THE OLD CROW DISTILLERY COMPANY, FRANKFORT, KY. KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 86 PROOF Taste the James Crow created his bourbon masterpiece 127 years ago — and Gre atness history beat a path to his door. Today, as for years past, Old Crow is bought by more Americans of historic than any other bourbon. Lighter, milder, 86 proof and magnifi- cently matured, it is unequalled in smoothness and fine taste. today- lighter, milder 86 Proof 50 Reward is paid for documented Information relating prominent 19 t h Century Americans and Old Crow . OD AND^LOUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism ; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community , state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses ; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth ; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy ; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY 42nd National Convention 44th NATIONAL CONVENTION • ; OCTOBER 5' 11, 1962 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA LA BOUTIQUE DES HUIT CHAPEAUX ET QUARANTE FEMMES 41st Marche Nationale Setting the pace on the American road From road to roof . bumper to bumper ... the brightest ideas on the American road are reflected in the Ford Family of Fine Cars. The reasons? Ford Motor Company’s total dedication to quality ... to the building of cars that help free their owners from care. Cars that require only twice-a-year or every 6,000-mile maintenance.* Cars that stay lively and young-acting longer. Cars that retain their value better. Pretty high standards, we’ll admit. But every Ford-built car-from frisky Ford Falcon to luxurious Lincoln Continental-meets them beautifully. That's why Ford-built cars give you more comfort to live in-more value to trade in! *Except Falcon extra-duty wagons FORD: Falcon, Fairlane, Galaxie, THUNDERBIRD PRODUCTS OF rfr/ed,') MOTOR COMPANY MERCURY: Comet, Meteor, Monterey, LINCOLN CONTINENTAL [ion Convention Program Page American Legion Auxiliary Convention 59-66 American Legion Auxiliary Officers 57 Annual Report (Condensed) 89-120 Church Directory 18 Commission and Committee Meetings 11-12 Contests 14 Convention Sessions 33-39 Department Commanders and Adjutants 79-80 Distinguished Guests 41-47 Distinguished Service Medal 28 Eight and Forty 67-72 Greetings to National Convention 5-9 Hotel Assignments 76-78 Memorial Program 16 National Convention Commission 49 National Convention Corporation of Nevada 50-55 National Executive Committee Meeting 12 National Officers 96-97 Parade 20-26 Past National Commanders 30 Reunions and Dinners . 73 Smith-Brooks, Denver, Colo.- 3 ! CHOICE DEPARTURE TIMES NONSTOP BETWEEN LOS ANGELES M& LAS VEGAS "'1§K BONANZfMIUHls ON BONANZA Las Vegas m SC LOW FARES. TOO! Los Angeles Applies every day (except on flights EACH departing Friday between 6 am and 10 pm or Sunday between noon WAY* and 10 pm) on 10-day return. All fares plus tax. ROUND TRIP ONLY ALL FLIGHTS JET-POWERED BONANZA AIR LINES CITY TICKET OFFICE: Sahara Hotel To The 44tli National Convention: Once again we convene in troubled and enjoy our friends to the fullest, may times with tension increasing in many areas we make certain that the actions taken of the world and with problems of America here will be thoughtfully conceived, insu- becoming more complex and acute as a re- lated from hysteria, and express the con- sult of the situation in Cuba. tinuing determination of The American We convene with pride in the history Legion that its future contributions, in the of The American Legion and in its record interests of the veteran and to the welfare, of contributions to the welfare of America the security, and the strength of the nation —its veterans, its youth, and its commu- will be ever more meaningful and effective. nities. The causes for which we were found- “What we are is good but it will be good ed, however, represent a never ending task. only so long as we are free.” Freedom does not perpetuate itself. Each I come to the end of my term with a day presents new and challenging prob- great feeling of confidence that the people that lems which demand the very best of America stand ready to place upon the every American has to give. International altar of freedom any sacrifice which free- developments and the awesome scientific dom demands. advances of the past year increase the Thank you so much for permitting me to number and the complexity of those prob- serve you as National Commander. lems. Life is made richer because of friend- Charles L. Bacon ships. At this Convention, as we meet with National Commander 5 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON July 7, 1962 Dear Commander Bacon: In these troubled times, when the world is threatened by a variety of military actions, ranging from guerrillas in the jungle to the shadow of nuclear war, Americans are dedicated to the vital task of preserving peace and our freedom. This is not an easy road, but the Americans have travelled through adversity before. My greetings to my fellow members of the American Legion on the occasion of its Forty-Fourth Annual Con- vention are necessarily remindful of these threats. In our efforts to combat these threats we have been concentrat- ing our energies in recent months in developing, in a whole variety of ways, some special forces equipped to fight guerrillas in Southeast Asia and to increase the Minuteman and Polaris, which are the heart of our deter- rent strength. As veterans who have seen the shock of war, you know there is no choice but to have sufficient military power to deter hostile nations from striking and sufficient armed strength to fight back wherever we are attacked. As we move through the difficult days of these criti- cal years it is a source of strength to me, as President, and I am sure to the members of the government, both in the Executive and the Congress, to know that we have behind us in this task of defending our country the strong support of the members of the American Legion -- the men who have in their own time given vigorous proof of their love of country, their loyalty and their determination to see their country strong, proud and free. I salute you and pledge my unrelenting cooperation in our common task for our country in the days ahead. Sincerely, THE STATE OF NEVADA EXECUTIVE CHAMBER CARSON CITY GRANT SAWYER GOVERNOR May 21, 1962 To the Legionnaires Attending The 1962 American Legion Convention in Las Vegas Dear Friends: A hearty welcome to Las Vegas and Nevada and best wishes for a very successful convention and a happy visit in this State for you, your families and friends . It is a great honor to have you Legion- naires from every part of the United States come to Nevada, for the Battle-Born State gratefully recognizes what you have done and are always doing to preserve our American Way of life and promote freedom. Nevada is very proud that you have chosen Las Vegas as the locale for your convention for we are con- fident that Las Vegas is unsurpassed as a convention city. Its wealth of luxury hotels, outstanding enter- tainment and floor shows, warm climate, and its proxi- mity to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead make it unique . I hope you will also note our many churches and fine schools, and enjoy the excellent golf links. The Las Vegas Convention Hall affords the ultimate in convention facilities to contribute to the success of your meeting. ORAN K. GRAGSON MAYOR May 23, 1962 Members of the American Legion Convention Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Legionnaires: On behalf of myself and the people of Las Vegas, I wish to extend a sincere and hearty welcome to each of you. We are very proud of the fine accommodations and unlimited entertainment we can offer visitors to our City, and we have one of the most up-to-date convention halls found anywhere in the United States. Please be assured that the people of Las Vegas, as well as myself, will cooperate with you in every way toward making your meeting a most successful one. We thank you for the opportunity to be your host at your 19 62 Convention! Sincerely, Oran k. uragson. Mayor, City of Las Vegas OKG:phc I THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF NEVADA JAMES R. CARDEN, SR., VICTOR F. WHITTLESEA Department Commander Adjutant, Department of Nevada Delegates and Guests: The Department of the Great Silver State of Nevada, The American Legion extends greetings to you on the forty- fourth National Convention. We are most happy to have you with us. We hope that Las Vegas and Nevada will afford you a pleasant stay. We sincerely wish that you enjoy the hospitality and Western culture. You can be assured that the Western hospitality of the many friends generated in your visit will be your host many times in future visits. Our great state of Nevada affords many recreational and scenic points of interst. Nevada 1 s historical background beams in all sections of the state. We hope that you have the opportunity to visit such places as Valley of Fire, Lehman Caves, Virginia City, Lake Tahoe, and Fort Churchill along with many more interesting highlights of Nevada. The offices of Department Commander and Department Adjutant will be open to you hoping that we can be of service in making your stay a pleasant one.