0191 QMERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION ■THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 K St., N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington, D. C. 20006 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 AMERICAN LEGION NEWS BRIEFS FOR WEEK ENDING 8-U-T2 "Put It All Together" "by building a package that will increase and vividly illustrate the value of Legion membership, Joe. L. Matthews, a member of the National Commander's Advisory Committee, told American Legion membership workers at the workshop banquet here. * * # American Legion National Commander John H. Geiger, speaking as a war veteran and an engineer, has questioned the competency of a "left wing radical" and well-known actress with respect to her evaluation of American military tactics and alleged damage effects on the enemy's canals and dikes. * * * Sweeping proposals, on veterans' legislation, foreign policy, national security and Americanism will be presented to the Republican Party's Platform Committee by American Legion National Commander John H. Geiger on Monday, Aug. lU in Miami Beach, Fla. * * * ****** * WASHINGTON—(ALMS)—The United States Senate, in action late Thursday, Aug. 3, * passed the Vietnam-era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1972 (under the House Number of HR 12828) by a unanimous roll call vote of 89-0. The bill generally satisfied American Legion Resolution 3^2, passed at the 53rd National Convention held in Houston, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 1971, to increase the * allowance a veteran will receive by an average of k3%. Under HR 12828, if it becomes law, the single veteran will receive $250 per * month instead of the $175 he is currently receiving; a veteran with one dependent * $297 instead of $205; and, a veteran with two dependents $339 instead of $230. A * veteran with more than two dependents will receive $339 plus $21, instead of $13, * for each additional dependent. The Senate-passed bill also calls for advance payment, tuition loans and other * improvements over the existing "G.I. Bill." ************* ***************************** ******************** ********************** * * * There will be no American Legion News Service on Aug. 11, the week prior to I the National Convention in Chicago, 111., Aug. 18-2U. Two mailings of ALNS will * be made from the Convention City. Normal ALNS operations will be resumed from * Indianapolis on Sept. 1. *********** ***** ****** *********** ****** -alns- 0MERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE 0192 NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION- -THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 KSt, N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington. D. C. 20006 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 For release 8-4-72 INDIANAPOLIS—(ALNS)—"Put It All Together" by building a package that will increase and vividly illustrate the value of Legion membership. That was the challenge placed before American Legion membership workers attending I the Ninth Annual Membership Workshop here Aug. 3-k by Joe L. Matthews of Texas, a [ member of the National Commander's Advisory Committee and the Legion's National Internal Affairs Commission. Addressing the workshop banquet, Matthews told more than 200 membership workers I from practically every Department: "We want to build a package that will inspire and motivate our Legion membership teams to tell what your post is doing for our present and potential members - a package that will give these teams the enthusiasm, sincerity and dedication that will insure a greater membership and stronger posts - a package that will show that 'Reach Out - In Service For America' is still the ideal, the | objective for which each of us is striving." He further challenged all Legionnaires to have "specific objectives" for this coming year. "I don't think we should be satisfied that any of our programs have reached their ultimate effectiveness. We should be looking for new ideas - new ways to improve what we are already doing and new ideas for accomplishing what we know is necessary," he said. ' -alns- WASHINGTON—(ALNS)—Alisa Faye Greer of Kansas City, Kan., running as the Federalist Party nominee, won the presidency of the American Legion Auxiliary's 1972 Girls Nation here over the Nationalist Party nominee, Patricia Shelly of Middleport, N.Y. Miss Greer, who will be a senior at Rosedale High School this fall, won on a platform which favored an extensive educational drive to inform persons of the dangers of over-population-, more stringent enforcement of laws concerning pollution; more federal financial aid to elementary and secondary schools and reformation of the welfare system to include those not presently being served and to eliminate "those now unnecessarily included." Federalist nominee, Aldine Canha, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was elected Girls Nation vice president over Bonnie Johnson of Valley City, N.D., running on the Nationalist ticket. -alns- INDIANAP0LIS—(ALNS)"We may know what is good for the Legion, but do we know what is good for the Legionnaire?" Dr. Edgar G. Williams pointedly asked over 200 American Legion membership workers attending the Ninth Annual Membership Workshop at National Headquarters here. In the keynote address of a series of lectures on a program entitled, "Let's Put It All Together," the Indiana University Graduate School professor and Legionnaire said, "Emphasis should be on participating in the Legion as well as on joining. We should find out what interests the veteran...as a leader, you cannot influence someone unless you know his interests and needs." -alns- 0MERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE 0193 NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION—THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 K St., N. W. Indianapolis. Indiana 46206 Washington. D. C. 20006 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 For release 8-U-72 INDIANAPOLIS—(ALNS)—American Legion National Commander John H. Geiger has issued the following statement with respect to alleged U.S. bombing of North Vietnamese dikes: "The North Vietnamese communists have launched a major propaganda effort to convince the world that the United States is deliberately destroying their crucial dike system. "Recognizing the extensiveness of the dikes in North Vietnam, it is normal that some damage is inevitable in spite of the care exercised by American pilots when attacking adjacent military targets. "We suggest to these people, who have wantonly invaded all of the countries on their borders, that their soldiers might perform a better service at home repairing the dikes rather than inflicting misery, suffering and death on others through their aggressive ventures into foreign territory. Such a move would soon bring the bombing to a halt since this American action is intended to stop Hanoi's capacity for aggression. "In their effort to support claims of deliberate bombing, the North Vietnamese have enlisted the aid of one of their favorite American left wing radicals, a well- known actress. This woman has attracted considerable attention here and elsewhere with her concern for a nation that has killed 50,000 American men. As a war veteran and an engineer, I question her competency to evaluate the military tactics of our men or the damage effects on the enemy's canals and dikes. "As a further recommendation to critics of United States policy, I would recommend to United Nations Secretary General Waldheim that he personally organize an inter- national team of expert hydraulic engineers and military observers to inspect the North Vietnamese dike system and related military targets and report in detail on any damage observed. This approach would do much to separate propaganda from fact as concerns this issue." -alns- CHICAGO, ILL.—(ALNS)—Secretary of the Navy John Warner will be a featured speaker during a special business session of The American Legion's National Security Commission Aug. 22 during the Legion's 5Uth Annual National Convention here. The meeting will be in Parlor B, 3rd Floor, the Conrad Hilton Hotel. One of several special business sessions scheduled for the morning of Aug. 22, the National Security meeting will be open to all Legionnaire delegates, and will address questions in the national security area designed to assist the delegates in forming opinions for later floor discussion and voting. In addition to Secretary Warner, Mr. G. Warren Nutter, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs,* Mr. James J. Reynolds, President of the American Institute of Merchant Shipping and Mr. T.H. Eberle, Member of the Board of Governors of the American National Red Cross, will appear on the program. -alns- QMERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE 0194 NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION—THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 K St., N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington, D. C. 20006 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 For release 8-^-72 WASHINGTON—(ALNS)—The National Commander of The American Legion, John H. Geiger, of Des Plaines, 111., will appear before the Republican Party's Platform Committee Monday, Aug. ik in Miami Beach. Commander Geiger will appear before the full platform committee of the Republican Party to discuss national security, foreign policy and Americanism. Commander Geiger will reiterate The American Legion's long-standing belief that active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States during a state of war or national emergency constitutes a special service to our country and entitles those who have served to special