<*?3& ESMERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION—THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 KSt., N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington, D. C. 20006 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 AMERICAN LEGION NEWS BRIEFS FOR WEEK ENDING 10-7-77 "America's number one priority today should be the state of our national security I for tomorrow," Congressman Robin Beard, of Tennessee, told an audience of some four |1 hundred American Legion leaders from across the nation attending Legion National Com- cmander Robert Charles Smith's banquet for the National Executive Committee. * * * A bill which will provide a 6.6 per cent across-the-board hike in benefits p for service-connected disabled veterans and eligible survivors was signed into law 1 by President Carter on Oct. 4. * * * The American Legion, through action of its National Executive Committee, will petition for legislation to require that agencies of state and local governments with 1 federal government contracts of ten thousand dollars or more be subject to all pro- j visions of the Mandatory Job Listing and Affirmative Action program for disabled $ and Vietnam-era veterans. * * * Dr. Richard Lesher, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, has urged American Legion department commanders and adjutants to become more actively involved in the preservation of our personal and individual freedoms here at home ::or run the risk of going down the tube of socialism as Great Britain already has done. ;'c & A Webber LaGrange, a vice president of American Fletcher National Bank, has been named National Treasurer of The American Legion on recommendation of National Com- mander Robert Charles Smith and approval of the Legion's National Executive Committee in session at National Headquarters. The American Legion has called for legislation to increase the Veterans Admini- stration maximum individual home loan guarantee from $17,500 to $25,000. The Legion also asked that the maximum amount of VA direct home loans be increased from $33,000 to $50,000. A * * ''YOUR AMERICAN LEGION -- IT'S GREAT TO KNOW YOU BELONG" <J37 0MERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION—THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 K St., N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington, D. C. 20006 0 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 For release 10-7-77 INDIANAPOLIS—(ALNS)—"America's number one priority today should be the state of our national security for tomorrow," Congressman Robin Beard, of Tennessee, told an audience of some four hundred American Legion leaders from across the nation here. Speaking before Legion National Commander Robert Smith's banquet for the National Executive Committee, Beard said: "Too many of the people of this great country are spoiled rotten and have come to regard national security as a consti- tutional right. Well, it isn't and we better get concerned about it right now because somebody is making more noise about it than you (veterans groups) and it is time for all concerned Americans including the 'silent majority' to speak up." Beard suggested that concerned groups and individuals invite their congressmen to come to meetings and hear how their constituents feel about the status of our national security, then let them know if they don't agree with you and tell them you don't feel you are being properly represented in Washington and then go the next step and knock on doors and let your friends and neighbors know, if they feel as you do, that you are being disenfranchised in Washington. The speaker lamented the Administration move to scrap the B-l bomber system, saying it was the most advanced air element of our triad defense concept, and now we find its replacement, the cruise missile system, is on the bargaining table in the SALT negotiations and we are willing to give it up unilaterally with absolutely nothing offered in return. He mentioned the widening gap in the status of American preparedness as com- pared with the Soviet Union in tanks, troops, ships and planes. We are told by our officials that the all-volunteer armed force system is working yet "when I go on active duty as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, I find it really isn't working as those in places of high authority say it is. We are 150,000 short in personnel in the active ready reserve and three hundred thou- sand short in the individual reserve, and that isn't indicative of a working system," he said. The speaker expressed his dismay at the Administration's amnesty program. "Any benefits coming to people who had their discharges from the military upgraded as a result of the pardon program is an insult to every veteran who served with honor. Eighty per cent of the upgraded discharges from the Vietnam era went to people who never saw Vietnam, and to get an undesirable discharge from state side or non-combat area service, one has to work for it," he continued. Beard is author of the Peard Amendment to the appropriations bill, which would bar the use of funds for the payment of benefits to any individual whose discharge was upgraded as a result of revised standards for review of discharges under the Department of Defense Special Discharge Review Program. (more) ^38 Congressman Beard Speaks before American Legion National Commander's Banquet, page 2 "President Carter has threatened to veto the bill, but I have the assurances of congressional leaders any such veto will be overridden within two hours," the congressman said. He also was critical of armed forces recruiting advertisements with slogans such as "See Europe Through the Eyes of the Army," or "Join Up and Be Stationed at the Same Base as Your Wife." There is no mention of responsibility to serve one's country. Service is now considered as just another job, and I think that is a sad state of affairs for people who go in under these circumstances never will have the sensation of truly belonging for that is something that cannot be bought or can't be taught, he continued. Beard was critical of overtures toward opening up relations with Castro's Cuba suggesting the United States should "let the Soviet Union keep that monkey on their back." He also criticized the announced intent of the Administration to unilaterally withdraw American troops from South Korea, in spite of the best military advice against such a move, for the sake of keeping a campaign promise. -alns- For release 10-7-77 INDIANAPOLIS—(ALMS)—The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, during its fall meeting here, has tentatively awarded the 1979 American Legion National Convention to Houston, Texas, for Aug. 17-23, and the 1980 National Con- vention to Washington, D.C., for Aug. 22-28 A tentative award for the 1979 Convention had been made to Kansas City, Mo. , and a tentative award for the 1980 Convention had been made to Las Vegas, Nev., but both cities were withdrawn from the list of immediate future American Legion National Convention sites. Chicago, 111., received a tentative award for the 1982 National Convention. Tentative awards for American Legion National Conventions are normally made five years in advance. Tentative dates for the 1982 Convention are Aug. 20-26. The NEC, the policy-making body of The American Legion between National Conventions, previously made tentative awards for National Conventions to New Orleans, La., for Aug. 18-24, 1978; and Honolulu, Hawaii, for Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 1981. -alns- WASHINGTON—(ALNS)—A bill which will provide a 6.6 per cent across-the-board hike in benefits for service-connected disabled veterans and eligible survivors was signed into law by President Carter on Oct. 4. The bill (H.R. 1862) will also increase, from $190 to $203, the annual clothing allowance paid to certain seriously disabled veterans whose disability tends to tear or wear out their clothing. Another bill signed by the President on the same day, H.R. 6502, will provide an automobile assistance allowance and certain adaptive equipment to veterans of World War I. Included in this measure was a provision to extend the benefit to all eligible disabled veterans regardless of period of service. -alns- JPJ9 0MERICAN LEGION NEWS SERVICE NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION- -THE AMERICAN LEGION C. D. DeLoach, Chairman James C. Watkins, Director HEADQUARTERS P. O. Box 1055 1608 KSt., N. W. Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Washington, D. C. 20006 0 (317) 635-8411 (202) 393-4811 For release 10-7-77 INDIANAPOLIS—(ALNS)—The American Legion, through action of its National Executive Committee, will petition for legislation to require that agencies of state and local governments with federal government contracts of ten thousand dollars or more be subject to all provisions of the Mandatory Job Listing and Affirmative Action program for disabled and Vietnam-era veterans. The Legion's National Economic Commission, which sought the action from the NEC during its fall meeting here, said that under the present law, state and local governments who have federal contracts are exempt from listing job openings and taking action to hire veterans. An important reason for seeking this legislation is that employers with govern- ment contracts of ten thousand dollars or more are required to list job openings with the federal and state employment service system and such employers must, by law, take action to employ and advance in employment qualified disabled and Viet- nam-era veterans. -alns- INDIANAPOLIS—(ALNS)—"The blessings of liberty which our ancestors secured for us are today, as they have always been, the birthright of every American.