Legion air rifle championship begins Aug. 5

The American Legion - July 30, 2010

 

The American Legion's 20th annual Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship gets under way Aug. 5-7 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A $2,500 scholarship - donated by the Sons of The American Legion - will be awarded to the national champion in both the sporter and precision category.

During the competition, 30 competitors will aim for the national championship title in their category by shooting with a .177 caliber air rifle in three positions: prone, standing and kneeling.
The final shoot-off between the top eight contestants in the precision and sporter category will take place Aug. 7, and will once again be streamed live via the Legion's Web site from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. (MDT).

The following list features the 15 finalists competing in the precision category:
Alan Agnew, Graham, Wash.
Jennifer Armendariz, El Paso, Texas
Tyler Christopherson, Laramie, Wyo.
Catherine Green, Coventry, R.I.
Danielle Foster, Newport News, Va.
Chelsey Frink, New Philadelphia, Ohio
Matthew Martin, Eagle River, Alaska
Magdalena Mical, Clearwater, Fla.
Arielle Mouhot, Columbus, Ga.
Amber Poston, Anchorage, Alaska
Shane Russell, Mendon, Mich.
Landon Shankles, Albuquerque, N.M.
Niki Silveria, Rocklin, Calif.
Chad Wheland, Williamsburg, Pa.
Bryan Zavala, Lytle, Texas

The following list features the 15 finalists competing in the sporter category:
Hannah Black, Yorktown, Va.
Joshua Black, Yorktown, Va.
Hunter Firebaugh, Albuquerque, N.M.
Vincent Ford, Albuquerque, N.M.
Thomas French, Zion, Ill.
Carrie Garvin, Hollywood, S.C.
Ryan Holcombe, Rayville, La.
Gary Johnson, Rayville, La.
James Klaszky, Oak Harbor, Wash.
Nicko Noble, Killeen, Texas
Robert Scott, Belgrade, Mont.
Alyssa Siegfried, Zion, Ill.
James South, Iuka, Miss.
Yvonne Swiontek, Beach Park, Ill.
John White, Mt Airy, Md.

For further information regarding the upcoming Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship, click here.

 

BOYS NATION ALUMNI

Boys Nation alumni address senators

By Cameran Erny - July 29, 2010

 Boys Nation alumni, from left, Maj. Sean Morrow, Nathan Skelley, Michael Lang and Joel Leftwich wait to address the senators on Wednesday. Photo by Charlie Tucker

 

 Alan Lance, a retired judge of the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals and past American Legion National Commander, dressed in a black robe Wednesday morning in order to preside over the 2010 Boys Nation inauguration. All 98 senators convened in the Marymount University auditorium, where Lance swore into office Boys Nation President Charlie Brown and Vice President Alex Geiger. After the president and vice president delivered their remarks of appreciation, Lance conducted a question-and-answer session with the senators.
Immediately following the inauguration, the senators trekked to the gym for another senate session involving the passing of bills and resolutions. Vice president Alex Geiger presided over the session as bills were presented, debated and voted on amongst the four senate committees. To view bills and resolutions introduced by the senators, click here.

The bills and resolutions introduced are compiled and sent to the president of the United States shortly after the end of Boys Nation. They also become a permanent record of the program and are archived at The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis.

For the afternoon, the senators left campus and headed to Washington to tour the American History Museum and the World War II Memorial.

A few popular exhibits inside the history museum included the 30-feet by 34-feet Star-Spangled Banner from 1814, the First Ladies inaugural gowns, the life of Abraham Lincoln, and photos, weapons and uniforms from the different war eras.

"I like the presidential exhibit because it gave a detailed background on all the presidents and their vital roles in our history," said Ryan Niedermair from Mandeville, La.

"I really enjoyed the tour on all the wars the U.S. has been involved in," said Aditya Rengaswamy from Troy, Mich. "The global perspective of everything the U.S. has done is amazing."

The World War II Memorial, which was dedicated on May 29, 2004, honors the 16 million soldiers who served in uniform and those who died fighting for freedom. The senators walked along a circular path that displayed 56 pillars commemorating those who united during the war - U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia. Hanging from the pillars are wreaths of oat and wheat, which were two agriculture products essential to the nation's success with the global war effort.

A somber moment was felt among all 98 senators when they grasped what the World War II Memorial's Freedom Wall represented. The wall features 4,000 gold stars in honor of the more than 400,000 Americans who died fighting in the war. This was a reminder to the senators of the sacrifices the soldiers gave for freedom and individual rights.

To end the night, four Boys Nation alumni spoke to the senators about their experience with the program, how it impacted their lives and where they are now. The four men were Joel Leftwich, a legislative assistant for a U.S. senator; U.S. Army Major Sean Morrow; Nathan Skelley, an undergraduate from Cornell University who is pursuing his medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Michael Lang, an attorney for the federal energy agency.

During their presentation, the alumni encouraged the senators to get involved and not to stress about holding office positions.

"Yes, elections are a big part of the program, but it's only one part of the entire week," Skelley said. "Try to get involved because there is more to the program than elections. Remember, it's a week that shapes a lifetime, but it's also a once in a lifetime opportunity."

A fascinating and proud moment for the senators was hearing from the alumni on how Boys Nation has brought them recognition among college professors and career professionals.
For example, during an interview at John Hopkins, Skelley was asked to share his Boys Nation experience because the interviewer was a Boys State alumnus but never made it to Boys Nation like he wanted to. For Major Morrow, academically his grades were not up to standards for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. However, when they received his application and noticed that he was a Boys Nation alumnus, they knew he had the leadership skills to succeed and accepted his application.

"Hearing the four alumni speak on how Boys Nation has been instrumental in their education, life and careers was inspiring," said Colin Danly from Lake Forest, Ill. "Joel Leftwich gave us great advice in that we always need to challenge ourselves and that the process and the learning experience of Boys Nation is what we need take with us now and five, 10 years from now."

BOYS NATION

Holocaust survivor speaks to Boys Nation

By Cameran Erny - July 30, 2010

 

Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin tells her story to Boys Nation senators. 

Photo by Charlie Tucker

 

 On Thursday, Boys Nation senators climbed the steep road to Capitol Hill for a second time, as each young man was afforded the opportunity to meet and converse with their respective state senator, discussing everything from politics to baseball, and everyone walked away with memorable stories.

Patrick Samuels from Sheridan, Ind., and Ryan Byers from LaPorte, Ind., enjoyed their two-hour lunch with Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar; Tro Panosian from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Thomas Borns from Chandler, Ariz., caught a glimpse of  Arizona Sen. John McCain getting into an elevator and asked to jump on with him. He happily obliged, and even took a picture with the young men. Christian Chung from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., spoke with a four-star general along with Candy Crowley, host of ‘State of the Union' on CNN.

"Going into today I was told that you will never be ready for who you might see roaming the halls of the senate office or the Capitol," said Chung. "I met with congressman from both political ideologies and asked them a question about financial regulation and received two different answers. This was a great experience because you got to actually see valid points from both sides that you couldn't really contest. It was an eye-opening experience and just a great day."

After making it back to campus in the afternoon, drenched from the storm that suddenly came through, the senators quickly dried off, ate dinner and then were witness to a powerful presentation.

At 82 years old, Nesse Godin is a Holocaust survivor who currently lives in Sliver Spring, Md., with her husband, Jack. For the past few years, Nesse has brought her emotional, yet powerful, message to Boys Nation senators, whom she calls her 98 children. In speaking with the junior counselors who are past Boys Nation senators, Nesse was the highlight of their week back then and still is today.

Born in Siauliai, Lithuania, Nesse was only 13 years old when she knew the Holocaust affected her; she knew it was going on because she was forced to wear a yellow star to show identification as a ***** in public. "The penalty of not wearing the star was death. So I wore the star hoping I would be free," Nesse said.

Eventually, the Gestapo and a young girl came to the Godin's apartment, bringing certificates that ordered Nesse's mom, father and two brothers to the ghetto, where they were placed in a confined area similar to a jail and fed little. As the Gestapo was searching the home for valuable possessions to confiscate, Nesse's mother pulled the young girl into the bedroom, begging her to give the family another certificate for Nesse or else she would be separated from them. 

Nesse's mother paid the young girl to leave a certificate, and when the Gestapo left, there were five certificates. Had Nesse not received a certificate, her fate would have rested with the 3,500 people who perished in 15 synagogues.

By 1943, the trucks came to the ghetto to haul away her father to Auschwitz, and Nesse's mother said to her, "My child, the trucks are here. Trucks mean deportation. And deportation means separation of family." Soon thereafter, at 16 years old, Nesse was on a train to the Stutthof concentration camp and given the ID number 54015. When she arrived to camp, Nesse was stripped of her personal belongings and clothes, beaten and given a dress, a pair of shoes and underpants.

"Everything was taken from me except one thing - my name, Nesse Godin."

The older women at the Stutthof concentration camp took Nesse under their wings and provided encouragement, a huge part to her survival. She snuck into the labor camp line, an idea from the women so she wouldn't be put to death, and pinched her cheeks to look healthier and stood on her tip toes to look taller. Her labor involved digging trenches for enemy tanks to fall into.

Overall, Nesse endured the concentration camp, four labor camps and a bitterly cold death march in January 1945, during which time she saw mounds of skeletons and was one of 200 survivors out of the 1,000. During the death march, Nesse prayed to God that he would let her die because as a little girl, she couldn't suffer anymore. But it was the women that told her she had to survive because she had to tell her story and theirs.

Nesse was liberated by the Soviet Army in March 1945, weighing a mere 69 pounds. Unfortunately, her father didn't survive Auschwitz, but she was reunited with her mother and one brother before moving to the U.S. in 1950.

Her physical and mental wounds will always be a part of her, but Nesse has overcome the past by keeping her story alive. And as she knows the time will come when she can no longer tell her story, she asked the 98 Boys Nations senators a favor.

"Make a difference in this world, regardless of how we look, how we pray or where we come from," she said. "Keep the story of the Holocaust alive so it never happens again, because we cannot close our eyes when somebody is doing terrible things."

JAMBOREE

Jamboree honors a century of scouting
The American Legion - July 22, 2010

Boy Scouts of America has been celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout 2010. The year of commemoration comes to a climax at the National Jamboree July 26 to Aug. 4 at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.

Thousands of Scouts from across the country will gather to enrich their lives, reinforce Scouting skills, learn leadership and teamwork, and of course, have fun.

American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill is among the dignitaries scheduled to take in the Jamboree and spend time with Scouts and their leaders.

“The American Legion’s support for Boy Scouts of America began at the Legion’s first national convention in 1919,” Hill says. “Today, Legion posts sponsor more than 2,500 Scouting units across the country. It’s a perfect fit. Legionnaires bring their service-learned skills and experiences as veterans to help build character and positive traits in our country’s youth. Few other post activities generate more good will from the community.”

This may be the last jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill. The Scouts have been developing a permanent camp near the New River Gorge in West Virginia that will “allow for white-water rafting and other outdoor activities,” according to one BSA official. “It will also give the organization more space and, ultimately, more control, because they will own the land on which the jamboree is taking place, instead of the U.S. military.”

STATE CONVENTION

2010 - 2011
DEPARTMENT COMMANDER

 V. James Troiola

Jim lives in Nanuet with his wife Saveria. They have two daughters Laura and Jeanette.

He served on active duty with the US Navy from 1968-1974 assigned to the U.S.S. Nitro AE-23 in the Mediterranean and Guantanamo Bay.

Jim worked as a Car Dealer Service Manager Specialist for 40 years, and is currently the owner of an automotive training consultant company.

Jim is a member of the William E. DeBevoise Jr. Post 1682 in New City, Rockland County, 9th District.

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Auxiliary President Elected

Nancy G. Kurk

AUXILIARY DOWNLOADS

WANT TO VIEW downloads of Auxiliary brochures and PDF files that you may print with your printer.

 INDEX OF DOWNLOADABLE FILES:  Also sign up for E-newsletters of Auxiliary activities here:

http://www.legion-aux.org/currentmembers/index.aspx

 This is the downloadable PDF file for the Junior Activities Handbook of June 2010:

http://www.legion-aux.org/uploads/docs/JuniorActivitiesHandbookREVJune2010WEB_JF59K1.pdf

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

Legacy Scholarship tries again for grant
Vote daily for $250,000 in Pepsi Refresh Everything Project

For the second consecutive month, The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund is competing for a $250,000 grant to be awarded by the Pepsi Beverage Co. as part of its Refresh Everything Project.

While Pepsi did not announce just where the Legacy Scholarship Fund finished in its May voting competition, the top two charities win the grants and the remaining top 100 are “rolled over” to participate in the next month’s competition. During the evening of May 31, The Legacy Scholarship was ranked 49th of 1,341 participating charities.

The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors finished in first place during February’s voting and has already been awarded the top grant of $250,000.
“While I am disappointed that The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund did not win a grant, I am not surprised that we apparently finished in the top tier,” National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “If The American Legion family and all of our friends support this great cause, we can do better in June.

“Operation Comfort Warriors finished first in February. This is not about the same organization winning twice. It’s about assisting an entirely different group of deserving people: those whose parents paid the ultimate price and sacrificed their lives while serving in our military during the war on terrorism. The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund ensures that the children of these fallen heroes will be able to attend college and not have to worry about the rising cost of higher education. We can support the children of these heroes simply by voting every day throughout the month of June. The process will cost you nothing, but the reward can truly make a difference.”

Visitors can cast their votes online or by clicking on the “Vote Daily” Pepsi panel at www.legion.org.

Hill also recommended that Legionnaires, Legion family members, friends and supporters of The American Legion spread the message to vote for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund.

“Individual voting alone will not win this competition,” Hill said. “We need people to post it on their Web sites, Facebook and Twitter accounts. They should use all social-media methods at their disposal. Operation Comfort Warriors was able to win because American Legion posts, Auxiliary units, Sons of the American Legion squadrons and American Legion Riders chapters all came together and worked toward a common goal. Spreading the word in newsletters and the mainstream media can also help us replicate our earlier success.”

AUDIE MURPHY'S WIFE

Loyalty above and beyond the call of duty!!






















Audie Murphy's Wife. What a LADY...

List of decorations for Audie Murphy.
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
 Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster)

Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor device)
Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters)
U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal
Presidential Unit Citation (with First Oak Leaf Cluster)
American Campaign Medal=
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with One-Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)),
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp)
Armed Forces=Reserve Medal
French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de guerre
French Legion of Honor - Grade of Chevalier 
French Croix de guerre (with Palm)
Medal of Liberated France
Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm)

Additionally, Murphy was awarded:

|Combat Infantry Badge,
Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar,
Expert Badgeth Bayonet Bar

Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She was the widow of the most decorated WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, and established her own distinctive 35 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration hospital, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP.

Any soldier or Marine who came into the hospital got the same special treatment from her. She would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see the specialist they needed.

If they didn't, watch out. Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister.." Respect came with the job.

"Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy. "Only her boys mattered. She was our angel."

Audie Murphy died broke in a plane crash in 1971, squandering millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.

She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread throughthe VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow. It was like saying General Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," they said, over and over.
The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.

One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no.

"Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it."

The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts. She was considered "excess staff." "I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff," she told me. Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff."

She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87.  "The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project. Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys. Pam Murphy was 90 when she died last week. What a lady.

Dennis McCarthy, Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010 ~

JULY 4

NORMAN ROCKWELL'S "COURAGE" 

Check out this one.. http://www.burnpit.us/2010/07/defending-norman-and-defining-%E2%80%9Ccourage-%E2%80%9D/

Very interesting viewpoint on the meaning of "courage."

Check out other stories on the burnpit site.

76 FREEDOM CAR

76 Freedom Car at Iowa Speedway Saturday

By James V. Carroll - July 8, 2010

 

The American Legion/David Law Firm 76 Freedom will be in action

in Iowa this weekend. Photo by James V. Carroll

 

 Jerick Johnson and The American Legion /David Law Firm 76 Freedom Car is in Iowa this weekend to compete in the ARCA Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway - an .875-mile paved oval near Des Moines. Johnson enters the race 18th in ARCA championship points and third in Rookie Points. He is first in the Hard Charger category, having passed more cars than any driver this year.

"Last year was sort of bittersweet here at Iowa Speedway," Johnson said today. "We qualified ninth for the American Speed Association race, but the top nine cars were inverted after the pole winner drew the number nine, giving us the pole. We crashed the 76 Car after about 50 laps."

If Johnson is going to take the pole in the Prairie Meadows 200, he is going to have to do it on the track, not by the luck of the draw. Speed alone determines the starting position for all cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards.

Action at the track gets underway Saturday. The ARCA drivers take practice runs from 10 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Qualifications begin ay 5:15 p.m., and the 200-lap, 175-mile race is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED.

Fans unable to attend the race have an opportunity to greet Johnson and the entire Team Johnson Motorsports crew at the American Legion Post in Newton, Iowa from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. Johnson and other ARCA drivers are also scheduled to sign autographs at an area casino Friday.

WORLD SERIES LOGO

Vote for Shelby World Series logo
The American Legion - July 8, 2010

Now that Shelby, N.C., is the official site for The American Legion Baseball World Series, steps have been taken to announce this milestone in Legion baseball history. Shelby's World Series Committee has created a survey that features the design of four logos, but there can only be one winner. In order to make a final selection, they need feedback from Legion baseball fans.
Cast a vote by clicking here. The deadline to vote is July 31.

NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS

Nursing scholarship winners announced
The American Legion - July 7, 2010

The American Legion Americanism and Children & Youth Division recently announced that 10 registered nurses were awarded the Eight & Forty Lung and Respiratory Disease Nursing Scholarship. The winners each received a $3,000 stipend to further their education in pediatric lung and respiratory diseases or to prepare for positions in clinical practice and management.

The following are the 10 scholarship recipients, including their university or college of attendance:

Susan W. Blaakman, University of Rochester (N.Y.)

Jennifer Fish, University of Colorado (Denver)

Angela R. Hawk, University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha)

Julie Klopf, Washington State University (Vancouver)

Lauren E. Ochalek, Walden University (Baltimore)

Jessica Pena, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences (Orlando)

Amanda Richardson, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.)

Tyson Rutledge, University of North Carolina (Greensboro)

Dina N. Salvatore, Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing (Hyden, Ky.)

Lori A. Worley, California State University (Chico)

Since 1957, there have been 863 Lung and Respiratory Disease Nursing Scholarships awarded, totaling more than $1.5 million in educational assistance. To view eligibility requirements for the annual scholarship, click here.

ARIZONA

SPECIAL EDITION

50th Anniversary Korean War issue resurrected
The American Legion - June 1, 2010

In the history of The American Legion Magazine, few issues were as popular as the September 2000 50th anniversary commemoration of the Korean War. Hundreds of extra copies were ordered. The number in the archives at National Headquarters dwindled to fewer than five. Within its pages are stories of heroism, captivity, travail and human interest. Many of the stories and photos for that issue were submitted by veterans of the war or their families. Writers and historians addressed the deeper meanings of the war, and two pages were devoted to Korean War humor, in a special edition of Parting Shots.
 

The American Legion Web site has returned this special issue of the magazine to readers. 

Click here to read a digital version of that historic issue.

THE AMERICAN LEGION DAY

The American Legion Day—

September 16th

All posts are encouraged to have proclamations issued in their communities declaring September 16th, “The American Legion Day,” signed by the city or town mayor or manager.  Departments can obtain a similar document from their governor.

Legislative Division is working to get the House and Senate proclamations for this year.

The American Legion Day is an excellent opportunity to invite media to cover post events, highlight programs and explain to the public why their town is a Legiontown, USA. Prime venue to draw community support and recognition through open houses, charity fundraisers, disaster preparedness demonstration, 5K races, bicycle races, Legion Rider Poker Runs, “Going Back to School” ice cream social for teachers and facilities, Blue Star Banner ceremonies for active, Reserve and National Guard units and their families.

Go to: http://legiontown.legion.org/  for more information and sample proclamations.

NASC Delegates

NASC delegates learn about the Legion
By Cameran Erny - June 30, 2010

James V. Carroll

From June 26-29, nearly 1,000 middle- and high-school student council members from around the nation convened in Indianapolis for the 2010 National Association of Student Councils (NASC) National Convention. On June 27, the students visited the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Campus Center to learn about The American Legion's numerous youth programs.

Originally, the delegates were to visit the outdoor American Legion Mall, which is located next to National Headquarters, to speak with Legion staff. However, due to high humidity and possible thunderstorms, the venue changed to a meeting room located in the IUPUI Campus Center.

Students piled into the meeting room to listen to a 15-minute overview of the Legion and its youth programs from Bill Pease, the Legion's Fundraising Division director and former Americanism/Children & Youth Division director. During the presentation, Pease asked students to raise their hand if they currently are or have been involved with the organization's youth programs. Numerous hands rose for Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls State, Boys Nation, Legion Baseball and the Oratorical Contest.

"I played American Legion Baseball for the D'iberville Warriors and loved it," said Leonard Bentz from Biloxi, Miss. "I will probably play again next year since this summer I got held back due to the oil spill. My father and I are driving our boat in the Back Bay looking for oil and wildlife. We report any oil and animals that we find, and then vessels rescue, clean and relocate the animals."

Throughout the meeting room, tables were set up that housed pamphlets on the Legion's youth programs, as well as material on flag etiquette and the organization's "Get Out the Vote" program. American Legion Children & Youth Division staff, along with local Legionnaires, manned the tables and spoke about the multiple programs with NASC delegates and answered questions the students had. After hearing about the Legion's opportunities, many delegates plan to participate in the programs of interest.

"I'm looking forward to getting home and applying for a few of the Legion's available scholarships, and maybe Girls State, because both programs seem great and like a good fit for me," said Amy Haskell from Westboro, Mass.

Overall, the meeting room was filled with energy and bright attire, as each student represented their state by wearing a colorful T-shirt with a witty slogan. For example, students from Boston wore green shirts that read "Kiss Me I'm Boston," while Nevada students wore blue shirts that read "Eat, Sleep, Student Council." Moreover, some students added accessories to their already flashy attire - students from New Orleans wore blue cowboy hats with yellow feathers attached that read "Saints Fever," and Oklahoma students wore red bandanas with the state name written across the front in white lettering.

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

Montana player pitches a no-hitter

The American Legion - June 30, 2010

 

 

Kalispell Lakers' pitcher Joe Pistorese, 17, pitches in the first inning of his perfect game against the Glacier Twins in an AA American Legion Baseball game in Whitefish, Mont. Photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

 

On May 25, 2010, the Montana Kalispell Lakers American Legion Baseball team kicked off the Western AA Conference season with a game against the local Glacier Twins. At the start of the game, Joe Pistorese, a 17-year-old pitcher for the Kalispell Lakers, stood on the pitching mound with one goal in sight — a win. But what Pistorese didn’t foresee was that he would be walking off the field with sweat-drenched clothes due to achieving his second no-hitter.

“I knew I was doing my job well, and I was focused on getting the win more than anything,” Pistorese said. “It felt great when I threw the last pitch to end the game, but I didn’t realize what I had done until I looked over at my coaches (Carl Hennell and Ryan Malmin) who were running the field with a cooler to dump on me.”

Pistorese pitched his first no-hitter last summer during his second season with the Kalispell Lakers — a rare success which the left-handed pitcher attributes to studying his competitors batting stance.

“Because I’ve grown up with most of the players, and I know how they bat, I’m always pretty confident with my pitching,” Pistorese said.

However, Pistorese’s confidence was tested during the bottom of the eighth inning with only one out. As a Glacier Twins player was at bat, the opposing team’s commentator announced to the crowd that Pistorese was pitching a perfect game. Immediately following the disruptive call, 

Pistorese pitched three straight balls to the batter. But he wasn’t going to let the commentator jinx his pitching. Pistorese took a walk around the mound to clear his head and then fired three straight strikes.

“I couldn’t believe he (the commentator) did that,” Pistorese said. “After the game when I was being interviewed by the radio, I looked back at him when I was asked if anybody was talking about it (pitching a perfect game) in the dugout. Everybody in baseball knows you don’t talk about something like that when it’s happening.”

The nine-inning game consisted of Pistorese pitching a mixture of 80-mph fastballs and curveballs, allowing zero hits, walks and errors. “His curveball was my favorite pitch to call,” said Zach Brosten, a catcher for the Kalispell Lakers.

“He kept it low and it had a sharp break, and he threw it for strikes. It was nasty.”

As a result of Pistorese’s perfect pitching and his teammates great defense, the Kalispell Lakers defeated the Glacier Twins 8-0.

“I like the competition of Legion baseball,” he said. “I love my coaches as they treat me like a friend; it’s just a lot of fun.”
 

WE THE PEOPLE

"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."  -  Abraham Lincoln

 “We The People” video - - - - -


This is a great message as we are about to celebrate July 4th!!!

This video (click here), just came out. True Americans will love it. America haters will not!