USAA Thanks You for Your Service

THE AMERICAN

LegionSpecial Announcement

INSIDE STORY: Two Vets, One Legacy

USAA thanks you for your service.

Legionnaires of all generations share a legacy of service. USAA is proud to honor that service by facilitating the i nancial security of our members and their families with highly competitive i nancial solutions built with the military in mind.

141770-1212 Brotherhood of Service Two Vets, One Legacy

About 50 years separate the military experiences of these two vets. One served in the Air Force, the other in the Army. One is a lifetime member of The American Legion who has held numerous offices and fought on countless important issues; the other is a more recent Legionnaire with a passion to learn and to carry on the legacy. Yet, despite some notable differences, an undeniable bond shines through — a bond between veterans, a bond between Legionnaires and a bond forged from a USAA connection.

In a recent co-interview, Legion Past National Commander (1987-1988) John “Jake” Comer and USAA Financial Foundations Specialist Jonathan Villela sat down to share their love of service to country, their support of fellow veterans and their views on the important alliance between The American Legion and USAA as the two organizations enter their third year together.

John P. “Jake” Comer Military Experience: Communications Sgt., U.S. Air Force, 1951-1955 Legion Involvement: Member since 1963; National Commander 1987-1988; life member of the Cecil W. Fogg/ Thomas J. Roberts Post #78 of Hyde Park, Massachusetts Career Highlights: Western Union, John Hancock Life Insurance Company, City of Quincy Board of Assessors and Housing Authority, House Ways & Means Committee in the State House USAA Member Since: 2011; products and services: auto insurance, The American Legion credit card

Jonathan Villela Military Experience: Airborne Infantry, U.S. Army, 1998-2002 Legion Involvement: Member since 2011; Audie L. Murphy Post #336 of San Antonio, Texas Career Highlights: Humana Military, Department of Veterans Affairs, USAA USAA Member Since: 1999; products and services: auto insurance, credit monitoring, auto loan, credit card, Valuable Personal Property Insurance, life insurance, checking and savings accounts BROTHERHOOD OF SERVICE: Two Vets,

JAKE JONATHAN Communication Sgt., Airborne Infantry, U.S. Air Force, 1951-1955 U.S. Army, 1998-2002

John “Jake” Comer and Jonathan Villela met at USAA headquarters in San Antonio to discuss the bonds among veterans and the alliance between The American Legion and USAA.

Jonathan: The military definitely sends you Jonathan where they need to. When you got out, how were interviews you treated? What did you do? Jake Jake: I was treated great, and I was able to wear my Jonathan: When did you decide to join the uniform home and enjoy it. Korean veterans had Air Force? minor problems, but they were not the problems that faced Vietnam veterans. Since my Air Force and Jake: I graduated from high school in 1949, and I teletype experience fit me well, I was able to get decided not to go to college. In January the next a decent job when I got out at the Western Union year, five of us were out one day having a few pops Telegraph Company. I was a telegrapher for them and we said, “Hey, let’s go down and join the Air for seven years. A couple of years later, I joined The Force.” During the Korean conflict, there were always American Legion. I was six months in at my local post willing young American men and women who when the adjutant resigned. They said “Comer, you would go and join for their country and do the right can read,” so I became the adjutant, and I’ve held an thing. We were called up in March, and away I went office in The American Legion ever since. I’ve been a to Sampson Air Force Base in New York. member for 50 years. Jonathan: What did it mean for you to serve in Jonathan: What was your perception of USAA the Air Force? before the two organizations formed an alliance Jake: I felt proud! After my basic training I was sent to and you became a member? Cheyenne, Wyoming, for teletype operator school. My Jake: I had never heard of USAA until I went to an entire class was then sent to Korea and my one wish American Legion convention. Now when I look was that I had been sent with them. But that was not at your building and the thousands of employees to be, as the Air Force needed one telegraph operator you have, it’s amazing that I had never heard of it. in Germany and my name was selected. I would rather Actually, what impressed me the most was you. have gone to Korea and been part of the action, When you and I talked about what USAA had to because if you’re in the service during a time of war, offer, I went home and decided that I was going to you want to be where the action is. Wiesbaden and become a member. Kaiserslautern, Germany, proved to be a great tour of duty for three years of my four-year commitment. And In 1948, I got my driver’s license and car insurance, then I ended my Air Force career at Carswell AFB in and I was with the same outstanding company for Ft. Worth, Texas, where I was discharged in May 1955 60 years. I called and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m going and proud of my military service. to have to leave,” and they wanted to know what One Legacy

company I was going with, I told them USAA. They I could go on and on. We didn’t need that aid in other said, “No problem. You’re with a good company.” So, wars because the economy was different, and many USAA, here I am. young people weren’t even married. Families need Jonathan: What are your thoughts about more help today than in my time, and that’s where veterans who served in different wars and share The American Legion comes in. Now that’s bonding. a bond to serve afterwards? Jake: Well, we all served different times, for different reasons. The difference with what’s happening now is that we’re dealing more with the reserve component of the military. We just joined and went as individuals, but now they go over as a unit and come back home as a unit, and go back again three and four times. They’re doctors and lawyers with incomes that don’t match the pay they give you in the military, but they do it while their spouses and children try to survive back home. Another difference is that when they come back home, they may not join The American Legion. We’re Jake interviews not getting the young members because, with the economy, they may have to work two jobs. But we’re Jonathan hoping that they join so they understand what The American Legion can do for them. I just returned from Jake: Why did you join the Army? appearing before Congress with Commander Koutz Jonathan: My father is retired Army, so I grew up who spoke to the joint session of the Veterans Affairs seeing the military clothing and hearing the stories. I Committee. If there are no veterans’ organizations, no graduated from high school in 1997 and didn’t have benefits will come to the veterans. When Congress a direction. I was looking at every different avenue, asks us, “How is your membership?” they really just but the Army definitely wasn’t one of them at first. want to know if it’s going down so they can cut After about seven or eight months of looking for a benefits. So I plead with young members who have job, I told my father I was having trouble seeing what served in Iraq and Afghanistan to join. I wanted to do career-wise and he said, “Well, if you Jonathan: So what is it that brings us all together don’t know what you want to do, I’d suggest joining as veterans despite the differences? the military. At least this way you can pass time while you earn great benefits and serve the nation.” Jake: We do so much for the families of those who are currently serving. We had an individual who was Jake: How did you become an American over in Iraq and his wife was left to care for their son, Legion member? who had spina bifida. She was constantly going to Jonathan: It was actually when I started working for the hospital because of injuries to his back, and she the VA. I had some personal claims for some injuries I couldn’t afford a ramp in her house. So we called the incurred while on active duty that kept getting kicked local post where she lived, and The American Legion back. One of the representatives who dealt with paid $5,000 to build a new ramp. Another example claims asked me if I was part of any nonprofit veteran was a police officer I met at a rally. He told me his organizations. I said no, but I remembered a couple wife couldn’t keep up with the bills while he was of friends who had joined The American Legion, deployed, and they were behind by about $8,000. I and he recommended that it was great in terms of told him to send me the bills, and he said, “Why?” I supporting veterans. I also remembered the Legion said, “Just send me the bills.” We wrote out a check through my father, and going to the local post in and caught them back up. Corpus Christi, Texas, when I was a kid. Continued on inside back cover

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USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies. *Average Annual Savings based on countrywide survey of new customers from 10/1/2010 to 9/30/2011, who reported their prior insurers’ premiums when they switched to USAA. Savings do not apply in MA. Use of the term “member” does not convey any legal, ownership or eligibility rights for property and casualty insurance products. Ownership rights are limited to eligible policyholders of United Services Automobile Association. The term “honorably served” applies to oi cers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty, in the Selected Reserve or National Guard and have a discharge type of “Honorable.” Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status. Contact us to update your records. Adult children of USAA members are eligible to purchase auto or property insurance if their eligible parent purchases USAA auto or property insurance. Property and casualty insurance products are available to current and former military members and their former dependents who meet certain membership eligibility criteria. To i nd out if you are eligible, contact USAA. Underwriting restrictions apply. Automobile insurance provided by United Services Automobile Association, USAA Casualty Insurance Company, USAA General Indemnity Company, Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company, USAA County Mutual Insurance Company, San Antonio, TX, and is available only to persons eligible for P&C group membership. Each company has sole i nancial responsibility for its own products. The American Legion receives i nancial support from USAA for this sponsorship. © 2012 USAA. 135841-0212 HONORING WAR VETERANS AND HONOR RECIPIENTS (PURPLE HEART, BRONZE & SILVER STAR) U.S. MILITARY WAR VETERAN SERVICE RINGS Featuring Official War & Honor Medals and Ribbons, War Memorials, and Gold Service Branch Emblems

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FOR MORE FINE MILITARY RINGS & WATCHES VISIT VETERANS COMMEMORATIVES™ ONLINE AT WWW.VETCOM.COM contents January 2013 • Vol. 174, No. 1 20 Why We Went to War in Vietnam ON THE COVER Interpretation evolves about America’s Army ROTC cadets from the Massachusetts Institute of most controversial war. By Michael Lind Technology (MIT), Tufts University and Harvard University 32 exercise at Harvard’s McCurdy Track in Cambridge, Mass. Honor, Remember, Explore Harvard lifted its four-decade ban on ROTC after last year’s New leadership, higher standards and repeal of DoD’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Photo by Dominick Reuter military technology are helping to restore the reputation of Arlington National Cemetery. By Philip M. Callaghan 5 Vet Voice 14 Living Well 8 Commander’s 18 Veterans Update 38 The Return of ROTC Message 50 Rapid Fire Ivy League campuses welcome back military units after a decades-long hiatus. 10 I Am The 60 Comrades By Doug Wissing American Legion 64 Parting Shots 12 Big Issues 46 Limey, Trix and the Greek Cliﬀ Guard and his soldier buddies survived World War II by depending on each other. BACK WHERE IT BELONGS By Matt Grills On Veterans Day, Liberty Institute, VFW and caretakers Henry and Wanda Sandoz rededicated the Mojave Cross at Sunrise Rock in Cima, Calif. For 13 years, the World War I veterans memorial has been at the center of a court battle concerning its presence on federal lands, and has been bagged, boxed, torn down and stolen by vandals. The American Legion joined other organizations in mounting a legal defense, and after a land swap approved by the National Park Service, the white cross again stands atop Sunrise Rock in the Mojave Desert. Photo by Sandy Huﬀ aker Jr.

The American Legion Magazine, a leader among national general-interest publications, is published monthly by The American Legion for its 2.4 million members. These wartime veterans, working through 14,000 community-level posts, dedicate themselves to God and Country and traditional American values; strong national security; adequate and compassionate care for veterans, their widows and orphans; community service; andMONTH the wholesome 2013 | THE develop AMERICANment of our LEGION nation’s MAGAZINE youth. 00 NOTICE TO VETERANS WITH MESOTHELIOMA

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Call 1-888-802-MESO (6376) FOR A NO OBLIGATION CONSULTATION. ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ Get Your FREE Vietnam NATIONAL COMMANDER James E. Koutz PUBLISHER The American Legion EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeffrey O. Brown War EDITOR Jeff Stoffer DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MAGAZINE OPERATIONS Henry Howard MANAGING EDITOR Matt Grills 50th Anniversary ASSOCIATE EDITOR Laura Edwards ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Julie Campbell

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Steve Brooks Coin DISPATCH EDITOR Cameran Richardson Just $2.95 shipping and ASSISTANT WEB EDITOR Andrew Romey guaranteed delivery. WEB MANAGER Jacob Piercy ecall the Vietnam War era with this BURNPIT EDITOR Mark Seavey Rcolorized U.S. Half-Dollar. Yours Vietnam War Anniversary Coin ART DIRECTOR Holly K. Soria J✔Yes! Send me the colorized Vietnam DESIGNER Jason Reed FREE – send only $2.95 for shipping and PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER Eldon R. Lindsay guaranteed delivery. coin. Enclosed is $2.95 for shipping and guaranteed delivery. Satisfaction guaran- PRODUCTION MANAGER Tony Heath Dramatic POW-MIA logo also pays teed. Limit one coin. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Alan W. Dowd tribute to the men and women who made the Quick order at MysticAd.com/VW116 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE COMMISSION ultimate sacrifice during the 13-year Name ______CHAIRMAN James H. Hall Hopewell, NJ conflict. Designed by a WWII veteran using VICE CHAIRMAN Frank C. Ward Greer, S.C. Address______COMMANDER’S his soldier son as a model, this image is a City/State/Zip______REPRESENTATIVE Terry D. Lewis Philadelphia CONSULTANT Albert W. Coughlin Park Ridge, Ill. direct connection to the tragic Vietnam War. J NY State residents add sales tax. Check or money order Robert A. Corrigan Bronx, N.Y. Send today and you’ll also receive J Visa J MasterCard Exp. Date ___/___ MEMBERS Roger H. Anderson South Windsor, Conn. James F. Angell Sedro Woolley, Wash. special collector’s information and other Rodger A. Bennett Thawville, Ill. Henry P. Bradley North Quincy, Mass. interesting coins on approval. Limit one Please send payment to: Mystic Stamp Company Bettylou Evans Laurel, Del. Dept. VW116, 9700 Mill St., Camden, NY 13316-9111 Dennis E. Fritz Columbus Junction, Iowa coin. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Thomas A. Fernlund St. Cloud, Minn. Paul L. Greer Leesville, La. Paul M. Kennedy Pittsburgh Mary E. Lepley Douglasville, Ga. James J. Leyser Fresno, Calif. NEW Lower-Priced Models! John J. Michalski New Carlisle, Ind. Silas M. Noel Frankfort, Ky. George J. Sinkewitz Huntington, W. Va. Jerry Smith Trussville, Ala. ONE LOG, Edwin R. Strain Batesville, Ark. Carl Swisher Columbus, Ohio ONE SECOND. David R. Walkup Oklahoma City Danny Wiley Leavenworth, Kan. NEC LIAISON The American COMMITTEE Randall Coffman Chairman, Russellville, Ky. Legion provides Neal L. Thomas, Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo. Michael D. Wood Pahrump, Nev. items to Charles W. Goodin Jefferson City, Mo.

PATENT comfort, ADVERTISING PENDING entertain and ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Diane Andretti heal U.S. ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Chris Elliot military CONTACT The American WORLD’S Legion Magazine personnel in P.O. Box 7068 DoD medical Indianapolis, IN 46207 facilities ADVERTISING SALES James G. Elliott FASTEST Company, Inc. worldwide. NEW YORK (212) 588-9200 SPLITTER! Every donated DETROIT (248) 530-0300 CHICAGO (312) 236-4900 dollar is used LOS ANGELES (213) 624-0900 DR® RapidFire™ Log Splitter to provide comfort items slices through logs in under two seconds—up to Copyright 2013 by The American Legion six times faster than ordinary log splitters. We’ve for the The American Legion (ISSN 0886-1234) is published monthly troops. by The American Legion, 5745 Lee Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216. replaced hydraulics with two hefty cast iron Periodicals postage paid at Indiana polis, IN 46204 and additional ﬂ ywheels that generate up to 28 HP of splitting mailing offices. force. Split dense hard- POST MASTER: Send address changes to The American Legion, woods up to 30" Data Services, P.O. Box 1954, Indianapolis, IN 46206. in diameter. Canada Post International Publications Mall (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. PM40063731. Return Undeliverable 77064X © 2012 Canadian Addresses to: Station A, P.O. Box, Windsor ON N9A 6J5. Call for a FREE DVD and Catalog! Re-entered second-class mail matter at Manila Central Post Office dated Dec. 22, 1991. TOLL-FREE Printed in USA 877-200-6706 DONATE TODAY Member Audit Bureau of Circulations DRLogsplitters.com Visit www.legion.org/ocw VET VOICE

‘All Is Well, Safely Rest’ It was great to see Jari Villanueva’s article The Magazine for a Strong America on Taps (November). As a member of Bugles Across America, I attended the TAPS  HOW TO CONTACT US For assistance with membership record verification, weekend celebration at Berkeley Plantation membership applications, change of address, in June. On Saturday night, all the buglers – notification of member death or changes to magazine or Dispatch subscriptions, contact customer service. some from as far away as California and CUSTOMER (317) 860-3111 SERVICE [email protected] Alaska – scattered themselves around the The American Legion plantation much like those of the Army of the Data Services P.O. Box 1954 Potomac would have done in that summer of Indianapolis, IN 46206 For change of address by mail, attach old address . At  p.m., per Villanueva’s direction, label, provide new address and membership number. the buglers started sounding Taps. It was NATIONAL (317) 630-1200 beautiful in the dark of night to hear the sound of this wonderful piece of music HEADQUARTERS 700 N. Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 as it carried across the fi elds, through the woods and – I’m sure – over the AMERICAN LEGION P.O. Box 1055 MAGAZINE Indianapolis, IN 46206 waters of the James River. All that was missing were the campfi res that would EMAIL [email protected] have been burning outside the tents of Union soldiers. TELEPHONE (317) 630-1298 WEBSITE www.legion.org Villanueva is to be commended for all he has done to promote an SUBSCRIPTIONS Free with membership Non-members: $15 awareness of Taps, its origin and meaning, and for making the historic Foreign: $21 Post-spon sored and widows: $6 TAPS  event happen. Single copies: $3.50 – Paul Hobbs, Columbia, Mo. MEMBERSHIP IN THE AMERICAN LEGION Veterans who served at least one day of active military duty during wartime, or are serving now, are potentially eligible I am a Taps player with the Editor’s note: Jari Villanueva’s for membership in The American Legion. Members must Northern Arizona Veterans website – www.tapsbugler.com have been honorably discharged or still serving honorably. ELIGIBILITY Aug 2, 1990 – current Military Honor Color Guard. – explains that as soon as the DATES OF Dec. 20,1989 – Jan. 31, 1990 MILITARY Aug. 24, 1982 – July 31, 1984 Years ago, I saw a post com- Taps bugle call was sounded in SERVICE Feb. 28,1961 – May 7, 1975 mander carrying a boombox to July 1862, words were put to the June 25, 1950 – Jan. 31, 1955 Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946 an event. I asked him what it music, the fi rst being “Go to April 6, 1917 – Nov 11, 1918 (Merchant Marines who served was for and he replied, “Playing sleep, go to sleep.” There are no from Dec. 7, 1941 to Dec. 31, 1946, are also eligible.) Taps,” because there was no offi cial lyrics to Taps, but the TO JOIN Membership Division [email protected] one to play the bugle. following verses are the most (317) 630-1321 www.legion.org I ordered a ceremonial bugle popular: PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION and make sure that someone VETERANS AFFAIRS (202) 861-2700 & REHABILITATION [email protected] has access to it if I’m out of Day is done, gone the sun, ECONOMIC 202.861.2700 [email protected] town. I know some people don’t From the lake, from the hill, FAMILY SUPPORT (800) 504-4098 NETWORK [email protected] approve of them, but standing From the sky CITIZENS FLAG (317) 630-1384 ALLIANCE [email protected] 100 yards from the departed All is well, safely rest, www.legion.org/flag LEGION RIDERS (317) 630-1265 veteran and the family, playing God is nigh www.legion.org/riders after the rifl e salute – it gives [email protected] Thanks and praise, AMERICAN LEGION (317) 630-1249 the illusion and effect, certainly BASEBALL [email protected] For our days, www.legion.org/baseball more so than a boombox. I’ve BOYS NATION (317) 630-1207 ’Neath the sun, ’neath the [email protected] had many compliments from JUNIOR (317) 630-1249 stars, ’neath the sky, SHOOTING SPORTS [email protected] family members about how NATIONAL (317) 630-1249 As we go, this we know, ORATORICAL CONTEST [email protected] great Taps sounded. I never tell USAA (877) 699-2654 God is nigh www.usaa.com/legion them it’s an electronic bugle. BLOOD PROGRAM (202) 263-2993 www.legion.org/security/blood Why spoil the moment? Fades the light, And afar SCHOLARSHIPS & CHARITABLE TRUSTS – William Velie, Flagstaff , Ariz. Goeth day, And the stars AMERICAN LEGACY (317) 630-1212 SCHOLARSHIP [email protected] Shineth bright, AMERICAN LEGION (317) 630-1202 ENDOWMENT FUND I was drawn to the story of Fare thee well, day has gone, CHILD WELFARE (317) 630-1202 FOUNDATION www.cwf-inc.org Taps but dismayed that its Night is on NATIONAL (317) 630-1376 EMERGENCY FUND [email protected] beautiful and moving words AMERICAN LEGION MERCHANDISE were not included. The music Go to sleep, peaceful sleep, ORDER PLACEMENT (888) 453-4466 AND CATALOG emblem.legion.org by itself doesn’t convey what is May the soldier or sailor, REQUESTS [email protected] AMERICAN LEGION FAMILY felt by every military person God keep AMERICAN LEGION (317) 569-4500 On the land or the deep, AUXILIARY www.legion.org/auxiliary when Taps is sounded. SONS OF THE (317) 630-1200 – Glenn McKinney, Mentor, Ohio Safe in sleep AMERICAN LEGION www.legion.org/sons

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 5 VET VOICE

Extension of Bush tax cuts It’s a shame that Sen. Debbie We returned to Fort Hood in It never ceases to amaze me Stabenow’s comments were December. Today it’s history, but how Sen. Mitch McConnell can almost verbatim from the Obama I didn’t know it then. I was just tailor his words so that middle- campaign message – typical young, scared and really thank- class Americans feel victimized politics and scare tactics about ful for the ending. (Big Issues, November). These how high earners don’t pay – Melvin R. Mortier, Oconto, Wis. are not increases, but the enough in taxes. Many of us elimination of ill-advised tax have worked diligently to start This article opened a fl oodgate cuts that have robbed the federal and grow businesses that employ of memories for this old trooper. government of revenue. The thousands of Americans, at I served with the 1st Airborne sooner we realize that we must personal fi nancial risk and Battle Group, 325th Infantry, generate revenue to get the sacrifi ce. To have someone who 82nd Airborne. Our status was defi cit under control, the better has not walked in my shoes Immediate Ready Force (IRF), off we’ll all be. The last citizens promote a vision of shared which meant that when the “go” who need relief are those sacrifi ce when she herself has signal was given, we had to be in making more than $250,000 a not sacrifi ced is a disgrace. the air in 30 minutes. When year. McConnell’s “job creators” – Evan Blanco, Naples, Fla. some of us were issued machetes are not the sole solution to the to cut our way out of sugar cane defi cit or to the fi nancial future The need for blood fi elds and other dense vegeta- of our country. The 2011 numbers for Legion tion, it was for real. All I could – Richard Collins, Sea Cliff , N.Y. blood donation (Memoranda, think was that at 20, I was going November) averaged out to just to get my fi rst gold combat star Sen. McConnell refers to under 2 pints per donor. For to attach to my jump wings. But annual GDP growth in 2010 as whole-blood donation, a healthy it wasn’t to be. Later, I watched “an anemic 2.4 percent.” He then veteran can donate up to 6 pints some documentaries on the refers to “an even more dismal of whole blood per year, and far crisis. The fi rst wave of jumpers 1.5 percent” GDP growth last more for more valued platelets. would have been cannon fodder quarter. I may not be a big-city I thank those who donated in for the Cuban soldiers. With our economist, but don’t you have to 2011, and challenge them to add superior military, we would multiply a quarterly statistic by 4 another pint or two in 2013, eventually have had the situation to meaningfully compare it to an including some platelets. One in hand, but not without a annual statistic? Growth of more visit by each donor will tremendous loss of lives. 1.5 percent per quarter over four add close to 50,000 needed pints – Ed Armstrong, Mechanicsburg, Pa. quarters runs something like of whole blood to the system. 6 percent in annual GDP growth. – Peter Noyes, Duxbury, Mass. The right kind of bias But I’m sure the good senator Although my naval service knows that. ‘On the Brink’ was several years ago, my – Howard Grantham, Las Vegas Alan W. Dowd’s article on the membership in The American Cuban Missile Crisis (October) Legion is quite recent. Your In defending the Bush tax cuts, took me back 50 years. I was magazine seems refreshingly McConnell says that not extend- stationed at Fort Hood with the balanced and informative – un- ing the cuts would be bad for 1st Armored Division. We loaded usual in these partisan times. economic growth. He goes on to equipment and ammunition on Your bias appears to be in favor say that economic growth is rail cars and received numerous of the welfare and improvement worse now than it was before shots, then boarded planes for of our great country, certainly them. So by his own admission, Fort Stewart, Ga. From there, we one that I agree with. Keep up the tax cuts didn’t work. convoyed to Hollywood, Fla., the excellent work. – Rich Palombi, Brookfi eld, Ohio living in tents on a racetrack. – Herb Peterson, Tiburon, Calif.

THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE WELCOMES YOUR OPINIONS Include your hometown and a daytime phone number for veriﬁ cation. All letters published are subject to editing. Due to the volume of mail received, not every letter can be acknowledged. The American Legion Magazine, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206 [email protected]

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Be it resolved: Let’s reverse the backlog

Over the years, I have known my share of resolutions. I’m not talking about the usual ones people make this time of year – lose weight, quit smoking, stick to a budget – but American Legion resolutions, the marching orders our members adopt to improve the lives of veterans, U.S. military personnel, families and communities everywhere. Few topics have so frequently found their way into the Legion’s portfolio of national resolutions as the backlog of undecided VA disability benefi ts claims. The problem is now counted in the hundreds of thousands. With veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars pouring home and re-entering civilian life, the backlog continues to grow in both volume and complexity. Many of these veterans have multiple service-connected conditions that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Others are going to VA Chase Studios seeking long-awaited help for conditions linked to Agent Orange expo- National Commander sure, previously untreated combat stress, or service-related issues that James E. Koutz have worsened with age. VA and the Legion agree that all veterans deserve timely decisions MEMORANDA about disability benefi ts, and that the current logjam is intolerable. DIGITAL DISPATCH News geared More than 2,000 American Legion service offi cers work every day to toward department and post help veterans correctly fi le for their benefi ts. VA has piloted many leadership will be published on a promising programs to accelerate the process. VA and DoD are working new Web page, e-newsletter and together to streamline medical records management and make the most new-look print publication. The of online tools. Progress is being made, but – as VA Secretary Eric print edition debuts this month. Shinseki explained last summer – nearly 4 million VA claims have been The Web page houses stories that adjudicated since 2009, including about 1 million in 2012 alone. Claims appear in the monthly Dispatch, as are coming in faster than VA and our service offi cers can keep up. well as new features such as “Why I The American Legion, VA and DoD are committed to solving this Love My Post” and columns from problem. VA has targeted 2015 as the year to have no claims pending department service offi cers. more than 125 days, with 98-percent accuracy. To help, the Legion is www.legion.org/dispatch working with VA to ensure that innovations such as the Fully Developed The monthly e-newsletter will Claims program (www.benefi ts.va.gov/transformation/fastclaims) are a guide readers to stories of interest success. This program reduces the need for adjudicators to provide on the Web page. additional instructions or request more documentation after a claim is www.legion.org/subscribe fi led and certifi ed as complete, allowing for speedier decisions. CLAIMS COACH The American The Legion will also continue to provide boots-on-the-ground Legion Claims Coach smartphone intelligence to help VA identify processing hang-ups throughout the app provides veterans and their country and highlight best practices at regional offi ces. Department families with a free and useful tool service offi cers are working closely with VA and software programmers to help with the VA claims process. to strengthen technological solutions like the Veterans Benefi ts The Legion’s website has more Management System. The Legion’s Claims Coach smartphone app information about the app and how to download it. (www.legion.org/mobileapps) offers veterans organizational tools, www.legion.org/mobileapps answers to questions about benefi ts and a directory of service offi cers who can help. HELP WARRIORS IN NEED The claims backlog is VA’s biggest challenge, and the Legion is dedi- Commander James Koutz’s main cated to helping bring it under control. It’s going to take a concerted fundraising project is Operation effort from everyone who cares about veterans and their families to keep Comfort Warriors (OCW). One hundred percent of donations go us from having to make the same resolutions year after year. to purchasing items to help recovering warriors heal physically and mentally. You can donate at the Legion’s website. www.legion.org/ocw

8 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 OFFICIAL UNITED STATES SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS GOVERNMENT GOLD CAN BE MADE FOR GOLD RELEASED TODAY AT-COST ORDERS OVER $50,000 U.S. GOLD COIN RELEASE EXPERTS PREDICT $10,000/OZ!

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PAUL J. HASSING “Knowing you’re doing something for somebody else, for something greater than BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army yourself – that’s what I get out of the Legion. YEARS: 16 (eight active, eight reserve) It’s a feeling I just can’t describe.”

MOS: 68S Preventive Medicine Sergeant / 15P Aviation Operations Sergeant / 12B Combat Engineer

RANK AT DISCHARGE: Staff sergeant (E-6)

DECORATIONS

̈ Army Commendation Medal (2) ̈ Army Achievement Medal (2) ̈ Good Conduct Medal (2) ̈ Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

̈ Armed Forces Reserve Medal with mobilization device and 10-year hourglass (2)

̈ Overseas Service Ribbon (3) ̈ Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (2)

̈ Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star ̈ Aviation Badge ̈ Driver Badge

AMERICAN LEGION POST: Earl C. Hill Post 550, Bloomington, Minn.

NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE LEGION: Six

OFFICES

̈ Post 581 commander (2007) ̈ Post 550 adjutant (2012) ̈ 10th District vice commander (2012) ̈ District employment chairman (2010-2012)

̈ National American Legion College graduate (2010)

̈ Legion Riders chapter director (2010)

Watch a video interview with Paul Hassing online: www.legion.org/magazine

10 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013

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With the support of bipartisan majorities in the Combating enemy agents or terrorists does not House of Representatives and the Senate, Congress require sacrifi cing the Constitution’s protection of passed the FISA Amendments Act in 2008. This Americans’ freedom. With the original 1978 legislation modernized the Foreign Intelligence Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Surveillance Act of 1978 to account for signifi cant Congress established courts that are allowed to changes in technology and the THE HEART OF THE ISSUE operate in secret, without threats facing our nation. compromising national Intelligence collected under The House of Representatives voted to security. But the Constitu- this legislation is critical to our extend the law enabling intelligence tion still applies. national security and to agencies to conduct surveillance against The founding fathers combating terrorism. However, terrorists without obtaining court orders. experienced abusive search- this authority was scheduled to Critics say it doesn’t adequately protect and-seizure tactics and expire Dec. 31, leaving our Americans’ electronic communications. wisely placed limits on this intelligence agencies to try to government power through collect intelligence on terrorists and foreign targets the Fourth Amendment, which offers Americans under 1970s-era laws. security “against unreasonable searches” without Legislation to reauthorize this law enjoys broad warrants based fi rmly upon “probable cause.” bipartisan support in the executive branch, with The bill extending FISA, H.R. 5949, undermines the attorneys general and directors of national those rights. Specifi cally, Section 702 would allow intelligence from two successive administrations – the government to amass a broad pool of data and of different parties – expressing strong support, conduct warrantless searches of the everyday and in the House, where a reauthorization bill communications of Americans. Supporters say passed 301-118. That’s more votes than the act access to this data would be subject to secret received in 2008. “minimization procedures” adopted by the The FISA Amendments Act only authorizes attorney general and approved by the FISA court , intelligence collection against non-Americans but that’s not the same as a warrant. located outside the United States. Moreover, it Senate Intelligence Committee members Ron increases protections for Americans around the Wyden, D-Ore., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., have world by requiring a court order for any surveil- said that the public “would be very surprised to lance of an American, no matter where he or she is learn how federal surveillance law is being located – a signifi cant change from prior U.S. interpreted in secret.” government practice. We didn’t abandon our constitutional values The Obama administration has stated that this when facing the Nazis and Imperial Japan in authority is “vital in keeping the nation safe” and World War II or when confronting nuclear annihi- that failure to reauthorize the FISA Amendments lation by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Act “would result in a loss of signifi cant intelli- We stood up for the freedoms guaranteed by our gence and impede the ability of the intelligence Constitution then, and we should do so now. community to respond quickly to new threats and Safeguarding America should not come with a intelligence opportunities.” false choice between protection or liberty. We This is a critical national security imperative. should fi x the fl aws in FISA before we extend it.

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS The Honorable (name), U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 • Phone: (202) 224-3121 The Honorable (name), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-3121

12 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 saluting America’s armed forces Tribute Pistols

Honoring America’s Defenders of Freedom Since the beginning, the United States of America has stood for freedom and liberty for all our citizens. Nothing is more cherished than the freedoms we share as a nation. To uphold these freedoms, our great country relies on a strong military. Generations of Americans have proudly served in our Armed Forces to ensure our freedoms. Millions of Americans have proudly served America when duty called, during times of peace and during times of war. And many – from the earliest days to World War II, Korea, Vietnam and to current day battles in the Gulf Region and Afghanistan – have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the principles that America stands for – freedom, liberty, and justice for all. To pay Tribute to the brave warriors who have served our country, America Remembers is proud to offer handsome Tributes in honor of those who have served and sacrificed to ensure our freedom; the Saluting America’s Armed Forces Tribute Pistols. For these Tributes, we have selected the Colt® Government Model® .45 caliber pistol, a firearm that stood the test of time and was the official military sidearm for our country’s Armed Forces for almost 75 years. No firearm in history can boast a more impressive record of American military service than the classic Colt .45 military service pistol. Craftsmen commissioned specifically for these Tributes by America Remembers decorate each Tribute with handsome artwork in stunning 24-karat gold and nickel artwork over a blued steel canvas. There are three separate editions honoring America’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen – each separate edition is issued in a strictly limited edition of 500 pistols per branch of the Armed Forces.

▲ ©AHL, Inc. On the left side of each Tribute, prominently displayed The right side features banners reading, “American Freedom Tribute” and, “Freedom is Never Free”, a reminder that as the focal point, there is an image of a soldier, sailor, Americans need to be ever vigilant in protecting our freedoms and there is always a price to pay to protect our cherished or airmen framed with a patriotic banner. Additional freedoms. Each Armed Forces Tribute also features artwork unique to the branch honored (Soldiers, Sailors, or Airmen) artwork features a banner reading, “Saluting America’s depicting scenes related to the branch. (Sailor Edition shown above.) Armed Forces” and “Lest We Forget”. Also featured is For the veterans of America’s Armed Forces who carried the Colt .45 Pistol, the classic military sidearm has an outline of the USA framing “Freedom Forever”, a special significance. It was a constant companion that offered superior stopping power against all enemies. To put it reminder that our Armed Forces are always on duty simply, the Colt .45 pistol was a lifesaver. The Colt was utterly reliable, virtually indestructible and awesome in its protecting our cherished freedoms. Another banner stopping power. In the hands of courageous American warriors, it would become a military and firearms legend. For reads, “Country Before Self”, a reminder of the daily decades, wherever Americans fought for freedom the Colt .45 was present. sacrifices our soldiers, sailors, and airmen make on honor america’s Soldiers, Sailors, and airmen with this exclusive offer – RESERVE NOW behalf of all Americans. Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received. You can mail us your order, or to prioritize your order and confirm availability, call us toll-free at 1-800-682-2291. We will arrange delivery of your working Tribute Pistol through the licensed firearms dealer of your choice. As always, if you are not completely satisfied, you may return your Tribute to us in original, unfired condition within 30 days for a complete and courteous refund. These exclusive Tributes stand as monumental salutes to those who have served our country and carried the iconic pistol in defense of freedom as well as all those who continue to serve. As a nation, we must never forget the courage and sacrifice of those who served and continue to serve today. Secure your Saluting America’s Armed Forces Tribute Pistol today and keep it forever as a handsome symbol of fine firearms craftsmanship, American military history and service in defense of freedom. Display Case Available An optional luxuriously lined, custom-built, wooden Model: Colt® Government Model® Pistol • Caliber: .45 ACP • Edition Limit: 500 Per Service Branch display case is available for purchase. Please enter my reservation for the “Saluting America’s Armed Forces Tribute Pistol,” selected below. Each is a working Colt .45 pistol, at the introductory price of $1,995.* My deposit of $195 Name per Tribute is enclosed. I wish to pay the balance at the rate of $100 per month, no interest or carrying charges. Certificate of Authenticity included. Thirty-day return privilege. Address Edition Requested: I Soldier I Sailor I Airmen *All orders are subject to acceptance and credit verification prior to shipment. Shipping and handling will be added to City/State/Zip I Check enclosed for $______. each order. Virginia residents please add 5% sales tax. I Charge payment of $ ______to: I VISA I MasterCard I AMEX I Discover Daytime Telephone No. ( ) ® No. Exp. America Remembers #####

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Beware salt substitutes Many Americans suﬀ ering from high blood pressure try to manage their sodium intake by using salt substitutes. But these substitutes aren’t a healthy option for everyone, the Cleveland Clinic reports. Some contain potassium chloride in place of sodium chloride, and potassium in excess Too many men are ignorant about can be harmful. Speciﬁ cally, male reproductive cancers. people who have kidney problems often have trouble processing and BY MARTIN SAYERS ridding their bodies of excess potassium. That’s why the clinic The threat to men’s health from male- recommends that people who specii c cancers is often underreported. The have kidney problems or take money available for research is limited, with medication for heart, kidney or funding for studying such cancers a fraction liver disease check with a physician of that available for cervical and breast before using salt substitutes. cancer. Yet there are various cancers that The clinic also encourages users specii cally affect men, and it is vital that to read ingredient labels, as some men are aware of these threats, particularly salt substitutes labeled “lite” or as they tend to be less knowledgeable than “low sodium” still contain sodium – women about their health and are less likely just less than what’s found in table to seek a medical opinion when something salt. is wrong. Here is a guide to the most common and Salt alternatives dangerous types of male-specii c cancer: Fresh garlic or garlic powder PROSTATE CANCER Although small, the prostate Fresh ground pepper can cause big problems. Prostate cancer is Lemon juice the most commonly diagnosed cancer Flavored vinegar among men and will affect one in Salt-free herb blends six American males. Cumin The prostate is a small Nutmeg walnut-sized gland found in Cinnamon the male reproductive Tarragon system. It surrounds the Oregano i rst part of the urethra, the tube responsible for carrying urine and semen, and is crucial to the Media Bakery reproductive process as it manufactures an important liquifying component of semen. Fluid in the prostate contains large amounts of a substance known as prostate-specii c antigen Living Well is designed to (PSA), which when mixed provide general information. with semen allows sperm to It is not intended to be, nor is it, move freely. medical advice. Readers should Symptoms of prostate cancer include difi culty in consult their physicians when they have health problems.

14 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Here’s to starting to pass urine, a weak or sometimesmes intintermittentermittent l ow, andand a healthier a feeling that the bladder is never completelyetely empty.empm ty. As with so many cancers, a family historyory of prostateprostate cancer 2013 puts a man more at risk of developing it, bbutut didietet is also a factor. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and lowow in calciumcalcium anandd animal fats could act as a preventive measure.asure. TTomatoesomatoes mamayy helphelp guard against prostate cancer because off the presencepresence of lycopene, Health magazine has compiled a which is the pigment that makes tomatoeses red andand which maymay be a list of the healthiest New Year’s powerful cancer-i ghting antioxidant. resolutions: Lose weight. TESTICULAR CANCER Whereas most cancersncers aaflfl ict older people, This is always a cancer of the testicles usually is found in yyoungoung mmenen and those in popular resolution, but it’s diffi cult early middle age, with those 15 to 40 mosttatrisk at risk.k It Itisthemost is the most to keep. “You can succeed if you common form of cancer for this age group, and rates have been don’t expect overnight success,” increasing steadily since the 1970s. Some experts have suggested Health advises, warning dieters to that the generally poor diet of men in this age group may have avoid “quickie cures,” use a food something to do with their proclivity toward developing the disease. journal to track what they eat, and Testicular cancer is curable if diagnosed in its early stages, but have a support system of friends undetected it can spread beyond the testes and regional lymph and family “to get you through nodes to areas such as the lungs, liver, bones and brain. Given the those rough times.” importance of early detection of the disease, it is vital for men to Stay in touch. Noting that “a conduct regular checks on their testicles, as 95 percent of cases lack of social bonds can damage originate from sperm-producing germ cells in the testes. your health as much as alcohol The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a painless abuse and smoking,” the magazine swelling or lump in one of the testicles. This is not uncommon and says that reconnecting with family the vast majority of lumps are not cancer, but any such symptom and old friends can positively should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible. Other aff ect your health. symptoms include pain or hardness in the testicles, a buildup of Quit smoking. Health l uid in the scrotum and blood in the semen. encourages smokers “to try diff erent methods to fi nd out what PENILE CANCER Although relatively rare, cancer works” – and when the cravings of the penis still affects about one in every come, to use money as a motivator: 100,000 men. It can cause devastating results, “Think of the cash you’ll save!” including death. Save money. Cutting costs is A change in the color of the penis, a red intertwined with a healthier and velvety rash or a weeping sore could lifestyle. Walking or riding a bike to all be signs of the early onset of penile work cuts down on gas and is good cancer. Anyone with these symptoms for your health. Canceling a gym should immediately consult a doctor. membership and instead buying a Like testicular cancer, penile fi tness program for your video cancer can spread, so it is important game system (like Nintendo’s Wii to treat it quickly. This usually Fit Plus or Wii Fit U, or Microsoft’s means removal of the tumor, which Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for is fairly straightforward if the Xbox Kinect) “can get you condition has been spotted early. If sweating” and cut your spending. not, a partial or total amputation of the penis may be necessary to stop Reduce stress. “If stress is the disease from spreading. chronic, it can increase your risk of – or worsen – insomnia, Martin Sayers is a freelance writer depression, obesity, heart disease living in Cambridge, England. He and more.” Stress triggers include specializes in health and nutrition long work hours, little sleep, lack of issues. exercise, poor diet and lack of time with loved ones. Try relaxation,

Media Bakery sleep, socializing and taking vacations.

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 15 LIVING WELL

The risks and rewards of

BY MARK FUERST More than one-third of American adults – more Three questions to ask than 60 million – are considered obese, according when considering surgery to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Do you have a BMI greater than Health Statistics. At the same , or greater than  with time, the number of weight- obesity-related disease that cannot loss surgeries in the United be controlled through States has risen by more medication? than 30 percent. Are you unable to “Bariatric surgery” is maintain signifi cant the term for operations to weight loss through diet help promote weight loss, and exercise? and is considered only for Are you ready to people with severe or “morbid” commit to lifelong obesity, who have a body mass behavioral changes for index (BMI) greater than 40 (about a healthy lifestyle? 100 pounds overweight) or greater than The American Society 35 (about 50 pounds overweight) with for Metabolic & Bariatric established complications of obesity. Surgery off ers a BMI Bariatric surgery leads not only to calculator online: signii cant weight loss but to dramatic asmbs.org/calculate-your-bmi reductions in risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A review of nearly 20,000 patients found that high Types of blood pressure was resolved or improved bariatric surgery in nearly two-thirds of patients, diabetes Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in three-quarters of patients and high The size of the stomach is reduced blood lipid levels in two-thirds of to an egg-sized pouch, which is patients, nearly i ve years after surgery. connected directly to the middle The FDA recently approved Lap-Band portion of the small intestine. Food surgery for patients with a BMI of 30 or then bypasses the rest of the stomach higher who have poorly controlled and the upper part of the small diabetes or heart disease. intestine. “There are trade-offs to both How it works Bypassing part of the procedures,” says James Rosser Jr., intestine reduces the food and nutrients professor of surgery at Morehouse absorbed, leading to weight loss. There is School of Medicine. “The gastric band also an eff ect on hormones that infl uence is safer and is not permanent, but it hunger, which helps control weight. gives less weight loss and is more Expectation  to  percent of excess prone to failure. The gastric bypass body weight loss has a slightly higher serious complication rate, but has more Lap-Band or gastric band Media Bakery durable weight loss and is more surgery The size of the opening appropriate for patients who have a from the esophagus to the stomach is reduced by an BMI over 50 and diabetes.” adjustable band. Most surgeons say these operations How it works Since the stomach is smaller, you feel full work best with lifelong behavioral and dietary quickly and eat less. changes. Candidates should i nd a hospital that Expectation  to  percent of excess body weight loss performs a large number of these procedures to reduce Gastric sleeve resection This less-common procedure the risk of complications and shorten their stay. removes most of the stomach, converting it into a Mark Fuerst is a Brooklyn-based health and narrow tube. Long-term outcomes from this procedure i tness writer. have not been studied.

16 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 FOR GUARANTEED VALENTINE’S DAY DELIVERY, CALL OR ORDER ONLINE BY JAN. 24, 2013: ฀฀

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Remote TRICARE users to lose managed care BY TOM PHILPOTT

Up to 240,000 military retirees and dependents catchment areas. For South Region states, for will likely be pushed out of the TRICARE Prime example, Humana offered access to Prime military managed care program this year – and not networks everywhere. because of budget sequestration or the debt crisis. Experience has shown, however, that Prime adds Benefi ciaries can instead blame Department of costs to the system. So TRICARE offi cials decided Defense health offi cials who fi ve years ago quietly to return Prime to its original concept of being a made changes to a third generation of TRICARE backup network only for military clinics and support contracts, on which Prime networks of hospitals or BRAC sites. civilian providers are built. The new generation of support contracts removes Those affected reside more than 40 miles from a the incentives for maintaining Prime networks military treatment facility or an area where a beyond base catchment areas. Offi cials expected to military base was closed or make the shift for all three downsized during the Base regions simultaneously, but Realignment and Closure that hasn’t been possible (BRAC) process. until now because of delays These benefi ciaries in in fi nalizing contract awards. “remote” TRICARE Prime But contracts for every region areas will see their networks are now settled, and the shift of civilian providers disman- is expected to occur April 1 tled, DoD offi cials have told in the West Region – to Congress. Many patients coincide with UnitedHealth likely will get to keep their Military & Veterans Services care providers if they choose. taking over the TriWest But they will be forced to use Healthcare Alliance – and by TRICARE Standard, the Oct. 1 in the North and South military’s fee-for-service regions, when current Prime insurance option, instead of enrollment periods expire. TRICARE Prime. That will A congressional source said mean an increase in out-of- that TRICARE offi cials pocket costs for frequent recently raised the estimate users of health services. Photo by Carrie E. David on the number of benefi cia- Under TRICARE Prime, benefi ciaries receive ries impacted from 171,000 to somewhere between managed care from a network of providers for a 225,000 and 240,000. In areas where both Prime fi xed annual enrollment fee. For 2012, it was and Standard are now offered, about half of $269.28 for individuals or $538.56 for families, plus benefi ciaries are already choosing to use Standard. a $12 co-pay for each doctor visit. Active-duty members and their families cur- Under TRICARE Standard, benefi ciaries choose rently pay no enrollment fees or co-pays under their own physicians and pay no annual enroll- TRICARE Prime, and those living far from a ment fee. But when they need care, they must military base have access to an unaffected pro- cover 25 percent of allowable charges. They also gram, TRICARE Prime Remote. Drilling Guards- pay an annual deductible of $150 per individual or men and reservists could see small cost increases $300 per family. Total out-of-pocket costs, however, if they have been getting fee discounts for using can’t exceed a $3,000-per-family catastrophic cap. network providers under TRICARE Reserve Select. When TRICARE Prime began in 1996, DoD If the networks end, so will the discounts. offi cials assumed that managed care would save Protest of the move has begun in Congress, but money for the department over TRICARE Standard fi nding the money to stop it will be diffi cult. (the old CHAMPUS program renamed). So the fi rst two generations of TRICARE support contracts Tom Philpott, a former Coast Guardsman, has offered incentives to companies such as Humana written about veterans and military personnel issues to establish Prime networks beyond the 40-mile for more than 30 years.

18 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013

BY MICHAEL LIND

In the decades after the departure of the last U.S. combat troops from Vietnam in March 1973 and the fall of Saigon to communist North Vietnamese forces in April 1975, Americans have been unable to agree on how to characterize the long, costly and ultimately unsuccessful U.S. military involvement in Indochina. To some, the Vietnam War was a crime – an attempt by the United States to suppress a heroic Vietnamese national liberation movement that had driven French colonialism out of its country. To others, the Vietnam War was a forfeit, a just war needlessly lost by timid policymakers and a biased media. For many who study foreign affairs, the Vietnam War was a tragic mistake brought about by U.S. leaders who exaggerated the inﬂ uence of communism and underestimated the power of nationalism. Another interpretation, a fourth one, has recently emerged, now that the Vietnam War is history and can be studied dispassionately by scholars with greater, though not unlimited, access to records on all sides.

20 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Combat helicopters of the st Air Cavalry Division ﬂ y over a radio telephone operator and his commander during Operation Pershing, a search-and-destroy mission on the Bong Son Plain and An Lao Valley in South Vietnam on Jan. , . Photo by Patrick Christain/Getty Images

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 21 HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS LIFETIME WARRANTY Quality Tools at Ridiculously Low Prices ON ALL HAND TOOLS!

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Offer good while supplies last. Non- transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/15/13. Limit one coupon per customer per day. transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/15/13. Limit one coupon per customer per day. transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/15/13. Limit one coupon per customer per day. GRAND Fontana, CA Bridgeport, CT Huntington Station, NY Houston, TX OPENINGS Sacramento, CA New Haven, CT Denton, TX Seattle, WA The emerging scholarly synthesis inter- prets the war in the global context of the Cold War that lasted from the aftermath of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall Lt. Col. Peter Dewey, Sept. ,  in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Dewey led a seven-man Offi ce of Strategic Union in 1991. In this view, Vietnam was Services (OSS) team to search for missing neither a crime, a forfeit nor a tragic U.S. pilots and to gather information on the situation in Vietnam after Japan’s surrender. mistake. It was a proxy confl ict in the Cold In his last report, he wrote: “Cochinchina War. (South Vietnam) is burning; the French and British are fi nished The Cold War was the third world war of here, and we ought to clear out of Southeast Asia.” Dewey was the 20th century – itself part of what some gunned down on the way to the Saigon airport by Viet Minh have called the Long War or the Seventy- (precursor to the Viet Cong) soldiers, who apparently mistook Five Years’ War of 1914-1989. Unlike the him for a French offi cer. His body was never recovered. fi rst two world wars, the Cold War began James B. McGovern Jr. (pictured) and and ended without direct military confl ict Wallace Buford, May ,  between the opposing sides, thanks to the Known as “Earthquake McGoon” for a deterrent provided by conventional forces character in the “Li’l Abner” comic strip, as well as nuclear weapons. Instead, it was McGovern was a former World War II ace who fought indirectly through economic volunteered as a transport pilot for the Civil embargoes, arms races, propaganda and Air Transport (CAT) secretly run by the CIA. He and his co-pilot, proxy wars in peripheral nations like Wallace Buford, were attempting to resupply a besieged French Vietnam. garrison at Dien Bien Phu when ground fi re from the Viet Minh The greatest prizes in the Cold War were crippled their C-. The plane crashed into a hillside in Laos, the industrial economies of the advanced killing both men and a French crew chief. McGovern’s remains were recovered from an unmarked grave in Laos in  and European and East Asian nations, most of identifi ed in . He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. all Germany and Japan. With the industrial might of demilitarized Japan and the Tech. Sgt. Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr., June ,  prosperous western half of a divided Serving in Vietnam as a member of the Military Assistance Germany, the United States could hope to Advisory Group (MAAG), Fitzgibbon was murdered by another carry out its patient policy of containment U.S. airman. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, was killed in action in Quang Tin, South Vietnam, on Sept. , of a communist bloc that was highly . They are one of two confi rmed father-son pairs to die in militarized but economically outmatched, the war. until the Soviets sued for peace or under- Capt. Harry G. Cramer Jr., Oct. ,  went internal reform. The Soviet Union could prevail in the Cold War only if it A wounded combat veteran of the Korean divided the United States from its industri- War, Cramer led a team of Green Berets in training South Vietnamese soldiers. He alized allies – not by sponsoring commu- was killed in an explosion near Nha Trang nist takeovers within their borders but by that the Army labeled a training accident. intimidating them into appeasement after Cramer’s comrades claimed that his death was caused by Viet convincing them that the United States Cong mortar rounds. lacked the resolve or the ability to defend Maj. Dale R. Buis and Master Sgt. Chester M. Ovnand, its interests. July ,  For this reason, most crises of the Cold Six guerrillas struck the MAAG compound in Bien Hoa north of War, from the Berlin Airlift and the Cuban Saigon, shooting Buis and Ovnand as they watched a movie on Missile Crisis to the Korean and Vietnam a home projector. wars, occurred when the United States Spc.  James T. Davis, Dec. ,  responded to aggressive probing by communist bloc nations with dramatic Assigned to the rd Radio Research Unit at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Davis was killed in a Viet displays of American resolve. The majority Cong ambush near the old French garrison of of these tests of American credibility took Cau Xang. President Lyndon Johnson later place in four countries divided between called Davis “the fi rst American to fall in the communist and non-communist regimes defense of our freedom in Vietnam,” though after World War II: Germany, China, Korea historians clarify that he was the fi rst battlefi eld fatality. and Vietnam.

24 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Government Melts Over ADVERTISEMENT 270 Million Silver Dollars But collectors get an unexpected second chance It’s a crime.

Most Americans living today have never held a hefty, gleaming U.S. silver dollar in their hands. Where did they go? Well, in 1918, to SAVE OVER provide aid to the British during WWI, the U.S. government melted down nearly $30.00! half of the entire mintage–over 270 million silver dollars. If all those missing silver dollars could be stacked, they would tower over 400 miles into the sky! If laid in a chain, they would span 6,400-miles– enough to stretch from New York to LA more than two and a half times!

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Prices and availability subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a predictor of future performance. NOTE: New York Mint® is a private distributor of worldwide government coin and currency issues and privately issued licensed collectibles and is not affiliated with the United States government. Facts and figures deemed accurate as of July 2012. ©2012 New York Mint, LLC. ® In an internal Johnson administration memo of Only a few years after the Geneva Accords in March 1965, Assistant Secretary of Defense John 1954 established the 17th parallel as the bound- McNaughton emphasized credibility as the most ary between Vietnam’s communist north and important of several U.S. objectives in Vietnam: non-communist south, the Hanoi regime resumed war by means of infi ltration and southern insurgents. After the conquest of the south in 1975, To permit the people of Communist Party historian Nguyen Khac Vien South Vietnam to 10% enjoy a better, admitted, “The Provisional Revolutionary Gov- freer way of life ernment was always simply a group emanating 20% from the DRV (Democratic Republic of Vietnam). 70% If we had pretended otherwise for such a long period, it was only because during the war we To avoid a were not obliged to unveil our cards.” To keep South humiliating defeat The assassination in 1960 of South Vietnam’s (to our reputation Vietnam (and the adjacent dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem, created anarchy that led as a guarantor) territory) from Chinese hands to rising U.S. involvement – starting with advisers under President Kennedy, then turning to In a speech the following month, President bombing and ultimately large-scale ground forces Johnson stressed America’s reputation as a under Johnson. In 1964, the Johnson administra- guarantor: “Around the globe, from Berlin to tion won congressional passage of the Southeast Thailand, are people whose well-being rests, in Asia Resolution after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, part, on the belief that they can count on us if using as a pretext for U.S. military intervention they are attacked. To leave Vietnam to its fate the confrontation in which North Vietnam fi red would shake the confi dence of all these people in on the USS Maddox. The number of American the value of America’s commitment, the value of forces peaked in 1968, when more than half a America’s word.” million U.S. troops were waging war in South Full-scale war was avoided despite repeated Vietnam, as well as bombing North Vietnam and crises involving divided Berlin and Taiwan, taking part in incursions into Laos and Cambo- where the remnant of China’s Nationalist govern- dia. At great cost in American and Vietnamese ment took refuge after the 1949 victory of Mao lives, the attrition strategy of Gen. William Zedong’s communists in China. The Cold War Westmoreland succeeded in preventing the soon turned hot in divided Korea and Vietnam. Saigon regime from being overthrown by insur- What Americans call the Vietnam War was the gents. The Tet Offensive of January 1968, per- second of three wars in Indochina during the ceived in the United States as a setback for Cold War, in which the United States, the Soviet American war aims, was in fact a devastating Union and the People’s Republic of China inter- military setback for the north. Thereafter, North vened in shifting patterns of enmity and alliance. Vietnam’s only hope was to conquer South None of these would have occurred in the form Vietnam by means of conventional military that they did if Mao’s communists had not come campaigns, which the United States successfully to power in China in 1949. Although the regimes thwarted. in Moscow and Beijing were enemies of one In the United States, public opinion grew another by the end of the Cold War, in the opposed to the costs in blood and treasure of the confl ict’s early years the triumph of the Chinese controversial war. President Richard Nixon communists created a powerful Sino-Soviet bloc sought to achieve “peace with honor” by combin- that opposed the United States and its allies ing a policy of “Vietnamization,” or South around China’s periphery: Korea, Taiwan and Vietnamese self-reliance, with a policy of détente Vietnam. Direct Chinese military intervention in with the Soviet Union and China, in the hope that the Korean War ensured a bloody stalemate the communist powers would pressure the north rather than reunifi cation of the peninsula under a into ending the war. His strategy failed. Follow- non-communist regime. At the same time, ing the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, U.S. combat indirect Chinese and Soviet support in the First forces were removed, and the south, deprived by Indochina War (1946-1954) helped Ho Chi Minh’s Congress of military aid, was invaded by the communists drive the French from their former north. In 1975, upon uniting Vietnam under their colony. rule in 1975, the victorious heirs of Ho Chi Minh

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Cold War. The USSR not only lost the Cold War but ceased to exist in 1991. The dis- credited secular creed of Marxism-Leninism imposed Marxist-Leninist totalitarianism on the has survived in only a few dictatorships, south and helped their allies win power in Laos. including China, North Korea and Vietnam. The Third Indochina War soon followed. Mao’s As the narrative of the 20th century is inter- heirs in China viewed communist Vietnam as a preted, historians are regarding the Vietnam War Soviet satellite on their border, and in early 1979 in a global context that spans decades and China invaded Vietnam in a brief war, following concludes with the fall of the Soviet Union. No the 1978 Vietnamese invasion and occupation of matter their differences of perspective, they will Cambodia, during which Vietnamese commu- defi ne the Vietnam War as the Cold War in nists ousted the Chinese-backed regime of the Indochina. murderous Pol Pot. The interventions of the United States, the Of the three great powers that intervened in Soviet Union and China turned civil wars in Indochina after the ouster of France in the 1950s, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia into proxy wars. the Soviet Union gained the most. By backing Ha- This provides an answer to those who claim that noi, Moscow simultaneously obtained an ally on the United States, by its intervention, mistakenly China’s border and reasserted its leadership of turned a pure civil war in Vietnam into part of international Marxism-Leninism. The former U.S. the Cold War. The United States shared its belief base at Cam Ranh Bay became the largest Soviet that Indochina was a major theater in the global military installation outside Eastern Europe. In Cold War with the Soviet Union and China. As “The Soviet Union and the Vietnam War” (1996), Lien-Hang T. Nguyen writes in “Hanoi’s War: An Russian historian Ilya Gaiduk wrote, “Inspired by International History of the War for Peace in its gains and by the decline of U.S. prestige Vietnam”: “While Moscow hoped to see Soviet resulting from Vietnam and domestic upheaval, technology defeat American arms in Vietnam, the Soviet leadership adopted a more aggressive Beijing wanted to showcase the power of Mao’s and rigid foreign policy, particularly in the Third military strategy on the Vietnamese battlefi eld.” World.” There is no evidence that Ho Chi Minh or his But in December 1979, only months after China successors ever envisioned the kind of neutrality was humiliated in its brief war with Moscow’s that Yugoslavia’s communist dictator Josip Broz Vietnamese ally, the Soviet Union invaded Tito pursued during the Cold War. On the Afghanistan. That decade-long confl ict proved to contrary, the North Vietnamese communists be Moscow’s Vietnam. identifi ed themselves with the main communist Just as the Soviets and Chinese had armed and bloc of nations, sought to maintain the support of equipped Vietnamese opponents of U.S. forces in the Soviets and the Chinese alike, and by the end Vietnam, the United States and China – now of the Cold War had turned their country into the allies against Moscow – armed and equipped the Soviet Union’s major Asian ally. insurgents who fought the Soviet occupiers of Was South Vietnam too marginal an interest to Afghanistan. The Soviet war in Afghanistan was justify a U.S. war in the 1960s and 1970s? To this the third major proxy war in the Cold War. day, the United States garrisons South Korea and In 1989, the year in which the Berlin Wall fell provides arms to Taiwan. If you consider that in and the Cold War effectively ended, the Soviet today’s world, the United States could go to war if Union withdrew from Afghanistan, as the United China attacks Taiwan and almost certainly would States had withdrawn its troops from Indochina a go to war if North Korea attacks South Korea, the decade and a half earlier. use of U.S. military force to defend South Viet- The United States lost the proxy war in nam against North Vietnam at the height of the Indochina but prevailed on a global level in the Cold War seems less puzzling. Indeed, a U.S.

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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Prior results do not guarantee a future outcome. We may associate with local firms in states wherein we do not maintain an office. If no recovery, no fees or costs are charged, unless prohibited by State Law or Rule. Not licensed to practice law in Louisiana. Gary Klein, Esq. decision in the 1960s not to try to avert a commu- Vietnam as it had done in Korea. Reviewing the nist takeover of South Vietnam would need evidence, historian Qiang Zhai concludes, “If the explanation. actions recommended by (Col. Harry) Summers Viewing the Indochina wars as Cold War proxy had been taken by Washington in Vietnam, there wars, along with the confl icts of that era in Korea would have been a real danger of a Sino-American and Afghanistan, answers one set of critics: the war with dire consequences for the world. In realists. It also provides an answer to other critics retrospect, it appears that Johnson had drawn the who claim that the United States should have been correct lesson from the Korean War and had been more aggressive toward North Vietnam. In 1978, prudent in his approach to the Vietnam confl ict.” Adm. William Sharp wrote, “Why were we not From today’s perspective, the Vietnam War looks permitted to win? In my view, it was partly less like a senseless blunder on the part of the because political and diplomatic circles in Wash- United States than like a replay of the Korean War ington were disproportionately concerned with the in a different region with a different outcome. possibility of Chinese and Soviet intervention.” Elsewhere in Asia, including the Philippines, The late Col. Harry Summers Jr. argued that the Malaya and Indonesia, communist insurgencies United States allowed itself “to be bluffed by China were defeated by local governments, sometimes throughout most of the war.” with the help of British or French advisers and Undermining this critique is the fact that China combat troops. It may be that those insurgencies and the Soviet Union played a much greater role in failed, while communist regimes survived in part the Vietnam War than Americans realized at the of Korea and unifi ed Vietnam, because of one time. Fifty percent of all Soviet foreign aid went to factor: the absence of a land border with post-1949 North Vietnam between 1965 and 1968. Soviet communist China, which provided material anti-aircraft teams in North Vietnam brought support, manpower and deterrence of a U.S. down dozens of U.S. planes. According to former escalation that might risk wider war with China. Soviet colonel Alexei Vinogradov, “The Americans Ever since the fall of Saigon, Americans have knew only too well that Vietnamese planes of sought to draw lessons from Vietnam, but some Soviet design were often fl own by Soviet pilots.” have been short-lived. In the late 20th century, U.S. China’s indirect role in Vietnam was even more policymakers and military strategists, hoping to massive and critical. It is now known that in a put the memory of Vietnam behind them, focused secret meeting between Ho Chi Minh and Mao in on swift, high-tech warfare against technologically the summer of 1965, China agreed to enter the war advanced adversaries – only to painfully relearn directly if the United States invaded North Viet- forgotten lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan about nam. As it was, China’s indirect involvement in counterinsurgency and nation-building. Vietnam was its greatest military effort after the In the aftermath of Vietnam, the United States Korean War. According to Beijing, between 1965 sought to put Asian confl icts behind it. But the and 1973, there were 320,000 Chinese troops recently announced “pivot” away from the Middle assigned to North Vietnam, with a maximum of East toward Asia is widely viewed as an American 170,000 – roughly a third of the maximum number strategy of containing China, with which the of U.S. forces – in the south at their peak. On Sept. United States fought bloody proxy wars in Vietnam 23, 1968, Mao asked North Vietnamese premier and Korea in living memory. In a Sino-American Pham Van Dong, “Why have the Americans not confl ict in the 21st century, Vietnam might even be made a fuss about the fact that more than 100,000 an American ally. Chinese troops help you building railways, roads As a historical event, the Vietnam War is an and airports although they know about it?” unchanging part of the past. As a symbol, it will Historian Chen Jian concludes that “without the continue to evolve, refl ecting the values and support, the history, even the outcome of the priorities of later generations. In discussing and Vietnam War, might have been different.” debating the nation’s most controversial war, Nobody can ever prove that the People’s Libera- Americans would do well to remember the words tion Army would have fought U.S. troops directly of the poet T.S. Eliot: “There is no such thing as a if the United States had invaded North Vietnam. Lost Cause, because there is no such thing as a But the depth of China’s involvement in the war Gained Cause.” suggests that U.S. policymakers were being prudent, not pusillanimous, when they worried Michael Lind is the author of “Vietnam: The that China would send troops to fi ght directly in Necessary War.”

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32 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Soldiers of Delta Company, 3rd Infantry – the “Old Guard” – photograph headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in a massive eﬀ ort to check burial locations against records. Photo by J.D. Leipold

PHELPS. No one knows contained within the app. Name, rank, branch of much about him. He had service, birth and death dates, and other informa- family in Massachusetts. He tion can also be found. The digital offering is a gave his life fi ghting for the two-way street. Those who use the new online Union in the Civil War. tools can help the cemetery learn more about those Beyond that, Arlington who are laid to rest there. National Cemetery has “We’re going to have more than 300,000 people nothing else about him. looking at our website to help us fi nd more,” says Graves such as his are the Kathryn Condon, ANC’s executive director. inspiration behind the “Wouldn’t we like to fi nd out more about who cemetery’s new motto: Phelps is? What we really want to do is open up to “Honor. Remember. the American public, to help us fi nd the true Explore.” history of each and every headstone that’s here.” Since 1864, Arlington has been dedicated to the fi rst two words. Now, the cemetery is going a step A NEW CLIMATE. Condon and ANC’s superin- further, inviting exploration of the historic military tendent, Patrick Hallinan, started their jobs amid a cemetery even if a personal visit is not possible. scandal. Highly publicized revelations about the Arlington National Cemetery has launched ANC misidentifi cation of remains, antiquated record- Explorer, an online tool and mobile app that allows keeping and mismanagement at the cemetery’s users to visit the nation’s most famous cemetery highest levels prompted an investigation by the from their computers or mobile devices. Front-and- Army’s inspector general in August 2009. Three back images of every headstone, monument, months later, Secretary of the Army John McHugh memorial and plaque on Arlington’s 624 acres are ordered a second investigation.

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 33 Findings included a lack of accountability for trust and faith – with the employees or withith the remains, unmarked or improperly marked grave American people.” sites, and the mishandling of cremated remains. Condon says the situation began to im- ANC’s mission had been compromised by prove when the cemetery went back to “dysfunctional management, a lack of established following DoD procedures already in policy and procedures, and an overall unhealthy place. organizational climate,” McHugh said in a 2010 “What (Hallinan) and I have press conference. “That all ends today.” focused on is putting together Keenly aware that the eyes of an angry public processes, from how we do IT to were upon them, Condon and Hallinan lost no how we do fi scal management, time in getting to work. On the same day McHugh contracting and the operational side addressed the media, they told ANC workers that of business,” Condon says. “I don’t they must hit the ground running and leave the think it was because of bureaucracy past behind. that (ANC) failed. I think the lack of “We needed to move forward and do things standards in a bureaucracy is prob- correctly,” says Hallinan, former director of funeral ably what happened.” programs for the National Cemetery Administra- tion. “There was no room for error. I don’t think UNDERSTAND THE OPERATION. that Congress or the American people had the Hallinan and Condon quickly realized patience for any more errors.” that employee training had not been a Condon, who previously held the senior civilian priority at Arlington National Cemetery. position at Army Materiel Command, remembers For example, a backhoe operator em- the staff meeting well. She told the employees that ployed for 29 years had never received she knew “absolutely nothing about running a formal instruction. In general, ANC’s cemetery, ‘but that’s why each and every one of managers failed to keep up with training you is here. You have made your careers out of their staff for work performed year after yyear.ear. running a cemetery. But I do know how to run a Since 2010, nearly every senior equipmentent large Army organization.’ That was it, and we operator and truck driver at ANC has beenn would be in this together.” trained. Cemetery staff members have alsoo been As news of Arlington’s previous mismanagement given formal grief-counseling training, andnd the spread, its offi ces were fl ooded with phone calls work of outside contractors is closely monitorednitored from people concerned that their loved ones might and held to higher standards. be buried in the wrong graves. A hotline was Each member of the ANC workforce nowwhasan has an established, and Condon, Hallinan and other ANC individual development plan, and their supervisors managers spoke with concerned families from all are held accountable for proper training. Condon over America, often late into the night. says the workers are also cross-trained in other The cemetery’s transformation centered on what jobs. “You have to understand the operation, and Hallinan calls the “Three Rs” – reorganize, retrain the operation here is to honor the fallen,” she says. and retool. Arlington would follow the Army’s That includes a chain of custody for the burial of standard operating procedures, provide staff and remains, and Arlington now has the strictest workers with the training they need, and improve process in the nation. On the day of interment, the or obtain the tools – from backhoes to smartphone remains of a veteran or servicemember arrive in maps – to accomplish the mission. an urn or casket. They are signed over from the He and Condon had to change Arlington’s family or a funeral director to an ANC representa- culture. Prior to their arrival, the cemetery had no tive, who then meets with family members and checklist for standard procedures, no consistent goes over all the information provided by phone or supervision of workers, little training, and short- email, such as name, rank and date of death. That falls in accountability and responsibility. representative stays with the family throughout “The big items for a healthy and dynamic the entire process. organization were lacking, and that’s a personal Every casket or urn receives a permanent tag for responsibility of the leadership,” Hallinan says. future identifi cation, which is checked against the “We hold ourselves to higher standards. People temporary marker at the grave site. Identifi cation have to believe you have that credibility before numbers are painted on the concrete grave or urn they follow you, and that’s how you build that liners. When a casket is lowered into its grave, the

34 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 AMERICAN LEGION POINTS OF INTEREST AT ARLINGTON . Tomb of the Unknowns On its th anniversary, The American Legion contributed $,, and the American Legion Auxiliary $,, as a gift to the nation to provide permanent lighting at the Tomb of the Unknowns. A decade earlier, in , the Legion paid tribute to the unknown fallen of World War II and the Korean War by bestowing upon them the 2 Distinguished Service Medal. 4 . Kennedy’s Eternal Flame President John F. Kennedy, a World War II Navy veteran and Legionnaire from Post  in Boston, received the Legion’s 6 Distinguished Service Medal in . . Cpl. Frank Buckles The longest-surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, and a Legion member for more than  years, Buckles lived to the age of  before passing away in . 1 . Gen. George C. Marshall Before he became known as the architect of Europe’s post-World War II reconstruction, Marshall received the Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal in . . Gen. John J. Pershing One of The American Legion’s earliest supporters, Pershing authorized the gathering in 3 Paris in March  that laid the groundwork for the 5 new wartime veterans organization. . Chaplains Hill In , The American Legion and Sons of The American Legion helped correct an omission at Arlington National Cemetery by dedicating a plaque honoring Jewish chaplains.

supervisor checks the casket tag and temporary fi rst call into our call center until we set the marker for accuracy before signing for the remains headstone and GPS it with 3-inch accuracy. So we from the funeral representative. really have an audit trail of the burial record, and “Those are just the checks on the day of inter- who is working on that burial record.” ment,” Hallinan says. “Prior to that, a supervisor And instead of rooting through more than will go out to the grave site and validate the 400,000 paper records to fi nd a bit of information, location, and the equipment operator goes out to staff members now conduct simple searches that make sure he’ll be digging at the right site.” deliver data instantly, Miller says. Before the cemetery closes, all temporary ANC staff also use a bird’s-eye-view digital map markers are checked again for grave sites complet- of the cemetery to plan routes for funeral proces- ed that day. sions, which occur about 100 times per week. “Our internal management system really allows A FAREWELL TO PAPER. Until 2010, Arlington us to view the entire cemetery digitally,” Miller National Cemetery used a system of index cards says. “Of course, getting out in the fi eld is required and paper charts to keep track of remains in about to do the work. But from a planning perspective, 260,000 grave sites and urn niches. you can see all the grave sites. All of the burial “We were using index cards and typing on them records are linked, so when I want to search a grave to update the burial records,” says Army Maj. Nick site, I can immediately see who’s in that grave site Miller, ANC’s chief information offi cer. “Now and the type of container they were buried in, and everything is electronically generated, from the also the depth they were buried at.”

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 35 THETH ANC Such precise mapping gives cemetery workers greater confi dence in what they’re doing, he adds. EEXPLORERX APP “Before they put that backhoe in the ground, they know what to expect, and they’re prepared – to ArlingtonArlin National Cemetery’s ANC make sure that when they do bury this veteran, ExplorerExplore app allows anyone with a that it’s done professionally.” smartphonesmartp or electronic tablet to visit Condon says that making such changes in two and learnle about America’s most years would have been impossible without Army famousfamou resting place whenever they technology. “We didn’t have to go out and put want,want, from wherever they are. “This“Th app is so well developed,” one things on contract. We have turned a corner. We user commented on Google Play. have proven that, by leveraging the Army’s tech- “There“The were so many problems at nology, we fi xed it.” Arlington,Arlin but this really shows the The Army Geospatial Center developed ANC’s progresspro that has been made.” digital mapping capabilities with a special pro- AnotherA user wrote, “Found my gram that ensures accuracy; it could serve as a dad,dad grandfather and my grandma. model to support operations at 170 national NiceNic to check out when I’m thinking cemeteries managed in the United States and ofof them.the And when I visit, I can easily abroad by the departments of the Army, the gettt to ththem.” ”A A ththird reviewer suggested that Interior and Veterans Affairs. similar apps should be developed for other cemeteries worldwide. RESTORING TRUST. Launched for public use Oct. , ANC Explorer uses Another innovation at the technology developed by the Army for its own cemetery is the online headstone and niche cover geographic information system: the Army Mapper, an designer tool, which allows families to make their interactive mapping tool that supports management of inscription decisions before the funeral and Army installations worldwide. prevent misspelled names and other clerical errors. ANC Explorer’s fi rst version can be downloaded free of “Just before the burial is not the moment you charge via Apple’s App Store or Google Play. It takes want to decide what to put on your loved one’s . MB of space and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, headstone,” Condon says. “Families have time to iPod Touch and Android phones. The current app think about it, to discuss what they want to do includes a grave site locator, digital photos of ahead of time, and then we just verify the informa- headstones, and detailed walking and driving directions. tion on the day their loved one is buried.” A future version will include shuttle stops, self-guided tours and event notifi cations. The bottom line for Hallinan and Condon is that “ANC Explorer is another milestone in our trust is restored. transformation,” says Kathryn Condon, the cemetery’s “When I attend a full military funeral and see executive director. “There isn’t a national cemetery that the respect and honor shown, all these issues pale is as technologically advanced as Arlington, both in in their signifi cance,” Hallinan says. “Arlington is day-to-day operations and how it connects to its families in good hands, it has good leadership, and it has and visitors.” people who deeply care about the mission here. Grave sites can be found by typing in a name, date of And that resonates with the workforce. Going birth or date of death. The app can be used to plan visits forward, the American people can be confi dent in to the cemetery and to guide users on the grounds. They Arlington.” can locate monuments, memorials and notable grave Sometimes, after Condon has testifi ed at a sites. Anyone with a smartphone can map a route from where they are standing. congressional hearing, she’ll walk among the rows Army Maj. Nick Miller, ANC’s chief information offi cer, of headstones “just to make sure I never lose sight says the app also simplifi es grave research. “Three years of why I’m here. And I would like to give a shout- ago, people had to search through more than , out to the veterans service organizations, including paper records to get any information. You can now do The American Legion, for putting those issues on that with a simple search that a computer can return to the front page. When there are problems, they you instantaneously. need to be fi xed. This has enabled us to focus on “This is just the beginning, and we really look forward what truly needs to be restored here: the faith of to feedback from the public,” Miller says. “Over time, the American public that we’ve got it right.” we’re going to continue to add features and capabilities that will improve this product.” Philip M. Callaghan is media marketing director for The American Legion.

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CALL NOW TOLL FREE (800) 323-5055 Expected ship date is mid Jan. 2013 pending release from U.S. Mint. INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY, L.L.C A+ &"45&9'3&&8":t#&"6.0/5 59 IC# 2NGL113 Air Force ROTC cadet Andrew Hendricks adjusts his garrison cap at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. In 2011, Yale, Harvard and Columbia all signed agreements to restart ROTC units on campus. AP/Jessica Hill

38 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 THE RETURN OF Ivy League campuses welcome back military units after a ROTC decades-long hiatus.

BY DOUG WISSING

he Reserve Offi cers’ “Navy blue and Yale blue American Literary, Scientifi c, Training Corps (ROTC) have always been close togeth- and Military Academy in Thas a proud legacy er,” he told the crowd. Norwich, Vt. – known today as within the U.S. military and on Mabus also spoke of ROTC’s Norwich University – which college campuses, where value on campus, pointing out formalized the idea of military hundreds of thousands of that when only 1 percent of instruction on civilian cam- cadets have trained since the Americans wear the uniform, puses. The concept spread to program began in 1916. “interaction with offi cer other institutions, including Today, 70,000 ROTC cadets candidates in NROTC may be Virginia Military Institute and train on 300 host campuses the only window into military The Citadel. Founder Thomas and at several hundred cross- life that many people at Yale Jefferson required that all enrolled schools with ROTC will ever get.” University of Virginia students programs. Nearly 40 percent of Further, ROTC is important have military instruction, and all offi cers commissioned to the country, he said. “To by 1840 Indiana University and passed through ROTC pro- best serve our nation, the the University of Tennessee grams. But the story of ROTC military has to be refl ective of added compulsory military on college campuses has many the nation it serves, and it does training. chapters – some triumphant, not serve our country well if The concept expanded some tumultuous. any part of the society does not dramatically when President The latest was opened May share in the honor of its Abraham Lincoln signed the 26, 2011, when Secretary of the defense.” Morrill Act in 1862. Champi- Navy Ray Mabus joined Yale oned by Vermont legislator President Richard Levin to ilitary instruction on Justin Morrill, the act granted re-establish a host Navy ROTC college campuses goes each state 30,000 acres of (NROTC) unit at the university Mback to the American public land to establish institu- after a 40-year hiatus that Revolution. When Yale stu- tions of scientifi c learning, began in the turbulent Vietnam dents heard about the battles with the provision that these War era. In many ways, the of Lexington and Concord in land-grant colleges include Yale ceremony symbolized 1775, a company of student military tactics courses in their ROTC’s enduring value to volunteers began drilling on curricula. By the end of the America. the Connecticut campus. Yale 19th century, 105 colleges and Mabus praised Yale’s alumni, student-soldiers were among universities across the country who gallantly served in every the fi rst to engage British offered military training. U.S. war. He recalled that Yale troops when they landed in In 1914, an infl uential group formed a Navy air corps in nearby West Haven on July 4, of pro-British American leaders 1917, the fi rst university to do 1779. were convinced that the United so, and in 1926 was one of the In 1818, a former West Point States would eventually enter fi rst six to establish a Navy superintendent, Capt. Alden the world war and formed the ROTC unit. Partridge, established the Preparedness Movement. They

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 39 lobbied for a national service colleges. Students and admin- offi cer candidates. But in the program to train 18-year-old istrators at private and land- small-army isolationist period men in military tactics before grant colleges alike clamored between the wars, most assigning them to reserve for offi cer training, with active-duty commissions went units. Preparedness supporter students at East Coast schools to service academy graduates. and former President Theodore that included Harvard, Yale, Even future Air Force Chief of Roosevelt decried the “profes- Princeton and Dartmouth Staff Curtis LeMay couldn’t get sional pacifi sts, poltroons and College successfully petition- an active-duty commission college sissies” who argued ing for military units. when he completed ROTC against the program. The National Defense Act of training at Ohio State in 1928, The Plattsburg Movement , a 1916 codifi ed many of the because there weren’t any volunteer nonenlistment Preparedness Movement’s vacancies. However, ROTC training program organized by ideas, merging the National continued to produce the private citizens in Plattsburgh, Guard, Army Reserve and majority of reserve offi cers N.Y., grew out of the Prepared- regular Army into the Army of during those years – 80 percent ness Movement. During the the United States. Offi cers in 1940, for instance, when 220 summers of 1915 and 1916, the came from colleges and colleges and universities had Plattsburg Movement trained universities, where they programs. 20,000 professors, artists, received military training Within six months of World lawyers, doctors, bankers, under the aegis of a new War II breaking out, more than businessmen, clerks, diplo- institution: ROTC. 56,000 AROTC offi cers report- mats, farmers and policemen The system quickly took ed for active duty, and more to be potential Army offi cers root, beginning in the Ivy than 100,000 ROTC offi cers – part of the 40,000 college League, a hotbed of the had served by the war’s end. alumni who eventually learned Preparedness Movement. Yale’s ROTC-trained offi cers made a to march and shoot at Pre- ROTC program began in the crucial difference in the early paredness camps. fall of 1916 with a fi eld artil- days of the war, when the U.S. Harvard University graduate lery unit. When the United military struggled with rapid Gen. Leonard Wood was a States did enter World War I, mobilization. Gen. George leading proponent of the there were already 90,000 Marshall wrote, “Just what we Preparedness Movement. After ROTC-trained offi cers in the would have done in the fi rst an illustrious career fi ghting reserve pool, with many seeing phases of our mobilization Geronimo’s band and helping active duty in 1917 and 1918. without (ROTC graduates) I do organize the Rough Riders in By the end of 1919, more than not know ... the cessation of Cuba, Wood became Army 130 institutions had ROTC hostilities on the European chief of staff in 1910. In speech units. More than 57,000 front would have been cur- after speech, Wood insisted students were in Army ROTC tailed accordingly.” that failure to prepare for war (AROTC) programs in 1922. In 1945, as strategists parsed was “brutal ... cowardly ... In 1926, the beginning of the need for increased num- sinister.” During his service as NROTC programs at Harvard, bers of well-educated U.S. chief of staff, Wood implement- Yale, Northwestern, Georgia military offi cers to handle ed several programs, including Tech, Washington and Califor- global Cold War challenges, proto-ROTC units at civilian nia expanded the pool of Congress passed the ROTC

NOTABLE “Without ROTC, I wouldn’t have had a military ROTC career. ROTC gave me my start in life, really. ALUMNI It’s done that for thousands.” Gen. Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staﬀ and U.S. secretary of state. Powell is a  graduate of the City College of New York’s ROTC program, at the time the nation’s second largest unit.

40 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Vitalization Act, which institu- plummeted. But when the during the late 1960s. One tionalized campus ROTC units. offi cer shortfall was greater Michigan State military science By 1955, there were programs than expected, the military professor claimed it was like on 313 campuses in all 50 called for changes in ROTC. being in “an embassy on states, the District of Columbia In 1964, Congress passed an foreign soil.” and Puerto Rico. Welcomed by updated ROTC Vitalization Act ROTC enrollment dropped 25 administrators, faculty and to prepare the program to be percent from 1968 to 1969, students who valued ROTC’s the primary source of active- when the draft lottery further instruction of civic duty, duty offi cers: a projected 75 hit ROTC. But even during that discipline and morality, the percent of Army offi cers and 50 1960s nadir, most university units were at public and percent of Air Force offi cers. To students were in favor of private universities and address academic and military military training on campus – colleges, including all of the concerns, the ROTC curricula more than 75 percent at many Ivy League, Georgetown, Johns was revamped to be more in schools. The bigger challenge Hopkins and Stanford. line with university education, came from university faculty During the Korean War, the a scholarship program was councils demanding that ROTC percentage of graduating instituted, stipends were courses adhere to the same cadets assigned to active duty increased and the potential academic criteria as the rest of skyrocketed. Through the pool of cadets was broadened. the university or lose college 1950s, about 80 percent of As it turned out, the bill’s most credit. That issue changed the graduating ROTC cadets controversial debate related to role of ROTC on U.S. campuses became active-duty offi cers. campus drill, the anathema of far more than anti-military But in the 1960s, the military many a harassed college students. Faced with ROTC’s and university communities student and the keystone of demotion to an extracurricular began to count the costs, military training to many a activity, the military began to particularly of compulsory veteran offi cer. Drill stayed. close units in the Northeast, ROTC training still prevalent at particularly at the Ivy League land-grant universities. hen opposition to the schools that had graduated The military saw soaring Vietnam War fl ared tens of thousands of offi cers. costs for a proportionally small Won campuses in As the United States insti- harvest of career military 1968, ROTC faced a new tuted a zero-draft military in offi cers – 20 students for every challenge. For the fi rst time, 1973, ROTC continued to offi cer produced, according to university communities viewed provide high-quality offi cers one Air Force study. Burdened ROTC units as outliers rather trained in a relatively economi- with increasingly demanding than the prestigious campus cal university setting. In 1969, curricula, college administra- organizations they had been it cost on average $4,320 to tors and students began to seen as since 1916. Between produce an ROTC offi cer, chafe at compulsory military the congressional mandate to compared to $8,320 in offi cer training. Between 1961 and remain visible on campus, and candidate school and $47,136 1965, 60 Army and 59 Air the military requirement to in the service academies. Force ROTC units switched maintain distance from Universities were also prepared from compulsory to voluntary. antiwar protests, the ROTC to provide offi cers with the As anticipated, rosters offi cers were in a tough spot cultural training needed for the

Kirk Samuel Gen. Carl Douglas Alito E. Mundy Jr. Actor Supreme Marine Corps Notre Dame Court justice commandant ROTC, 1944 Princeton ROTC, Auburn University 1976 NROTC, 1957

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 41 “hearts-and-minds” work that asym- Former President George H.W. Bush, metrical wars like Vietnam demanded. a Yale graduate, attributed the transi- With ROTC enrollments dropping tion to “cultural arrogance.” In 1956, overall through the 1970s, the military 400 out of 750 Princeton graduates focused on the less expensive and more went into the service. By 2004, only welcoming campuses of the South and nine Princeton graduates entered the the West, where senior offi cers thought military – and Princeton led the Ivy the service branches could get more League. Stanford had 1,100 cadets in Sam Walton offi cer bang for the buck. ROTC expert ROTC in 1956. In 2006, there were Founder of Cheryl Miller, who heads the Program 29. The military was “just not on the Walmart on American Citizenship at the Ameri- radar of most undergraduates,” University of can Enterprise Institute, says of high- Mawn says. Missouri ROTC, cost Northeastern institutions, “The When Yale ROTC graduate Flagg 1940 military doesn’t think about them as Youngblood went to the university in elite schools. They think of them as the 1990s, he was told to not wear expensive schools.” his uniform to class. “The antiwar Through the 1970s and 1980s, the animus was still pretty strong on numbers of female and black ROTC campus,” he says, adding that that cadets increased rapidly, producing a sentiment changed after 9/11. more diverse offi cer corps. And in 1993, Congress passed the law commonly n 2010, Secretary of Defense referred to as “don’t ask, don’t tell” Robert Gates spoke about the James Earl (DADT), which allowed lesbians, gays Ivolunteer armed services and Jones and bisexuals to serve in the military so called for change: “This tiny sliver of Actor long as they did not reveal their sexual America has achieved extraordinary University of orientation. The bill also prohibited things in the most trying circum- Michigan ROTC, discrimination against closeted stances. It is the most professional, 1955 servicemembers or applicants. the best educated, the most capable From the law’s signing on Dec. 21, force this country has ever sent into 1993, until its repeal on Sept. 20, 2011, battle.” Challenging ROTC to broad- DADT complicated ROTC, particularly en its base, he warned of the risk of in the Northeast, where universities developing a cadre of military cited the discrimination issue as justifi - leaders that politically, culturally cation for not hosting ROTC units. and geographically have less and “Harvard’s left-wing fringe just went less in common with the people they up into orbit over ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” have sworn to defend. Alan Bean says retired Navy Capt. Paul E. Mawn, The next year, when President chairman of Advocates for Harvard Barack Obama announced the repeal Astronaut ROTC. But the Solomon Amendment, of the ban on gays serving openly in University of which prohibited universities from the military, he said, “I call on all of Texas NROTC, banning ROTC or risk losing federal our college campuses to open their 1955 funding, tempered the anti-ROTC doors to our military recruiters and movement. In most cases, ROTC never the ROTC. It is time to leave behind completely left campuses; student the divisive battles of the past. It is cadets could join units at neighboring time to move forward as one nation.” schools. For example, Harvard students But times had already changed. The went to the Massachusetts Institute of Ivy League was eager to welcome Technology (MIT) for training, and ROTC host units back, as the presi- Yale students to the University of dents of Harvard, Yale and Columbia Connecticut. had previously announced the Kevin Greene Nonetheless, for decades after the restarts of their programs. The NFL linebacker Vietnam War, there was scarce support NROTC program announced for Auburn University for ROTC in the top universities, where Rutgers University is the fi rst in New ROTC, 1984 military service had been a tradition. Jersey since 1972.

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New service activation on approved credit. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations. Terms and Conditions subject to change. *If you’re not satisfi ed within the fi rst 30 days, 30 minutes, 30 text messages or 30MB of data use, whichever comes fi rst, cancel and pay nothing, no questions asked. †Visit www.ConsumerCellular.com for further details on our number one rating. AARP member benefi ts are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affi liates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of AARP’s intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details. Students and ROTC midshipmen Evan Roth, left, Colin Dickinson and Catherine Philbin walk past Dunster House on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. ROTC programs are coming back to some Ivy League universities four decades after Vietnam War protesters cheered their departure. AP photo

ROTC offi cially returned to he opening of new ROTC to be named chairman of the Yale last fall. Annapolis units is paradoxically Joint Chiefs of Staff. “It leavens graduate and helicopter pilot Tcoming at a time of the force – you get young Lt. Molly Crabbe is the fi rst declining military budgets and people from all over the NROTC offi cer assigned there reduced offi cer needs. Cadet country. Without ROTC, I don’t in 40 years. “We have boots on recruitment is dropping. know how we’d do it.” the ground at Yale,” she says. “Nationally, the numbers are ROTC also brings military To get things started, she’s going down – rapidly,” says personnel and ideals to some- been commuting about 100 Reinke, citing the recession times insular universities. As miles from her College of the and the DoD budget. Indiana Youngblood says, “It’s a visible Holy Cross offi ce. University AFROTC Command- reminder that academics need “I put on my Yale hat and go er Lt. Col. Jason Turner speaks military willing to serve at the down there and try to get the of the Air Force chief of staff’s forward edge of freedom.” program going,” she says. “The warning of “fi scal austerity.” Finally, ROTC continues to reception at Yale has been “With less resources, you imbue generations of citizen- spectacular.” buy fewer shiny toys and soldiers with the cultural and Marine Capt. Chris Reinke things that go boom, and you technical education vital for serves with Crabbe at Yale, and have less offi cers – ‘force America’s global defense. Both echoes her assessment: “I walk strength,’ we call it,” Turner the military and the academy around Yale in my Charlies and says. He’s seeing a healthy benefi t from the understanding people say, ‘Thanks for being interest in ROTC, but the and communication that only here,’” he says. reduced numbers of offi cers comes from proximity. Yale student James Campbell are sobering for students. As Gates has said, “If Ameri- is one of those who appreciates “Cadets are more realistic ... ca’s best and brightest young it. He’s already participating in Their options in the military people will not step forward, an ROTC unit. “I’ll be happy to are narrowing.” who then can we count on to have more company,” he says Through thick and thin, protect and sustain the great- with a laugh. A typical over- history has proven ROTC to be ness of this country in the committed Yale student, an essential element in the 21st century?” Campbell says ROTC provides nation’s defense – and contem- something that was missing in porary needs guarantee its Doug Wissing has written for his college experience – and future. The program is crucial National Geographic Traveler, that he’ll somehow fi t it into for the military. ForbesLife and Gray’s Sporting his schedule. “There’s not “It’s a source of offi cers, Journal. He is a frequent much going on at Yale at fi rst,” says retired Gen. Colin contributor to The American 5 a.m.,” he says. Powell, the fi rst ROTC graduate Legion Magazine.

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very soldier has a band of brothers, and in the twilight of his life, Cliff Guard is holding fast to memories of his. E Nearly 70 years ago, Guard arrived in New York and enlisted in the U.S. Army, a Welshman eager to ﬁ ght for “the greatest country in the world.” Assigned to the 23rd Armored Engineers, 3rd Armored Division, he met Ralph “Trixie” Trinkley and Henry “The Greek” Kal- las. Together, the three men landed on Omaha Beach shortly after D-Day, pushed across France, Belgium and into Germany, and partici- pated in some of World War II’s bloodiest engagements, including the Battle of the Bulge. They looked out for one another. They talked intimately about their families, their girlfriends and their dreams. Then, when the enemy had been defeated and they went their own ways, they promised to meet again someday. “You couldn’t have been any closer than me and Trix and the Greek,” Guard says. “We saw the war through together.”

46 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 Sailor to Soldier. Desperate for work, Guard left During pre-invasion training at Salisbury Plain, his home in Swansea, Wales, at 15 to join the Guard fell in with the two men who would become British Merchant Navy. He was in Montreal when his best friends. Trinkley hailed from Pennsylvania war broke out and was soon crossing the Atlantic coal country, and Kallas came from Evart, Mich. in convoys, ferrying food, medicine and other They went to dances together, played poker supplies to Great Britain. On one of those trips, he together, drank beers together. After a while, they learned that the Luftwaffe had blitzed his town, became inseparable. killing 230 people and leaving more than 7,000 “If any of us was short on money, we shared without homes. what we had,” Guard says. “You just buddied up.” Tired of being a deck boy, Guard left his ship in By the time they went ashore at Normandy in Fremantle, Australia, hoping to fi nd passage to the early hours of June 23, 1944, the three had Sydney. “I wanted to join the Royal Australian Air vowed to have one another’s backs, whatever may Force as a radio operator,” he says. But the vessel come. he boarded, a Dutch ship called Slaughterdyke, wasn’t headed that way. “We got out to sea, and I A Job to Do. As part of the “Spearhead” Division, said to this guy I was working they charged across Europe, with, ‘When are we getting into tearing through hedgerows, Sydney?’ He said, ‘We’re going to lifting land mines, and building Cape Town, South Africa.’ I said, bridges for advancing Allied ‘You’re kidding.’” troops and tanks. They lost Eventually, Guard arrived in friends along the way, and had a Staten Island, N.Y., where he did few close calls themselves. odd jobs for a doctor who headed During one battle, Limey, Trix the local draft board. Asked and the Greek were holed up in what he wanted to do with his a barn, and mortar fi re was life, Guard said he wouldn’t intense. Running outside to grab mind getting into the Yankee more ammunition, Guard was Navy. “The following day, he hit in the face by splinter came back and said, ‘I can’t get shrapnel, momentarily stunned. you into the Navy, but I can get “I was bleeding, and Trix you into the Army.’ I told him, hollered, ‘What the hell’s ‘I’ll make you a good soldier.’” wrong?’” he recalls. “I said, ‘I’m That was February 1943. Guard alright,’ and got our ammo. I felt reported to Camp Upton, N.Y., for Cliff Guard is a -year member of The safe when I saw them.” induction, then boarded a train American Legion. He and buddy Ralph Another time, Guard diffused for Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. “Trixie” Trinkley belong to Glenn a land mine only to learn that “When I put on that uniform, I Campbell, Pa., Post . Nick Tremmel/Muskegon Chronicle the detonator pin had been set was the proudest man on God’s incorrectly. After he pulled it earth. It felt so right. I was an American.” out, it fl ashed in his face as he backed away. Still, “Limey” protested when offi cers tried to put “I thought I’d never see again,” Guard says. He him in the kitchen. “I said, ‘No, I came over here spent weeks recovering at a hospital in southern to do some fi ghting. I want to get back at the France, and his eyes have been weak ever since. people who bombed the hell out of my town and He brushes off any talk of heroics. “We had a job killed a lot of my friends.’” to do, and we did it,” he says. “The real heroes are Guard joined the 23rd Armored Engineers at the boys who fell.” Indiantown Gap, Pa., and by September was At war’s end, Trinkley and Kallas headed home. headed back across the pond – this time, aboard Lacking enough points for a furlough, Guard the John Ericsson with other 3rd Armored Division stayed behind in Germany with the occupation troops. Seeing the ship full, and soldiers sharing forces. bunks in eight-hour shifts, he asked the cook if he When he fi nally returned to Staten Island, Limey and a buddy could help in the galley. received his long-awaited U.S. citizenship papers “We slept down where they kept the potatoes and joined The American Legion. A post com- and rice and canned goods,” he recalls. “By God, mander set him up with a job at a golf course, and we ate good.” for three and a half years, he took night classes to

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 47 Above: Guard mans his half-track tank in . Right: On Remembrance Sunday, Nov. , Guard carried a poppy wreath to the Cenotaph at Whitehall, London, on behalf of Americans killed at Omaha Beach and across Europe in World War II. Getty Images get a high school diploma. Then Guard was off “He said to me, ‘Limey, where’s that money you to Purdue University, where he used the GI Bill to owe me?’” Guard couldn’t remember. “He said, earn a degree in clinical psychology. ‘You know, up in Aachen, they gave you a three- He kept up with Trix and the Greek into the ’50s, day pass, and you went to Paris. I lent you about a but as each started a family and changed address- hundred francs.’ I said, ‘Oh, that? It’s in the mail. es, the trio found it diffi cult to stay in touch. Coming from France, it takes a long time.’” Guard, as always, was all over the map, working in The two men broke into laughter. Indiana, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Saudi With one friend located, Guard knew he had to Arabia. When he retired, he moved back to Wales. track down the Greek. His only clue was an old address in Reed City, Mich., until he crossed paths Friends for Life. Guard, 89, has become a with an American couple vacationing in Wales in representative of his quickly fading generation. October 2010. They lived in Michigan and offered Known in Swansea as the “American GI,” he to look up Kallas. recently dedicated a memorial honoring the Months of searching unearthed just one name: thousands of U.S. troops who lived and trained an S. Kallas in the Muskegon-North Ottawa phone there in the months leading up to D-Day. On book. Henry Kallas had died in 1997, but his Remembrance Sunday in November, he took a widow, Shirley, knew all about Limey and Trix. wreath to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, to Already planning a trip to the United States, be placed in the memory of Americans killed in Guard asked if he could see her. When that the European campaigns. emotional moment fi nally came, Shirley reached At every ceremony, every poppy appeal, Guard up and touched his face, saying, “To think I’ve met wears his American Legion cap, prompting others Limey, fi nally.” to ask how he ended up in the U.S. Army. He tells They compared photographs and shared tales, them the story, and about how the Army gave him and Shirley introduced Guard to the Greek’s the two best friends he ever had. 17-year-old grandson, James. Over a decade ago, with the help of his family, “I want you to know that your granddad was a Guard found Trinkley, who lives in Clymer, Pa., outstanding soldier,” he told him. “You could surrounded by pictures of Limey, Trix and the always count on him when things got rough. He Greek. He is now 93. Before Trinkley lost his was a friend for life, that’s what.” hearing, he spoke with Guard frequently, grinning As long as he’s able, Guard will tell of the whenever he heard that his battle buddy was on exploits of Limey, Trix and the Greek. Such bands the phone. of brothers won World War II, and in return, On one occasion, Guard surprised Trinkley with they ask only that those who follow keep their a visit. Looking up from a newspaper, seeing stories alive. Guard walk toward him, Trinkley exclaimed, “Limey! How are you?” They talked awhile, Matt Grills is managing editor of The American laughing and reminiscing. Legion Magazine.

48 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 The invention of the year NEW Now with more is great news for your ears power and clarity! Perfect Choice HD™ is easy to use, hard to see and costs far less… it’s like reading glasses for your ears™! New Personal Sound Amplification Product is an affordable alternative Over the years, technology has made hearing institute, there is Perfect the way we live easier, safer and Choice HD. It’s designed to more convenient. In many cases, accurately amplify sounds and it’s even made many products deliver them to your ear. Because more affordable… (remember how we’ve developed an efficient much the first VCR used to cost?). production process, we can make a Unfortunately, the cost of hearing aids great product at an affordable never seemed to come down. Now, a price. The unit has been designed new alternative has been invented… to have an easily accessible battery, it’s called Perfect Choice HD™. but it is small and lightweight “Reading glasses for your ears” enough to hide behind your ear… only you’ll know you have it on. Perfect Choice HD Perfect Choice HD feature comparison is NOT a hearing aid. Hearing aids Perfect Choice HD Others can only be sold by Lightweight and YES Some an audiologist or Inconspicuous a licensed hearing Easy Toggle YES Few instrument specialist. Switch Adjustment In order to get a Tests and Fittings NO Most hearing aid, you had Required Affordable, Simple to use, to go to the doctor’s as much as office for a battery of Affordable YES Virtually impossible to see $5000 tests and numerous Friendly Return YES Rarely fitting appointments. Policy return it within 60 days for a refund Once they had you of the full product purchase price. tested and fitted, you would have It’s comfortable and won’t make Don’t wait… don’t miss out on to pay as much as $5000 for the you feel like you have something another conversation… call now! product. Now, thanks to the efforts stuck in your ear. It provides of the doctor who leads a renowned high quality audio so sounds and conversations will be easier to hear Are you or and understand. a loved one frustrated Try it for yourself with our exclusive in these situations? Call now for home trial. Some people need the lowest price ever. • Restaurants • Dinner parties hearing aids but many just need the Please mention promotional code extra boost in volume that a PSAP • Outdoor conversations 46200. • Lectures • Sermons gives them. We want you to be happy with Perfect Choice HD, so • Meetings 1-888-415-6016 we are offering to let you try it 1998 Ruffin Mill Road • Colonial Heights, VA 23834 …and other times where you for yourself. If you are not totally Perfect Choice HD is not a hearing aid. If you believe you need to turn up the volume satisfied with this product, simply need a hearing aid, please consult a physician. Not available in the state of Washington. 80361 RAPID FIRE

LEGIONNAIRES IN ACTION SANDY’S SAVIORS Legion posts of ered shelter, meals and other aid in superstorm’s wake. Sons of The American Legion members from Pennsylvania’s 9th District helped Sandy victims reach safety following the From the moment Sandy subsided in early November, superstorm. Photo provided by John Cramsey American Legion posts up and down the East Coast had boots on the ground, helping lead relief eff orts. Members of Broad Channel Post 1404 in Queens County, Thousands of homes and businesses were still without N.Y., distributed Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) and water to power and shoreline cities were underwater as Legion- residents of the borough, which bore the brunt of the storm. naires began collecting donations for displaced families. The post – located in the decimated Broad Channel They opened their posts as storm shelters, coordinated neighborhood of Queens – regained electricity and served disaster relief with authorities and provided the “high as a distribution point for donated goods. “When we’d bring touch” aid so important in emergencies. in supplies down there, I’d tell the people there, ‘Don’t “Legionnaires from all over the country have been worry. No one’s forgotten about you,’” said David Valentin, calling me, wanting to help,” said Jim Casey, past depart- Queens County commander. ment commander of New York, just days after the storm hit. “The fi rst thing I do when I go to see people (in the Babylon Village, N.Y., Post 94 converted its building into a aff ected areas) is tell them that everyone is pulling for us “warming center” for people on Long Island’s south shore, – people from Buff alo, upstate, all over.” the front line of Superstorm Sandy. Members served meals While delivering canned goods and winter clothes to all day – bagels in the morning, hot soup and sandwiches in those in need, Casey helped spread the word about the afternoon, and barbecue in the evening. They also immediate assistance available through the Legion’s helped clear debris from homes, deliver canned goods to National Emergency Fund (NEF). Legionnaires and Sons of the shorefront, and distribute blankets, coats, towels, The American Legion members can apply for grants up to cleaning supplies, toilet paper and other necessary items. $1,500 that cover housing costs, food and clothing. Posts “These are our neighbors,” said Armen Enkababian, Post 94 can apply for grants up to $5,000. commander. “We believe it’s important as a community to take care of your own.”

Post 296 in Queenstown, Md., and the post’s Auxiliary unit came to the rescue of a military family whose house burned down in a ﬁ re caused by the storm. The post donated $2,000, and the Auxiliary unit $1,000, to help replace belongings. The family didn’t have renters insurance, and the husband is stationed out of state. “We wanted to do whatever we could to get their feet back on the ground,” said Sam Reeder, Post 296 commander.

Read more stories about Legionnaires’ relief ef orts following Superstorm Sandy: Tinamarie Vega, a volunteer from Bronx, N.Y., sorts www.legion.org/magazine donated goods at Broad Channel Post 1404. Photo by Amy C. Elliott

TO DONATE Superstorm Sandy caused an estimated $50 billion in economic loss and damages. Help Legionnaires and SAL members aﬀ ected by this and other disasters by donating to the National Emergency Fund. www.legion.org/emergency/help (800) 433-3318

50 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 ASK A SERVICE OFFICER RELIGION VA pension no mystery Got God?

Q: Can you of er some VA pension facts, Percent of Americans are self-described farces and pitfalls? 6 atheists or agnostics A: Let’s start with the facts. VA pension is Percent of Americans claim no religious a needs-based benefi t for veterans and 20 affi liation eligible dependents. To gain entitlement, you must be a veteran discharged under Percent of American adults younger other-than-dishonorable conditions, have 33 than  are religiously unaffi liated wartime service (defi ned as a period of Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life Cajun Comeau war as set forth by the U.S. government Department Service and VA), be  or permanently disabled, LEGIONNAIRES IN ACTION Oi cer, North Carolina and meet VA income requirements. Survivors of veterans who meet eligibility $800,000 donation requirements may also be eligible for a survivor’s pension. Seek assistance and counseling regarding eligibility and benei ts homeless vets proper fi ling methods from an accredited veterans service offi cer. A 92-year-old The farce. Don’t believe the lie that a VA pension is a “hidden World War II government benefi t” for which you need an attorney or veteran has fi nancial planner to unlock the mystery. Do not fall victim to a donated $800,000 scam designed to take your money and deprive you of the to help shelter professional assistance you and your dependents have earned homeless through service to our country. An accredited service offi cer veterans in Jewett

can advise you on your entitlement. He or she can also walk Photo by Carl Brown City, Conn. you through the process of fi ling, following up, reviewing and Michael Guty’s challenging on legal grounds. gift is his way of assisting those who have served. It also fulfi lls a longtime promise to his friend, Bill Czmyr, a The pitfalls. Due to the recession, more veterans and Legionnaire who started the homeless shelter. survivors are seeking assistance through the VA pension The gift, which was revealed in October, goes to program. Many entities have surfaced that try to convince La-Flamme Kusek Post 15 in Jewett City. The post those entitled to pensions that they will receive more maintains American Legion Veterans Housing, Inc., professional and competent help by retaining the services of which oversees the program’s rent-free apartments in a “pension specialist” or attorney. Simply put, if anyone the upstairs part of the post building. proposes that he or his organization should be paid for “He off ered to give the money a while back,” Czmyr providing veterans with services, he should not be trusted or said. “He never told me how much and I never asked. I utilized. Veterans have earned free assistance, and The just told him it would be appreciated.” American Legion – with our extensive veterans service offi cer network – stands ready to provide competent, professional Percent of homeless Americans who are veterans. Veterans service free of charge to all eligible persons. Visit www. . make up less than  percent of the population nationally. legion.org/serviceoffi cers to fi nd an accredited service offi cer in your area. Percent of homeless veterans older than , compared to

. . percent of homeless nonveterans Do you have a question for Department of North Carolina Service Oﬃ cer Cajun Comeau about the claims process or veterans

The average number of years veterans remain homeless. beneﬁ ts in general? Send it to [email protected]. . For nonveterans, the average is . years. Source: National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans VERBATIM “ Everything’s gone – come look, please!e! I lost everything,everything, my livelihood! We need so much help. “Angela Fugel, showing Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the ruins of her family’s Staten Island business, A&J Police Equipment and Uniforms, after Superstorm Sandy slammed the East Coast

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PERSONAL FINANCE Make your own i nancial luck in ’13

We have to admit that this year has more than a few baskets. Use online off ered through homeowners, renters, us feeling a bit uneasy. It’s the fi rst bill pay and automatic investments to auto policies, or separately through a time we’ve seen “” at the top of the ensure you’re doing the right thing at personal umbrella policy. Hint: In calendar, so the odds could be stacked the right time. many situations, state-mandated against us. Even so, we’re big believers ̈ Save now for near-term goals. levels of auto liability coverage could in creating your own luck, Whether it’s holiday be woefully inadequate. so we’re going to off er four FOCUS ON shopping, vacations or ̈ Create an estate plan. Wealthy or steps to help do just that: FINANCES something else, you not, most Americans need some form ̈ Consolidate and probably already know of estate plan. Typically this includes simplify. “Don’t put all where some of your money at least a will and/or trust, a durable your eggs in one basket” is will be spent this year. Bingo! power of attorney, a health-care typically sound fi nancial You’ve just taken the fi rst power of attorney and a living will. advice. However, having so WITH JUNE WALBERT step in developing a savings Preparing these documents is far from many baskets that you & J.J. MONTANARO plan. “Plan and save” is a pleasant, but the pain of getting them can’t keep track of them much better fi nancial done is usually much less than the can defeat the purpose. It’s strategy than “wait and pain your survivors will feel if you very diffi cult to manage and maintain borrow.” Develop a monthly savings become incapacitated or pass away your portfolio or spending when your plan to accumulate the money rather without them. money is strewn across multiple than borrowing it. When you’re able Is that all you’ve got to do? No, but accounts and institutions. So come up to do or get what you want without it could be a good start. Thomas with an investment plan and then racking up big-time interest, it won’t Jeff erson said, “I’m a great believer in consolidate your holdings into no have anything to do with luck. luck, and I fi nd the harder I work the ̈ Look at liability. Bad things can more I have of it.” Now that’s a happen to the best of us, and sentiment we can all embrace. sometimes it’s even our fault. If you’re found legally responsible following an June Lantz Walbert and J.J. Montanaro FREE Statue incident or accident at your home, on are certifi ed fi nancial planners for USAA, of Liberty Half the road or on the water, you could The American Legion’s preferred fi nd yourself at the wrong end of a provider of fi nancial services. Submit Dollar Proof costly lawsuit. To help protect questions for them online. yourself, make sure you have

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EDUCATION VERBATIM MY GI BILL Will VA pay for a retake?

We do not tolerate Q: I transferred 18 months of my Post-9/11 GI Bill to my daughter so she deviations from the

could earn a degree in respiratory therapy. However, the program was more dii cult than she anticipated and she failed a course. To graduate “policies that govern she will need to repeat it, but she’s used the 18 months transferred to who we are and “ VETERANS & EDUCATION her. Is it possible to transfer two additional months of benei ts, and will BY VALERIE HEFFNER VA pay for the repeated course? what we do as sailors in the United A: If you have remaining months of entitlement, you can transfer them to your daughter. Since she failed a class, she received a “punitive grade,” which doesn’t count as States Navy. earned credit but is used in determining progress toward graduation requirements. This means that the grade counted – albeit negatively – so you are not required to repay any Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, GI Bill money received for that class. She may retake the class in an attempt to receive deputy commander of credit toward graduation or raise her grade, and she may receive GI Bill payment for it. Naval Special Warfare Command, Valerie Heff ner, a Marine Corps veteran and member of American Legion Post  in Arizona, acknowledging that is a past vice president of the National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators. seven members of Navy [email protected] SEAL Team 6 were punished for CAREERS divulging classifi ed information to the Job interviews are maker of the video VEER game “Medal of a two-way street Honor: Warfi ghter” The single most important thing to know about interviewing is that two interviews should be happening simultaneously: WAR ON TERROR THE JOB FRONT ̈ The company interviews you for a job. BY WENDY S. ENELOW ̈ You interview the company to determine if you want to work there. AQI’s The company does not have all the power and is not the sole decision maker. Many comeback people turn down jobs because they don’t off er the right environment or cultural fi t. You’re going to spend a huge amount of time at work, so it must be with a company you Al-Qaida’s branch in respect and with colleagues you admire. If not, you’ll be looking for a new job tomorrow. Iraq (AQI) is rebuilding, The Some of you may be desperate. Perhaps you’ve been looking for a long time, are in a Associated Press reports. tough fi nancial situation or have other demands. If that’s your situation, take the job and AQI is adding members, do what you need to do. It’s OK. setting up training camps in Conversely, though, if you’re in a situation where you can wait to fi nd the right job western Iraq, controlling with the right company, acknowledge that you have as much power as the company territory, and increasing its does. Go into the interview with confi dence and know that half of the decision is yours. strength and attacks. Some of my favorite interview tips include: Before the abrupt ̈ Bring questions. Inquire about the company, the position, the culture and more. departure of U.S. forces in Respond to interviewers’ questions with poise, clarity and substance, but demonstrate December , AQI had your interest by coming prepared. been decimated and ̈ Ask about performance requirements. What do they expect, and what could you do eff ectively destroyed. But a to exceed those expectations? What a great message of performance that year later, it numbers some communicates. , fi ghters and “is ̈ Engage your interviewers. Ask what they like best about their jobs. This can give you carrying out an average of valuable information.  attacks each week ̈ Ask for the job. If the interview has gone well and you want the job, ask for it. It’s so across Iraq,” AP says. Some simple, yet rarely done. AQI fi ghters are moving into ̈ If the interviewer is not ready to make an off er, ask what’s preventing it. Once Syria to conduct operations you know the objections, you can immediately respond to and eliminate them. with fellow jihadist fi ghters involved in the multisided Wendy Enelow is co-author of “Expert Résumés for Military-to-Civilian Transitions” and Syrian civil war. “Executive Résumé Toolkit.”

54 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 POLITICS The Purple States of America In the wake of the  presidential election, data largely purple and white, with the patches of white visualization expert John Nelson has redrawn the representing lower population density in Midwestern traditional red-state/blue-state map to better illustrate states that are usually colored solid red on traditional varying population densities and relative voting political maps. activity across the United States. The nationwide tally, as of Nov. , was ,, Each red dot represents  votes for Republican votes for Obama and ,, for Romney, or  Mitt Romney, and each blue dot represents  votes percent to  percent. for President Barack Obama. The resulting map is Sources: IDV Solutions, POLITICO, www.census.gov, Daily Mail

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HONOR Legion hosts Salute to Heroes In , President Dwight Eisenhower humbly addressed a Washington, recognizingg group of Medal of Honor recipients with a small request. living recipients of the Medal of “I should like to stand over here in the corner, and as each Honor. The tradition continues Jan.  when The American of you goes by, shake hands with you ... that would help me Legion plays host to the st Salute to Heroes, giving the along over a lot of rough spots as they occur in my life.” commander in chief an opportunity to personally salute Five years earlier, he and ﬁ rst lady Mamie Eisenhower had living recipients of the military’s highest decoration, attended the ﬁ rst Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball in following the th presidential inauguration.

LEGIONNAIRESLE IN ACTION Ohio Riders run for kids The photo at left beat out dozens of others in a contest on TheTh American Legion’s Facebook page last fall, winning the mostm votes to be featured in The American Legion Magazine. On July 21, American Legion Riders from Russell D. Williams PostPo 471 in Portsmouth, Ohio, presented the colors at the DistrictD 11 Southern Ohio Little League State Tournament for boysbo and girls with physical and mental challenges. To help raisera the $25,000 needed for the Scioto County Challenger LeagueLe to host the event, the Riders organized a beneﬁ t run. “It’s a great privilege and an honor to do what we can,” said MarkM Campbell, president of Post ’s Riders chapter. “We hopeho to continue the support.”

FrFromo left, American Legion Riders parade the colors before a ChChallenger League baseball tournament. From left are Brian LLodwicko with the POW fl ag, Randy Deathridge with the American LLegione fl ag, Jerry Moulary with the U.S. fl ag, Don Step with the OOhioh state fl ag and Mark Campbell with the American Legion

RiRidersd ﬂ ag. In the center, Mike Bell calls out orders. Photo courtesy Tammy Campbell

WAR ON TERROR VERBATIM The case for Gitmo “ I get to be a fan now ... I sort of Citing reports that a former Gitmo detainee was involved in the deadly attack on the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Sen. look forward to itit. It’s a lot more James Inhofe, R-Okla., is calling on the executive branch to abandon all eff orts to close “ fun, actually.actu the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “Sufi an bin Qumu is a GeorgeGeorg Lucas, creator of the “Star“Sta Wars” and Indiana perfect example of why Jones movie franchises, (Guantanamo) is such a on hish sale of Lucasfi lm valuable asset in the war on to The Walt Disney Co. terror,” Inhofe told The Hill. ffor $4.05 billion. “Far too many detainees, like Disney immediately Qumu, have been released announced that a DoD to other countries for new “Star Wars” continued detention simply because of political pressure.” trilogy is in the He added, “It is a classic example of why, once a detainee is works, with Episode

no longer under our control, they can easily return to the VIIV set for 2015. ﬁ ght.”

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DELAWARE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA FRANCE GEORGIA HAWAII IDAHO ILLINOIS Larry J. COLUMBIA Robert J. Proctor John H. Miller Charles F. Andrew W. Thomas E. Luis V. Gonzalez Marcouillier Arturo Rivera Wessinger Johnson Mattice

INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS W. Darrell John J. Ross David O. Randall Coﬀ man Charles D. Paul A. Lheureux David E. Michael E. Hansel Warnken Aucoin Winpigler Cassidy

MEXICO MICHIGAN MINNESOTA MISSISSIPPI MISSOURI MONTANA NEBRASKA NEVADA Michael D. Wood Thomas G. Raymond Robert E. Gosa Charles W. Elmer W. Palmer Jerry Landkamer Dale R. Salmen Holzgen DeZurik Goodin

NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA NORTH DAKOTA OHIO OKLAHOMA Earlon L. Beale William “Billy” Prospero J. Charles I. Jerry L. Hedrick Curtis O. Twete William K. Balser Warren D. Mack Sanchez Herschlag Wilson 2012-2013 National Executive Committee Executive National 2012-2013

OREGON PENNSYLVANIA PHILIPPINES PUERTO RICO RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE Charles E. Richard A. Herbert J. Edwin Vargas Normand G. John E. Paul A. Evenson Charles R. Schmidt Coccimiglio Scholten Vadnais Palmer Jr. Dornan

TEXAS UTAH VERMONT VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WEST VIRGINIA WISCONSIN WYOMING James E. William E. Richard H. George C. Michael L. William W. Kile David L. Gough William R. Prendergast Christoﬀ ersen Farmer Lussier Jr. Montaney Wright III

58 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 ALABAMA ALASKA ARIZONA ARKANSAS CALIFORNIA COLORADO CONNECTICUT Ronald D. Steven L. Kenneth L. Mary V. Erdman Kenneth A. James M. Gates Wayne A. Haygood Huisman Dowse Kramlich Morgan 2012-2013 Department Commanders

DELAWARE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA FRANCE GEORGIA HAWAII IDAHO ILLINOIS James M. COLUMBIA Arthur L. Ronald E. Moore William H. David R. Carlson Arthur L. Gimpel Wayne Wagner Brady Jr. Kent S. Webber Dudley II Lienhop Jr.

INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS Richard A. Jewell Lyle D. Schaﬀ er Paul O. Sanford Joseph M. Flynn Herbert J. Kenneth G. Jan D. Larson Stephen M. Petit Jr. Bouchard Silvestri

MEXICO MICHIGAN MINNESOTA MISSISSIPPI MISSOURI MONTANA NEBRASKA NEVADA Tim Stern Thomas G. Don Pankake John C. Tardy Arthur L. Wilson James D. Carlisle Jim Sidel John F. Brown Warden Jr.

NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA NORTH DAKOTA OHIO OKLAHOMA Kenneth B. Eugene J. Robert B. Timothy S. Bill G. Richard David G. Rice Stephen M. John Wesley Maynard Jr. O’Grady Jaramillo Van Patten Masowick Benge

OREGON PENNSYLVANIA PHILIPPINES PUERTO RICO RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE Robert E. Huﬀ Joseph A. Joseph Carsley Ildefonso Cory Bates Gary L. Mitchell Byron I. Callies Armand M. Cocco Jr. Colon Jr. Hammer

TEXAS UTAH VERMONT VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WEST VIRGINIA WISCONSIN WYOMING Daniel A. Corbin William L. Stanley D. Isaac S. Kelley Loren T. Sperry Jackson W. Wayne W. Keith R. Dunlap II Garland Gerrard Jensen Davidson

JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 59 COMRADES 2012/13

How to submit a reunion number and e-mail address. Send notices to The American Legion Magazine publishes The American Legion Magazine, Attn: “In Don’t buy gold reunion notices for veterans. Send notices Search Of,” P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN to The American Legion Magazine, Attn: 46206, fax (317) 630-1280 or e-mail reunions@ until you talk to us. Reunions, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN legion.org. 46206, fax (317) 630-1280, e-mail reunions@ The magazine will not publish names of legion.org or submit information via our individuals, only the name of the unit. Listings website, www.legion.org/reunions. are published free of charge. $5 Include the branch of service and complete Life Membership notices are published for name of the group, no abbreviations, with your Legionnaires who have been awarded life Gold request. The listing also should include the memberships by their posts. This does not reunion dates and city, along with a contact include a member’s own Paid-Up-For-Life name, telephone number and e-mail address. membership. Notices must be submitted Eagle Listings are publicized free of charge. on official forms, which may be obtained by Your notice will appear on our Web site within sending a self-addressed stamped envelope $206 a week and will remain available online until to The American Legion Magazine, Attn: Life the final day of your reunion. Upon submission, Memberships, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, please allow three months for your reunion to IN 46206. be published in print. Due to the large number “Comrades in Distress” listings must be of reunions, The American Legion Magazine approved by the Legion’s Veterans Affairs & $1 will publish a group’s listing only once a year. Rehabilitation division. If you are seeking to verify Notices should be sent at least six months prior an injury received during service, contact your Silver to the reunion to ensure timely publication. Legion department service officer for informa- Other notices tion on how to publish a notice. Eagle “In Search Of” is a means of getting in touch To respond to a “Comrades in Distress” listing, with people from your unit to plan a reunion. send a letter to The American Legion Magazine, We do not publish listings that seek people Attn: Comrades in Distress, P.O. Box 1055, $37 for interviews, research purposes, military Indianapolis, IN 46206. Include the listing’s CID photos or help in filing a VA claim. Listings number in your response. must include the name of the unit from which “Taps” notices are published only for Legion- you seek people, the time period and the naires who served as department commanders NGC/PCGS Certified Numismatic location, as well as a contact name, telephone or national officers. pre-1933 Gold and Silver coins available AIR FORCE / ARMY AIR FORCES MARINES 55th, 58th Weather Recon Sqdns, Branson, 2nd Mar Div, Camp Lejeune, NC, 1/30-2/1, David MO, 6/5-8, Conrad Layton, (910) 446-6945, Brown, (910) 451-3167, [email protected]; GOLDGOLD IS SOARING [email protected]; 67th Tact Recon Wing (All 3rd Bn 27th Mar (Vietnam, 1968), Ann Arbor, Units), Plano, TX, 5/6-10, Marion Edwards, (570) MI, 4/15-18, Terry Rigney, (586) 992-0063; USMC & is expected to reach 709-8551, [email protected]; 78th FBS 7519th AB Weather Serv (METOC), Las Vegas, 6/2-6, Lee Sqdn, Branson, MO, 9/19-23, William Miller, (740) Halverson, (925) 837-7493, [email protected] 886-6393, [email protected]; AF Officers NAVY $$3000/oz3000/oz and higherhigher Candidate School, San Antonio, 5/24-27, Dave Mason, (757) 820-3740, blokemason@verizon. 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Roosevelt Sqdns, Colorado www.BalboaCoinRarities.com Line Haul Reunion, Pigeon Forge, TN, 4/30-5/5, Springs, CO, 8/20-25, Al Wedemeyer, (859) 689- Wesley Taylor, (904) 335-7402, vietnam566th@ 7001, [email protected] ; Mine Sqdn 10, 3419 Via Lido, Suite 275 yahoo.com Moncks Corners, SC, 4/26-28, Charles Pucilauskas, Newport Beach, CA 92663 COAST GUARD (800) 922-7378, [email protected]; NMCB 62 & Edzell, Scotland, Seabees, Hampton, VA, 2/22- Alaska/Bering Sea Patrol & All CG Ships, 24, Norm Hahn, (715) 834-4780, normhahnjr@ Reno, NV, 5/19-23, Doak Walker, (907) 789-2579, yahoo.com; Ouellet FF 1077, San Diego, 9/18-22, [email protected] Charlie Crossan, (619) 917-9065, cwcrossan@cox. JOINT net; Palau CVE 122, Myrtle Beach, SC, 4/21-24, F. David Wood, (330) 699-9643, jan7dave@ Check orders and wire transfers accepted. 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Sea Fox SS 402, Las Vegas, 5/12-17, George Long, 6348th Munitions Maint (Yamada Ammo Oscar L. Faoro, Dept. of California. Nat’l Mbrshp. (480) 882-9162, [email protected]; Site One Depot, Japan), Jim Agent, (479) 414-4233, & Post Activ. Cmte. Memb. 1953-1954. Holy Loch Assn, Glasgow, Scotland, 8/27-9/4, [email protected] Lloyd Higginson, Dept. of California. Dept. Cmdr. Roland Kittredge, (508) 877-2960, rk01701@yahoo. 7778th Sig Serv Co (Kaiserslautern, Kleber 1975-1976, Nat’l & Homeland Sec. Cncl. Vice com; Sturtevant DE/DER 239, Williamsburg, VA, Kaserne, Baumholder, Germany, 1951-1953), Chmn. 1969-1971, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Alt. Memb. 5/2-5, Clinton Bjornson, (508) 491-8200, lutfisk@ George Ammerman (812) 623-3504, 1976-1978, Nat’l Rehab. Cmsn. Advisory Board cox.net; Ticonderoga CV/CVA/CVS 14 & CG 47, [email protected] Colorado Springs, CO, 5/16-20, George Passantino, AACS CBI (New Delhi, Nagpur/Bangalore & Dum Memb. 1977-1978, Nat’l Veterans Affairs & Rehab. (720) 929-1844, [email protected]; VW-1, Tucson, Dum, Calcutta, India, WWII), Edward Penzer, Cmsn. Exec. Section Memb. 1978-1980, Nat’l AZ, 4/15-19, Pete Wasmund, (901) 465-9227, vw-1@ (212) 537-6670,[email protected] Foreign Relations Cncl. Vice Chmn. 1980-1981, comcast.net; Yellowstone AD 27, Chattanooga, TN, ACTU 100A (Cantho, Vietnam, 1966), Steve Nat’l American Legion Magazine Cmsn. Liaison 6/2-5, Paul Bowen, (352) 208-5400, [email protected] Swanson, (941) 751-9141, [email protected] Cmte. Memb. 1986-1988, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Memb. Cargo Handling Battalion 1 (Williamsburg, 1986-1988, Nat’l Resolutions Subcmte. Memb. IN SEARCH OF VA, Christmas 1965, & McMurdo Sound, 1987-1988, Nat’l Public Relations Cmsn. Memb. Antarctica), Roy Fowler, (602) 326-2046 1/503rd 173rd Abn Med Plt (Camp Kubasaki, 1988-1989 and Nat’l Aerospace Cmte. Memb. Co 3 (NTC Bainbridge, MD, April 1951), Donald 1989-1990. Okinawa, 1963-1966), Jim Hintzke, (920) 982- Richardson, (732) 280-2127 Irvin A. Quick, Dept. of Wyoming. Dept. Cmdr. 3294, [email protected] Co 818 (NTC Great Lakes, IL, May-July 1945), 1/83rd Arty (Vietnam, 1966-1971), Bill Taggart, Roger Rupnow, (404) 255-2449 1985-1986, Nat’l & Homeland Security Cncl. Vice (856) 228-5614, [email protected] HHC 1st Bn 35th Inf 3rd Bde 4th Inf Div (Kontum Chmn. 1990-1993 and 2008-2012, Nat’l Mil. Affairs 1st Med Co (Camp Blunder, Pleiku, Vietnam, & Oasis, Vietnam, 1967-1968), Barry Keefer, Cmte. Memb. 1993-1997, Nat’l Merchant Marine 1966-1967), Ron Koorsen, (260) 452-7527 (717) 944-5235, [email protected] Cmte. Memb. 2002-2004, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Alt. 2nd Bn 112th Inf Rgt 28th Inf Div (France & HQ Btry 74th FA Bn (Germany, 1955-1956), John Memb. 2002-2004, Nat’l Econ. Cmsn. Liaison Germany, 1944-1945), Stanley Farrior, Littleton, (606) 474-9651 Cmte. Memb. 2004-2005, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. (910) 604-0840, [email protected] Pennsylvania BB 38 (Hawaii & South Pacific, Memb. 2004-2008 and Nat’l Sec. Cmsn. Liaison 3rd Bn Plt 3055 (San Diego, May-Aug 1975), 1945), Randy French, (502) 968-2883 Michael Finley, (254) 842-4961, Cmte. Memb. 2005-2008. Plt 328 (Parris Island, SC, Mar-June 1972), Jack M. Rainey, Dept. of Virginia. Dept. Cmdr. [email protected] Allen Krieg, (412) 279-7247, callenkrieg@ 1981-1982, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Memb. 1989-1993, 7th Maint Bn CEGE (Germersheim Army Depot, rosamarketing.com Germersheim, Germany, 1970-1973), Ralph XV Corps (Fort Scott, Presidio of San Francisco, Nat’l Counter-Subversive Activ. Cmte. Memb. Wainright, (803) 441-0195, [email protected] 1964-1966), Sam Black, (717) 919-5734, 1954-1955, Nat’l Distinguished Guests Cmte. 85th AAA D Btry (Naha) & 85th AAA, 97th Grp [email protected] Memb. 1958-1962, Nat’l Law & Order Cmte. AAA Baseball Teams (Okinawa, 1952-1953), Memb. 1955-1958 and 1973-2000, and Nat’l & “Brud” Coombs, (845) 264-5067, bseecoach@ TAPS Homeland Security Cncl. Vice Chmn. 2000-2003. comcast.net Cleave B. Weiss, Dept. of Arkansas. Dept. Cmdr. 591st, 595th Eng Co (LE) (Vietnam, 1966-1971), Walter F. Baker, Dept. of New York. Dept. Cmdr. 1995-1996, Nat’l Internal Affairs Cmsn. Memb. Ken Kiel, (414) 529-7731, [email protected] 1993-1994, Nat’l Americanism Cncl. Vice Chmn. 601st AAA Gun Bn B Btry (Europe, WWII), Ed 1984-1987 and Nat’l Children & Youth Cmsn. 1998-2001, Nat’l Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Ward, (360) 423-5618, [email protected] Consultant 1987-2005. Cmsn. Memb. 2005-2009, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Alt. 1404th MP Co (Palawan, Philippines, 1945), Paul Cortright, Dept. of New York. Dept. Cmdr. Memb. 2008-2009, Nat’l Exec. Cmte. Memb. Gordon Mailloux, (671) 647-6455, 2004-2005 and Nat’l Foreign Relations Cncl. Vice 2009-2011 and Nat’l Internal Affairs Cmsn. Liaison [email protected] Chmn. 2000-2012. Cmte. Memb. 2009-2011. LEGION SHOPPER

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JANUARY 2013 | THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE 63 PARTING SHOTS

My hobby is napping. It’s fun and inexpensive.

A BUILDING CONTRACTOR agreed to let his nephew work for him over the summer. One day, they drove to a lumber yard. The contractor sent his nephew in to make the purchase while he waited in the truck. Reading from his uncle’s list, the young man said, “I need 200 2-by-4s, 120 1-by-8s and 240 2-by-6s.” The clerk waited a few seconds for him to continue, then asked, “How long? “What a rot en zoo! Just horses running around in circles!” How long do you want them?” The nephew thought for a few seconds before replying, conﬁ dently, “Forever. We’re building a house.”

AFTER A FIRST DATE, with both parties splitting the cost of dinner and a movie, the young man was rebuffed at the door by his date. “Since we’ve gone Dutch on everything else,” she said, “you can just kiss yourself goodnight.”

A SPORTSMAN who lived in the city went to a hunting lodge and bagged a record number of birds, aided by a dog named Salesman. The next year, he returned and asked for Salesman. “That hound ain’t no good now,” the handler said with disgust. “What happened?” the sportsman asked. “Was he injured?” “ ... and put your cellphones on vibrate.” “No,” the handler replied. “Some idiot who had him for a week was so happy with him that he THE LOCAL TV STATION’S weather desk started calling him Sales Manager. Now all he received a postcard: “I thought you would be does is sit on his tail and bark.” interested to know that I just ﬁ nished shoveling 3 feet of partly cloudy from my front steps.”

KILL TWO BIRDS with one stone this year. Give up your New Year’s resolutions for Lent.

A MAN who had spent several years working in retail joined the police force. A few months later, a friend asked him how he liked his new job. “The pay is good and the hours are OK,” he replied, “but what I really like is that the customer is always wrong.”

“THERE’S BEEN some talk about making Election Day a national holiday so people have more time to vote. I think people are so sick of this election. How about making the day after Election “Thanks for coming into work on such short notice.” Day the holiday?” – Jay Leno

64 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2013 DEFECTIVE HIP REPLACEMENT

We have learned that from studies past, present and ongoing that certain hip replacements made by the following companies and the following identiied types have been recalled or are subject to pending national litigation. The hip replacement devices of concern are the following:

DEPUY ORTHOPAEDICS, INC ZIMMER, INC ASR™ Acetabular System Durom® Acetabular Cup ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System WRIGHT, INC. Pinnacle® (Metal on Metal only) Conserve Cup Total Hip

If you or a family member have had one or both hips replaced since 2002, and do not know the name of the manufacturer of your hip prosthesis or replacement device, but are having problems from pain, mobility or other concerns, then you may be entitled to compensation for the defective hip replacement device. The Branch Law Firm, a nationally known law irm, is handling these type cases and speciically representing clients on a national basis regarding the following hip devices: Depuy ASR, Depuy Pinnacle, Zimmer Durom and Wright. Call for a conidential interview, 1-800-828-4529 or 1-800-243-3534 and visit our website at www.branchlawrm.com.

Turner W. Branch, a principal and senior partner of the Branch Law Firm, retired as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1968. He served on active duty in Camp Pendleton, California and at the Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) in Santa Ana, California. While at Camp Pendleton he served with the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (FMF) USMC.

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USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies. Use of the term “member” does not convey any legal, ownership or eligibility rights for property and casualty insurance products. Ownership rights are limited to eligible policyholders of United Services Automobile Association. The term “honorably served” applies to oﬃ cers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty, in the Selected Reserve or National Guard and have a discharge type of “Honorable.” Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status. Contact us to update your records. Adult children of USAA members are eligible to purchase auto or property insurance if their eligible parent purchases USAA auto or property insurance. The American Legion receives ﬁ nancial support from USAA for this sponsorship. © 2012 USAA. 141770-1212 USAA is proud to be the Preferred Provider of Insurance and Financial Services to The American Legion

Proudly serving veterans is a mission we share.

USAA’s values mirror those of The American Legion. We believe the military community, veterans who have honorably served and their families deserve a higher level of service. Like The American Legion, our commitment to service is a core part of everything we do.

We know what it means to serve. Let us serve you.

1-877-699-2654 | usaa.com/legion

Insurance Banking Investments Retirement Advice

USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies. Membership eligibility restrictions apply. Ownership rights are limited to eligible policyholders of United Services Automobile Association. The term “honorably served” applies to oﬃ cers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty, in the Selected Reserve or National Guard and have a discharge type of “Honorable.” Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status. Contact us to update your records. Adult children of USAA members are eligible to purchase auto or property insurance if their eligible parent purchases USAA auto or property insurance. The American Legion receives ﬁ nancial support from USAA for this sponsorship. © 2012 USAA. 141770-1212