 2925 Debarr Rd., Ste. 3103, Anchorage, AK 99504 Sergeant-At-Arms... Alma Terry Huisman...4700 Rivers Street, North Pole, AK 99705 Chaplain... Harry Pawson...1150 Crowberry Circle, Anchorage, AK 99515 Historian... Ernest King... P.O. Box 141332, Anchorage, AK 99514 Judge Advocate... Dean C. Hill... P.O. Box 1452, Sterling, AK 99672 Executive Committeeman... Sharon Cherrette...7776 Boundary Ave., Anchorage, AK 99504 Executive Committeeman... Dave Webster... HC 30 Box 12885, Wasilla, AK 99654. Executive Committeeman... Scott Kline...444 Schoenbar Rd., Ketchikan, AK 99901 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMEN Committeeman... Jim Van Horn...2259 S. Tongass Hwy., Ketchikan, AK 99901 Alternate Committeeman... Peggy Dettori... PO Box 2594, Kodiak, AK 99615 DEPARTMENT COMMANDER S AIDES Muldoon Post 29... John Cherrette... 7776 Boundary Ave., Anchorage, AK 99504 Ketchikan Post 3... Reggie Galles...425 Bawden St., Ketchikan, AK 99901 General Buckner Post 16... Warren Huff... P.O. Box 15427, Fritz Creek, AK 99603 Peters Creek Post 33... Tim Linder... P.O. Box 671631, Chugiak, AK 99567 Susitna Valley Post 35... Matt Matthews... P.O. Box 870061, Wasilla, AK 99687 C. R. Huber Post 57...Darrell Peterson... P.O. Box 82449, Fairbanks, AK 99708 DISTRICT COMMANDERS Western District... Dan Hay... PO Box 671063, Chugiak, AK 99705 Southeast District...Marshall Pratt... 2051 Sealevel Drive, Ketchikan AK 99901 list. Simple. Congratulations to Con Miller Post 30 and all its members for hosting the Western District convention. In addition, congratulations to Dan Hayes the newly elected district commander and all other newly elected officers. Remember: It s not the price you pay to join: It s the price you paid to be eligible. American Legion Department of Alaska 2007 MEMBERSHIP BAROMETER No. POST NAME GOAL ACTUAL % 7777 D.M.S. 278 610 219.4% GM01 Mid-Pacific 49 84 171.4% 12 Lynn Canal 125 157 125.6% 04 Pioneer Home 14 17 121.4% 10 Bethel 27 30 111.1% 21 Aurora Borealis 49 53 108.1% 03 Ketchikan 225 243 108.0% 13 Sitka 217 233 107.3% 27 Gladys M. Heintz 106 113 106.6% 18 Ninilchik 107 113 105.6% 25 Auke Bay 129 134 103.8% 05 Seward 189 196 103.7% 30 Con Miller 152 157 103.2% CH49 Gen.Claire Chennault 49 50 102.0% 57 C. Russell Huber 400 402 100.5% 28 Spenard 661 661 100.0% 01 Jack Henry 561 523 93.2% 35 Susitna Valley 336 312 92.8% 07 Skagway 38 35 92.1% 19 Nome 81 74 91.3% 75 Sterling 34 31 91.1% 33 Peters Creek 445 403 90.5% 29 Muldoon 497 450 90.5% 16 General Buckner 183 165 90.1% 20 George H.Plumley 347 312 89.9% 34 Chappie James 63 56 88.8% 08 John W. Jones 24 21 87.5% 06 Merlin Elmer Palmer 93 80 86.2% 17 Robert G. Blair 390 332 85.1% 22 Jack Warren 36 30 83.3% 09 Koyukuk Arctic 27 22 81.4% 02 Valdez 32 26 81.2% 11 Dorman H. Baker 395 305 77.2% 15 Matanuska Valley 437 297 67.9% 14 Edward Locken 15 09 60.0% 24 Cooper Landing 12 07 58.3% 77 Headquarters 1441 715 49.6% Headquarters 1719 1325 77.0% Pacific District 98 134 136.7% Southeast Distric 842 891 105.8% Western District 5605 5108 91.1% TOTALS 8264 7133 86.3%
Sunday, April 15th is the deadline For the May issue of the Alaska Legionnaire April 15th is the deadline for all stories and/or photos to be submitted. All material must be into Department Headquarters no later than 5:00 pm. Please be reminded that only those articles that are typed, preferably sent via e-mail or provided on a diskette will be considered for publication. Faxed articles will not be considered. As always, the editorial staff can edit all submissions. Photos are also being sought for publication. They should be clearly marked and must be originals for good quality camera reproductions. Anyone interested in submitting an article and/ or photo, or anyone interested in advertising in an upcoming issue contact the Alaska Legionnaire office at 1550 Charter Circle, Anchorage, Alaska 99508 or call (907) 278-8598 or email us at legion@anch.net. Please request a return receipt for any emails you send to us, in order to verify that it was received. ALERT! L E G I O N A I R E D E A D L I N E April 15th THE AMERICAN LEGION SOUTHEAST DISTRICT Marshall Pratt First Vice Reginald J. Galles Second Vice Jim Moran Bill Jacobi Finance Officer Jim Van Horn Sergeant-At-Arms Don Hathaway Chaplain Frank Ockert Historian Palmer Nore Judge Advocate W. Hunter Davis Executive Committeemen Steve Murphy Scott Kline William P. Aragon Jr. THE AMERICAN LEGION WESTERN DISTRICT Dan Hay Senior Vice Richard Smith Zone One Ray Untiet, Jr. Zone Two Tom Schanrock Zone Three Mike Berry April Berry Finance Officer Tom Stockmal Sergeant-At-Arms Laura McCammon Chaplain Dell Jackson Historian Chuck PhillipsS Judge Advocate Dave Webster Executive Committeemen Chris Vrabel Tim Clarke Dave Jaeger s Aide Bpb Hoyt Dave Segura Ted Williams THE ABOVE ADS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS Calendar & Events APRIL 2007 Passover April 2nd Good Friday April 6th Easter April 8th Department Convention April 25th -28th UPCOMING EVENTS First Annual Convention of The American Legion Riders Alaska June 8, 9 & 10, 2007 in Kenai, Alaska at Post 20 April 2007 Alaska Legionnaire Page 3 From the desk of the Southeast District By Marshall Pratt, Southeast District As the new Southeast District, I would like to thank everyone for their confidence in electing me. I am proud to say that Southeast District membership is at 104%. I am confident that we can meet or exceed that figure during my term. There will be an opening for one Boys State Committeeman. Jim Van Horn will not be seeking another term, as he will be very busy as the NEC. This position will need to be filled at the Department Convention in Seward this year. April is Children and Youth Month, with priority given to Boys State. Let s get some boys up there. I look forward to seeing all of you in Seward at the convention. It is my honor to serve those that have served. ADJUTANT from page 1 If you think I m wrong, the next time you pick up your copy at the Post Office take a look in the trash, bet you will find some. The point being if you or someone you know DOES NOT want a copy please let us know or if you would be satisfied with reading it on the web-site let us know. By doing this we can cut down our mail-outs, save postage, paper, time, etc., and become more effective and efficient. In the same breath, if you have changed your address please let your Post or Department know. Every time the Post Office returns your Legionnaire because of an address problem, it is $.75 and we have many that are returned after the first of the month. ANNOUNCEMENTS Department Convention April 25 28 2007 at Seward Post 5, Seward AK for more information contact: Melody Moline @ mmoline@cityofseward.net Richard Smith @ 907-491-0099 April 6th Department office will be closed. April 25 28 Department office will be closed Membership Eligibility Dates World War I April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918 World War II December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946 Korean War June 25, 1950 - January 31, 1955 Vietnam Era February 28, 1961 - May 7, 1975 Lebanon/Grenada August 24, 1982 - July 31, 1984 Panama December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990 Persian Gulf August 2, 1990 - (this eligibility period remains open) TIRED OF THE SAME OLD THING? WANT A DIFFERENT APPROACH? WANT MORE IN DEPTH ARTICLES? WANT MORE UP- COMING EVENTS? LET US HEAR FROM YOU CONCERNING THE LEGIONNAIRE: EMAIL TO legion@anch.net or mail to The American Legion Dept. of Alaska 1550 Charter Circle Anchorage, AK 99508
Page 4 Alaska Legionnaire April 2007 Associated Press - WASHINGTON - The Veterans Affairs system for handling disability claims is strained to its limit, and the Bush administration s current efforts to relieve backlogs won t be enough to serve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, investigators said Tuesday. In testimony to a House panel, the Government Accountability Office and Harvard professor Linda Bilmes detailed their study into the VA s claims system in light of growing demands created by wars. They found a system on the verge of crisis due to backlogs, cumbersome paperwork and ballooning costs. The House hearing is the latest to review the quality of care for wounded troops returning from Iraq - from emergency medical care at military hospitals, to long-term rehabilitation at VA clinics and eventual transition to civilian life with VA disability payments. Take Action: Tell your public officials how you feel about this issue. According to their findings, the VA: Took between 127 to 177 days to process an initial claim and an average of 657 days to process an appeal, resulting in significant hardship to veterans. In contrast, the private sector industry takes about 89.5 days to process a claim. Had a claims backlog of roughly 600,000. Will see 638,000 new first-time claims in the next five years due to the Iraq war - 400,000 by the end of 2009 alone - creating added costs of between $70 billion and $150 billion. Maintained a system for determining a veteran s disability that was complex and applied inconsistently across regional centers. Results varied; for example, Salt Lake City took 99 days to process a claim, while Honolulu spent 237 days. Had antiquated technology for processing claims, such as unreliable old fax machines. The findings drew fire from House members. Rep. John Hall, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on disability assistance, floated the possibility that the Veterans Affairs VA Not Doing Enough for Iraq Vets Department should be merged into the Defense Department. When our Soldiers and military personnel return home and need help, they should get the assistance they have earned without delay, said Hall, D-N.Y. Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn, the panel s top Republican, said the overstressed claims system was courting a financial and potentially emotional disaster. Bilmes, a professor at Harvard s Kennedy School of Government who co-authored a paper on the war s economic costs with Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, described a failed system that could have been prevented after years of warnings. She urged simplifying the disability ratings system, reducing time VA staffers spend documenting disabilities, and conducting random audits instead. The veterans returning from Iraq are suffering from the same problem that has plagued many other aspects of the war, namely a failure to plan ahead, she said. Responding, Ronald Aument, deputy under secretary for benefits at the VA, told the House panel that the department was working to shorten delays. The VA also was consolidating some processing operations, and planned to add 400 new employees by the end of June. Expediting the claims process is critical to assisting veterans in their transition from combat operations back to civilian life, Aument said. The hearing follows disclosures of roach-infested conditions and shoddy outpatient care at Walter Reed Medical Center, one of the nation s premier military hospitals. Since the disclosures by the Washington Post, three high-level Pentagon officials have been forced to step down. President Bush has also appointed a commission led by former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, a Democrat, to conduct a broad review on veteran and troop care. If anything the recent Walter Reed expose has taught us is that trying to What can you do to help? Send a letter to your public officials using via Military.com s link at http://capwiz.com/military/issues/alert Let your voice be heard! The Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduling hearings in response to recent stories regarding injured service members receiving substandard care, inadequate housing, and administrative delays due to excessive government red-tape at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Also many on Capitol Hill have expressed concern about a lack of psychological counseling for patients and their families. At issue is the need for adequate mandatory funding for Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care for veterans, servicemembers, reservists, military retirees and their families. This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard. Tell your representatives how you feel about this issue. How do you feel about this action? Let your public officials know how you feel! On the website you can enter the zip code for the address where you are registered to vote. Your letter will be sent to the appropriate representatives associated with your zip code. treat and care for Soldiers and veterans on a limited budget and limited oversight only has one logical conclusion, poor care, said Patrick Campbell, legislative director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Daniel Bertoni, an acting director at the GAO, Congress investigative arm, said the VA system has been riddled with problems for years. After more than a decade of research, we have determined that federal disability programs are in urgent need of attention and transformation, he said. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said what was needed was to create specialized case workers known as navigators who could make sure Soldiers Statement from The American Legion Regarding Walter Reed Army Medical Center WASHINGTON, D.C. - Every American serviceman and woman wounded or injured in the line of duty deserves the absolute best care, under the best circumstances, for as long as necessary to effect a complete recovery. Certainly, according to the Washington Post, it appears that those military men and women assigned to Building 18 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are not receiving that level of care. The American Legion is giving those allegations the utmost priority and is investigating conditions at Walter Reed. Our professional staff will prepare a comprehensive and documented report of its findings and will release those findings to the cognizant committees in Congress and the US Army. Under no circumstances will we be satisfied with less than a full and immediate resolution of the problem alleged. Founded in 1919, the 2.7 million-member American Legion is the nation s preeminent service organization for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves, and their families. Service Office News By Leon Bertie Bertram, Department Service Officer During the week of February 27th through March 7th, Jimmie Foster and I attended our annual training session in Washington D.C. Jimmie is now accredited by the VA and National American Legion as a Department Service Officer. The training went well as we were bombarded with regulation changes and court decisions affecting our nations veterans. This was follow by our Washington Conference; Peggy Dettori joined us, as did our Auxiliary NEC Jennie Sandy. On Tuesday the 6th of March, we assembled, (somewhere around 1,000 Legionnaires) to rally for our annual visit to the Hill. We listened to several interesting members of Congress speaking on issues concerning our nation s veterans along with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and The President of the United States. The four of us armed with issues of national interest made our trek to the Hill making visits to Congressman Young, Senators, Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. We covered don t fall through the cracks after leaving military service and before they enter the VA system. Menendez planned to introduce legislation Wednesday to create a pilot program with $25 million in grants over the next five years. The navigators would focus on helping new veterans who are members of the National Guard, women or suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. The Veteran Navigators, who will not be part of the government system, will be better able to advocate for veterans to make sure they are treated fairly, Menendez said. Take Action: Tell your elected officials how you feel about this issue. our issues with each finding a great deal of support on nearly all issues. It is heartening to know we have our Alaska Congress supporting us in our endeavors to care for our existing veterans and returning military. On March 9th our Western District Convention in Fairbanks began. During our VA&R seminar, Hal Blair the newly appointed Alaska VA Associate Director spoke to us about our Alaska VA, where we were a few years back, where we are now and where we are headed. This included the huge increase in the enrollment in VA health care, the problem this has created and where we are headed with the construction of a new Regional Office and Out Patient Clinic to be completed sometime late in 2009. Now we are looking forward to our Department Convention the 26th of April in Seward. We have an interesting number of guest speakers lined up for our seminar right after lunch on Friday the 27th.
NEC News Taps By Harry Pawson, Department Chaplain The first day of Spring has come and gone. Writing this in advance, I hope the weather has turned and it is starting to warm up. I hope this newsletter finds everyone in good health and good spirits. This is an especially religious time of the year. Please remember the true meaning of the following dates, they are not just reasons to feast. Passover April 2nd Good Friday April 6th Easter April 8th April 16th is Patriot s Day. This is primarily celebrated in New England and commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, a crucial event in the Revolutionary War. This is often confused with Patriot Day, which is September 11th and of course the anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy. I think it would be fun to help our fellow New Englanders celebrate the birth of this great nation by honoring this day at our local posts. May the Lord watch over and protect our troops stationed around the globe, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Jim Van Horn, National Executive Committeeman A lot of activity has been happening within the Department that affects us all. All Posts have just completed or are now going through the process of electing and installing their new officers for the year. The Southeast District convention was in Ketchikan in February and the Western District convention was in Fairbanks in March. In April, we will convene in Seward for the Department Convention hosted by Post #5. National Paul Morin and his wife Elaine will be in attendance along with his aide Mark Avis and his wife. Also coming to Seward will be the National President of The American Legion Auxiliary, JoAnn Cronin, and the National of the Sons of the American Legion, Earl Ruttkofsky. Also in attendance will be Past National Tom Cadimus. The members of Post #5 have been working overtime to ensure we have a successful convention and I hope to see many of you there. Speaking of Seward, there is a piece of business we must complete that only comes around every fifteen years. That is, we have to recommend a candidate for the office of National Vice- for the Western Region of The American Legion. The candidate will be presented to the Western States Caucus at the National Convention in Reno for endorsement and then elected by the delegates to the convention. That person will serve as the National Vice- of The American Legion for the 2007 2008 year. I want to share some very exciting news with you. Last October, at the Fall Meetings in Indianapolis, National Paul Morin appointed my predecessor, Jimmie Foster from Spenard Post #28 as the Chairman of the National Legislative Commission. This is a very important Commission within the National Organization. But what is exciting is that the last seven individuals appointed to this commission, have all gone on to be elected as National. This tells us that our own Jimmie Foster is seriously being considered as a possible candidate for National! There are many Alaska Legionnaires serving on National Commissions and Councils that many of you are not aware of. In future articles, I will tell you who they are and what duties they have. Until Next Time For God & Country Taps Joseph Babski Post 17 Carroll Bass Post 3 Stanley Berendzen Post 29 Frank Cornelius Post 57 Ambrose Foster Post 20 Mark Judy Post 13 Donald Kelly Post 57 Thomas Moore Post 29 Billie Polley Post 12 Elbert Stills Post 29 Herbert Walls Post 11 Thomas Ware Post 75 ASYMCA from page 1 Mulcahy said rules governing the use of appropriated funds for transportation nipped other transportation ideas in the bud. Any kind of scheduled service just doesn t work. We ve tried it periodically. So we had to get the free taxi, he said. Air Force Airman Waylon Roberts, a recent arrival at Elmendorf, said it took almost an hour and a half to take the base shuttle bus to the exchange, a real inconvenience for him and his family until their car catches up with them. If it was just me, it d be all right, said Roberts, who is assigned to the 3rd Medical Operations Squadron here. But he ll need to drive their only vehicle to work, and his wife and daughter will still need a way to get around. Williams said junior enlisted servicemembers and their families are the most frequent riders of the service. I think this program is needed on every military post, Williams said, (because of) the fact of the high prices of the taxi cabs, the high prices of fuel. It saves a lot of people fuel. One driver, Debra Templeton, agreed that the program would be welcome on every post. Her husband and Williams wife are both deployed with the Army s 164th Military Police Company from Fort Richardson. Templeton said she wishes something similar had been available at other duty stations. To use the YMCA s program, riders call a dispatcher, who will contact the closest driver. That driver will go anywhere on either base to pick up and deliver riders to their desired destination. April 2007 Alaska Legionnaire Page 5 American Legion to Honor Emmy Award Winning Television Series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition WASHINGTON, D.C. The leader of the nation s largest veteran organization will honored the hit television series during its annual Washington Conference on Capitol Hill March 7. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has built homes for America s service men and women injured in the Iraq War, specifically tailored to their needs. In one episode, the team built and furnished a home for the family of Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, a soldier who died during the opening days of the Iraq war. Additionally, the program staff also arranged the construction of a center for Native American veterans in Tuba City, Ariz, Piestewa s hometown. In another episode, the crew of the program, along with local builders, contractors and about 700 volunteers, rebuilt the family house of Master Sgt. Luis Rodriguez, who lost his right leg above the knee and two fingertips on his left hand in Iraq by a roadside bomb explosion next to his Humvee. They completed the home while the family was away on vacation. These programs, and the work done by the cast and crew, brings to the forefront the needs and struggles of severely injured servicemembers and their families that demonstrates the challenges faced by our military heroes transitioning back to hometown life, said American Legion National Paul A. Morin. By providing them new homes, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition gives them hope for the future while enhancing the awareness of a thankful nation for their sacrifices and service. Producer Conrad Ricketts and designer Tanya McQueen will accept the National s Public Relations Award for promoting the honorable nature of military service and bringing the stories of our newest American veterans into the homes of millions of viewers across the nation. The work being done by the cast, See EXTREME on Page 6 One of the drivers will then pick them up when they re finished. If a rider has a carseat-aged child, but no car seat, one can be borrowed from Army Community Services for the duration of the ride. Williams and his drivers strictly enforce the car-seat rule, Williams said. Sometimes the driving team goes above and beyond the call of duty. Williams said that driver Makeba Brown got a call one night after hours from a mother with a baby who had a high fever and had started convulsing. Brown picked up the mother and child on Fort Richardson and got them to the hospital on Elmendorf. When they arrived, the baby s fever had spiked to 105.4. Williams explained that that response time for the ambulance could have been six to eight minutes, depending on where it responded from. This response time was lessened by Brown s intimate knowledge of the housing areas and roads between the two bases from driving the ASYMCA vans. The baby was treated for the high fever and released to her mother after the fever broke. The program operates on donations, some of which come from the riders themselves. Most, however, come from the civilian public and corporations, Mulcahy said, adding that it takes about $40,000 a year to maintain one vehicle with one driver. Donations so far have come in the form of cash and good deals on the two vans used in the operation. In just six months, from March to September, 2006, the program has See ASYMCA on Page 6
Page 6 Alaska Legionnaire April 2007 S.A.L. News from the Detachment By Gary Rieth, Detachment As you all know we had our Western District Convention Fairbanks at the Westmark Hotel and hosted by Post 30 of North Pole. Congratulations Post 30. Although SAL attendance left a little to be desired, we managed to get our business done. The next Convention is Detachment and will be held in Seward April 25-29. Please attend if you can. The overall membership is looking good, so keep up the good work. Remember cooperation and support with in your Post, this will keep us a viable organization. Freedom is not free. Hope to see you at the Department Convention in Seward. FEB. 2-4 Southeast District Convention in Sitk SONS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION DETACHMENT OF ALASKA 2007 MEMBERSHIP REPORT No. SQUADRON NAME GOAL ACTUAL % 13 Sitka 103 117 113.6 12 Lynn Canal 64 71 101.4 28 Spenard 131 132 100.8 16 General Buckner 52 52 100.0 17 Robert G. Blair 100 99 95.2 01 Jack Henry 77 69 89.6 25 Auke Bay 28 25 89.3 18 Ninilchik 74 65 85.5 35 Susitna Valley 171 134 77.9 29 Muldoon 74 57 77.0 30 Con Miller 12 09 75.0 11 Dorman H. Baker 39 25 64.1 34 Chappie James 10 06 60.0 57 C. Russell Huber 99 61 59.8 33 Peters Creek 75 45 58.4 20 George H. Plumley 85 48 56.5 05 Seward 62 38 55.1 15 Matanuska Valley 182 77 42.3 06 Merlin Elmer Palmer 10 02 20.0 SOUTHEAST DISTRICT 205 215 101.9 WESTERN DISTRICT 1243 917 72.7 TOTALS 1445 1132 76.8 Fellow S.A.L. members, The Detachment is holding a 42 Sylvania HD Plasma TV & Fishing Raffle this year. Proceeds will be used for Children & Youth Programs. 300 tickets sold at $10.00 each. The Drawing will be held April 28, 2007 at The American Legion, Seward Post #5. See your local Detachment Officer for your ticket today before they are all gone. As of writing this article we have Four Squadrons that are at 100% or higher for the 2007 Membership year. They are Sitka Squadron #13, Spenard Squadron #28, Lynn Canal Squadron #12 and General Buckner Squadron #16, Congratulations on a job well done! The Detachment as a whole has 1185 members transmitted out of our year-end goal of 1473. This is equivalent to 80.4% of our goal. April 11 th is our 90% goal and May 9 th is our 100% goal, which we are on our way to achieving. We only need 288 more members to be transmitted to achieve our 100% goal. Remember that membership is everyone s responsibility! Keep up the great job. As every Squadron prepares to elect and appoint their new slate of officers for this upcoming year it would be greatly appreciated if you would take the opportunity to turn in your Certification of Officers. Please do so as soon as possible after your elections. This helps the Detachment, and myself in having points of contact for your Squadron. This is the first year that the Sons of The American Legion will be utilizing a new Consolidated Squadron Report Form. This new form will replace the 4 forms that we use to fill out for Americanism, Children & Youth, Veteran s Assistance & Rehab and Membership total report forms. S.A.L.utations By Kevin Collier, Sons of The American Legion Department A copy of this form has been mailed out to every Squadron in the Detachment; this copy is to be used for compiling the data. Gather all of the information from the appropriate sources such as from your membership for hours, returned checks or bank statements for the donations. An official Consolidated Squadron Report Form will be handed out at the Detachment Convention during the Workshop to assist you in filling out the form and answer questions. The Consolidated Squadron Report Form is perhaps the most important document your Squadron can complete. The information that you enter on the form is combined with that of all of the other Squadrons and reported to The American Legion to show what we have done and accomplished through out the year. The American Legion subsequently sends this on to Congress to show what the American Legion Family has done through out our Communities, our State and the Nation. All this information of what we do as a Family helps maintain our non-profit status. The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana April 13 th 15 th. Hopefully our Department Oratorical finalist fairs well in this National competition. If you or a member of your family is just completing your Junior year in High School and you are interested in learning more about the basic principles involved in the successful management of a democratic society like America, then we have a program for you. It is The American Legion Boys State Program and the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Program. These programs are a unique summertime educational program that does not emphasize classroom lectures and textbook learning. Instead, they focus on participation and personal experience in a model state, complete with governing bodies and elected public officials. They are designed to mirror the structure and operations of Alaska s state government. To receive the information packet on how you can attend this 1-week long Government Study program see your High School Career Counselor or local American Legion Boys State Chairman, American Legion Auxiliary Girl State Chairman. The American Legion Boys State Program will be held June 3-8, 2007, the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Program will be held June 10-15, 2007. The Detachment/Department Convention will be held April 26 29, 2007 in Seward. We will be having the National of the Sons of The American Legion Earl Rutkoffsky of Michigan visiting us at this Convention. Conventions are a great way to learn, not only what is going on in the state, but also the nation as far as The American Legion Family goes. You also get ASYMCA from page 5 racked up more than 15,000 accident-free miles and carried more than 1,400 passengers, Williams said. With these accomplishments in hand, Williams said he really only wishes for a few more vehicles and drivers. the opportunity to see some of your long time friends and to meet new ones. The Hotel and Registration information is at your Post see your American Legion or for further information. Hopefully you will be able to attend the Convention and we will see you there. As everyone is aware, membership is the keystone to every organization. Keep up the great job you are doing in membership. Remember the three R s Renew, Recruit and Reinstate. Do not just sit on it! Keep it rolling in. If there is anything that any of your Detachment or District Officers can do to assist you or answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. My email is kcollier@alaska.net. Hope to hear from you soon. Yours in Service for God and Country, If I had four (more)... drivers and two (more) vehicles, it would double the people and cut the wait times in half, he said. This article was featured on American Supports You website at: http:// www.americasupportsyou.mil 2006-2007 MEMBERSHIP YEAR TARGET DATES Children & Youth April 6th, 2007* 95% Armed Forces Day May 4th, 2007 100% * THIS DATE IS ALSO A RENEWAL NOTICE CUTOFF DATE. Membership transmittals received on or before these target dates will end additional renewal mailings (and subsequently saving renewal charges to Department HQ).
a By Jill Pawson, Department President We are at 92.29 percent we need 390 members to reach 100 percent. Currently we have eight Units at 100 percent or better. The following Units really did Shoot for the Stars Unit 16, Unit 18, Unit 19, Unit 27, Unit 28, Unit 30, Unit 33 and Unit 57. Thank you so much for your hard work and congratulations in reaching your 100 percent. So many Units are so close needing only a few members for your 100 percent. Please contact members that have not renewed and explain the benefits they will miss out on. Set up a calling committee to speak with them about the importance of their membership to your Unit and the American Legion Auxiliary. Personal contact with members is so important let them now how important they are to you and your Unit. Keep Growing Membership and Serving Veterans working on your membership it is the life blood of the American Legion Auxiliary. Western District was a successful convention. Congratulations to Western District President Marge Blankenship and all her new officers. I know that you will have a productive year. April brings the Department Convention in Seward with National President Joann Cronin s visit. I have a dream of a 100 percent before she arrives and I hope that you will help me achieve that dream. I look forward to see many of you at the convention. Alaska s Star needs to Shine! By Lisa Williamson, Department Second Vice President & Membership Chairman We are entering the Final Galaxy and that extra speed is needed. This is the hardest leg of the journey, but Alaska s Star needs to shine. At the time of this writing, we need only 78 more members to reach our 95% Target! Now s the time for personal contact. Go and visit the member who has not paid her dues and talk with her as to why she has not renewed. Did she forget? Is money the issue? I am sure that whatever the reason is, we can help. Create an image of your local American Legion Auxiliary. A few ideas might include: If you have a military base or station in your area, arrange to meet with the wives of the servicemen. Maybe hold a social night where you can go and create an image for the American Legion Auxiliary in your area. Shopping malls and even your local Wal-Mart might let you set up a booth to promote the American Legion Auxiliary. Contact those in charge and create an image. Hold a Fun Night in your Unit. Ask each member to bring a potential star. Have a Unit member speak on the benefits you can get through your membership in the ALA. Have a get together and invite the Juniors and student from the local schools. Have a guest speaker that can relate our programs to the teens. Include a fundraiser. Their families could attend also, and you might be surprised at how many will want to belong because of all the good things we do for our veterans, our children and our communities. Plan a Membership Round-Up to collect membership. It is never too late to keep pushing for the last leg of this journey. Most of all, ADVERTISE all these events! Once you create an image, you must keep it in the forefront of everyone s minds. Publish photos of monetary contributions your Unit has made locally. Remind the public that The American Legion and its auxiliaries is not about a bunch of veterans hanging out in a bar, trading war stories. SHOW THEM that we are here for the veteran, for the youth and for our community! Membership is out there; we just need to work it and work it hard to reach goal. We Can Do It..Together! April 2007 Alaska Legionnaire Page 7 American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Alaska 2007 MEMBERSHIP BAROMETER No. UNIT NAME GOAL ACTUAL % 01 Jack Henry 354 287 81.0% 03 Ketchikan 69 66 95.6% 05 Seward 134 120 88.8% 06 Merlin Elmer Palmer 94 81 86.1% 11 Dorman H. Baker 111 104 93.6% 12 Lynn Canal 232 229 98.7% 13 Sitka 197 190 96.4% 14 Edward Locken 18 12 66.6% 15 Matanuska Valley 164 142 86.5% 16 General Buckner 120 120 100.0% 17 Robert G. Blair 159 139 87.4% 18 Ninilchik 219 227 103.6% 19 Nome 49 49 100.0% 20 George H. Plumley 182 167 91.7% 25 Auke Bay 62 55 88.7% 27 Gladys M. Heintz 39 43 110.2% 28 Spenard 424 420 99.0% 29 Muldoon 253 213 84.1% 30 Con Miller 49 53 108.1% 33 Peters Creek 182 185 101.6% 34 Chappie James 67 47 70.1% 35 Susitna Valley 228 179 78.5% 57 C. Russell Huber 244 245 100.4% 77 Headquarters 57 39 68.4% TOTALS 3708 3412 92.0% Remember our veterans and volunteer your time in helping them By Marge Blankenship, Auxiliary Western District President Dear Western District members: I thank you for electing me as your Western District President for 2007-2008. It is a high honor and privilege to serve you in this coming year. I want to extend my greatest thanks to all the ladies that wore something red, or purple, or lavender or pink at the installation ceremony. You helped me to carry out the red hat theme. While for many the red hat theme has one meaning for me it also signifies our remembrance of our veterans and our troops around the world. So if you see red do not think angry think I am supporting our veterans and our troops. Please continue to work on membership. Help our American Legion Auxiliary Dept and Dept Membership Chairman, Lisa Williamson to once again obtain our goal of 100% membership.. Also remember our veterans and volunteer your time in helping them. Thank you and I look forward to visiting with you when we the Dept., Dept President, Western District and myself visit with your Post, Unit and Squadron. From the American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Alaska 2007 MEMBERSHIP BAROMETER SECRETARY S DESK By Judith Pusti, Auxiliary Secretary Dear Unit Membership Chairman: When you receive a 2007 Renewal Notice and it is marked with an address change. Please put that address change on a Member Data Form. Do not send me the 2007 Renewal Notice and do not change the address on the transmittal card. Addresses changes indicated on membership cards will not be processed per national headquarters. Members that have let their dues expire will be run on January 31st of the following year. Deadline to purge Non-renewed members: this question is asked quite often. The National Secretary has approved purging of all deceased, cancelled and A coded member records occurring 3.5 years prior to the rollover date. Example: Non-renewed, deceased and cancelled members of 2003 would be purged for the 2007 membership year. Units that have members writing and saying that they can no longer pay their dues because of circumstances - WHY doesn t your Unit pay their dues for them. Especially if they are a member of quite a few years. On a lighter note - congratulations to all Units that have made 100%! It would really be nice if we could make 100% for the whole state by April. Especially since the National President JoAnn Cronin will be present. I hope to see a lot of you in Seward for the Department convention. God Bless.
Page 8 Alaska Legionnaire April 2007 Ketchikan Post 3 Meets every Monday, 7pm Potluck every 3rd Saturday MARSHALL PRATT Calvin Anderes, Joe Craig, Serv. Off. 225-2021, P.O. Box 5121 Ketchikan, AK 99901 www.americanlegionpost3.org legionpost3@kpunet.net SEWARD POST 5 Meets 2 ND Tuesday 7p.m. RICHARD SMITH Taco Tuesday ~ 6p.m. Steak night Friday ~ 6p.m. P.O. Box 306 Seward, AK 99664 907-224-5440 Dorman H. Baker Post 11 NORMAN L. HORNER Glenn Willis Gary Davis Service Officer Pull tab sales at the club 452-2228, 129 First Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Haines Alaska Post 12 PAT MURPHY First Vice - James Moran Second Vice - Dean Risley Finance Officer - James Moran - Wayne Streets 766-2530 Matanuska Valley Post 15 MIKE HEMMER Mike Hemmer Ted Buzby Club Manager Meets 1st & 3rd Mon., 7 p.m. P.O. Box 1146, Palmer, AK 99646 745-4440 Robert G. Blair Post 17 JOHN URE Dell Jackson, 318 Center Ave., Kodiak, AK 99615 Office: 486-3258 / Bar: 486-5757 NINILCHIK POST & UNIT 18 LEO STEIK Dave Shandy Jackie Fisher President Betty Randall Sec./Treas. Mile 136.5 Sterling Hwy Phone 567-3918 George H. Plumley Memorial Post 20 ALVIN DIAZ Fred Korpinen, Herb Stettler, Service Officer 283-3222, P.O. Box 1044 Kenai, AK 99611 Aurora Borealis Post 21 CRIS VRABEL Elexzanderia Carr, Service Officer P.O. Box 91116 Anchorage, AK 99509 Spenard Post 28 Joe Warren 1st Vice Russell King 2nd Vice Mike Morgan Stanley Nelson Finance Richard Gingras Chaplain Russ King Historian Kirk Waldhaus Service Officer Jim Garrigues Sgt-At-Arms Douglas Orndorf Judge Adv. Arnold Heck Exec.Committeemen Richard Lawrence Bobby Tumcader Patrick Shaffer PPC Marv Barington Annual Sponsors of Boys & Girls Program 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 Gladys M. Heintz Post 27 WALT STAUFFER Meetings are the 1st Wednesday of the month at 6PM 822-3227 Located @ Mile 186.5 Glenn Highway Muldoon Post 29 Meets 3rd Tuesday 6:30 PM CHARLES M. BORING Service Officer, Stephen Stepsics 1467 Muldoon Rd Anchorage AK 99504 (907) 338-3550 FAX (907 338-0756 E-mail muldoon29@gci.net Support Our TROOPS, VETERANS & OUR FLAG! Happy Easter God Bless Our Veterans! Peters Creek Post 33 JOSEPH LOWNDES Chuck Rohe, Tim Linder, Service Officer 688-2354 P.O. Box 670118 Chugiak, AK 99567 General Chappie James Post 34 JAMES P. WILLIAMS Willy Bankston, Charles Roan, Bar Manager Mayfield Evans, Finance Off. MONTHLY MEETINGS, 8 p.m. Officer Meeting 2nd Wed General Membership 4th Wed, 561-4449 916 D Ingra Anchorage, AK 99501 C. Russell Huber Post 57 DARRELL PETERSON Milton G. Roy, Service Officer Pete Duchscherer, Ajutant 1634 S. Cushman St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 452-5757 Last 2006/07 Memberships as of Tuesday 03/13/2007 Post 1 01/05/07 Post 2 01/05/07 Post 3 02/09/07 100% Post 4 12/22/06 100% Post 5 02/09/06 100% Post 6 03/13/07 Post 7 09/29/06 Post 8 11/03/06 Post 9 10/06/06 Post 10 01/19/07 100% Post 11 03/13/07 Post 12 02/09/07 100% Post 13 03/13/07 100% Post 14 12/22/06 Post 15 01/19/07 Post 16 02/02/07 Post 17 02/09/07 Post 18 01/05/07 100% Post 19 01/08/07 Post 20 03/13/07 Post 21 03/13/07 100% Post 22 12/08/06 Post 24 01/19/07 Post 25 01/26/07 100% Post 27 03/13/07 100% Post 28 02/09/07 100% Post 29 03/13/07 100% Post 30 03/13/07 100% Post 33 03/13/07 Post 34 12/22/06 Post 35 03/13/07 Post 57 03/13/07 100% Post 75 12/08/06 CH - 49 01/08/07 GM - 01 03/13/07 100% AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY WESTERN DISTRICT CONNIE CHRISTIANSON, President Marge Blankenship, 1st Vice Pres. Linda Schmitt, 2nd Vice President Marlene Walker, Secretary Bobby Shaw Treasurer Dee Thomas, Historian Helen Hartman Chaplain Barbe Wolkoff, Sgt-At-Arms Jack Henry Unit 1 JOAN MILLER President Jill Pawson, Secretary Meets 1st and 3rd Thursdays @ 7 p.m. P.O. Box 92747, Anchorage, AK 99509 Matanuska Valley Unit 15 RUTH HODSDON, President Juhree Loyer - 1st Vice President Juhree Loyer - Treasurer Carol Verrall, Secretary Helen Finch - Chaplain Kathy Kennedy - Historian Barbara Ray - Sergeant-At-Arms Meets 1st Monday, at 6:30 p.m. P.O. Box 541, Palmer, AK 99645 Pull Tabs Available C. Russell Huber Squadron 57 Humphrey Stephens Bill Malkuch, First Vice Darrel Williamson, Bob Hoyt, Finance Officer P.O. Box 70448 Fairbanks, AK 99707 EXTREME from page 5 George H. Plumley Memorial Sons of The American Legion Squadron 20 BILLY SOARES First Vice J.R. Rogers Second Vice Simon Carlough /Finance Officer Brent Willden Sergeant-At-Arms T. J. Soares Chaplain James Reddick Historian Mike Foster Executive Committeemen Ace Falgout Chris Falgout Paul Lunn BINGO every Saturday GRANDE DU ALASKA GRAND CHEF DE GARE Tom Schanrock GRAND CHEF DE TRAIN Gary Red Smart GRAND CONDUCTEUR Glenn Willis GRAND CORRESPONDANT Charlie Palmer CHEMINOT NATIONAL David W. Webster crew and sponsors of the show is truly making a difference for the better in America and especially in the lives of these veterans and their families, Morin said. On behalf of all the wartime veterans of The American Legion, I look forward to presenting them this symbol of our sincere appreciation. The award will be presented at the s luncheon during the organization s 47th annual Washington Conference at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. Past recipients include entertainer Wayne Newton, the television series JAG, NASCAR, Wal-Mart, NBC s Tom Brokaw and Ambassador Alan Keyes. Founded in 1919, the 2.7 million-member American Legion is the nation s preeminent service organization for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves, and their families. A powerful voice for veterans in Washington, The American Legion drafted the original GI Bill and was instrumental in establishing the agency that today is the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won backto-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is currently in its fourth season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.