September - American Legion

Transcription

Legionnaire
The Minnesota American Legion and Auxiliary
Helm takes
the helm of
Nat’l Legion
Volume 96, Number 9
Nebraska’s Mike Helm
was installed as the
National Commander of
The American Legion at the
annual convention held this
year in Charlotte.
Helm is an Army veteran
of the Vietnam War, and he
served with the 82nd
Airborne Division at Fort
Bragg. He also earned his
Ranger tab.
He is a member of
Lebanon, Neb., Post 313.
He is a retired rural mail
carrier for the U.S. Postal
Service.
Also at the convention,
the
Department
of
Minnesota won the coveted
William F. Lenker National
Service Trophy.
It is given annually to
the Department doing the
best welfare and rehabilitation work for war veterans
and their dependents. It is
the 11th time Minnesota has
won the trophy.
Department
Service
Officer Tom Newman
accepted on behalf of the
Department.
The convention featured
speeches by President
Barack Obama and new VA
Secretary
Robert
McDonald.
MIKE HELM
National Commander
Minnesota’s American
Legion Riders presented a
check for $87,000 to the
National Legacy Fund, for
scholarships to children of
those military and public
servants killed since the 911 attack.
The convention next
year will be held in
Baltimore, Maryland.
More pictures and stories on the national convention are located in this issue.
Ken Axelson’s
Story, Page 14
For God and Country
September 2014
Safe at home
Eagan’s Zach Seipel sits in the dust near home plate as Lakeville North players Ben Jensen
and Wes Ahlers question the call during the Division I State Tournament in Eagan.
Lakeville North and Plato are 2014 state
Legion baseball tourney champions
Lakeville North and St. Cloud Chutes finished onetwo in the Minnesota American Legion Baseball
Tournament at Eagan, and both advanced to regional
play.
Plato won the Division II Tournament at Luverne and
went on to win its regional tournament.
The Division I tourney featured 16 of the best teams
in the state in a double-elimination format at four fields
in the Eagan area.
Excelsior came into the tourney as the favorite, rated
first in the state. After the first two days, the four unbeaten teams were Excelsior, Lakeville North, Hutchinson
and host Eagan.
Excelsior and Lakeville North reached the finals of the
winners’ bracket and Lakeville outlasted the favorites 64.
Meanwhile St. Cloud, after losing its first game 10-0,
was working its way back through the losers’ bracket.
Walser ends 20 years as Judge Advocate
In its 96 years of existence, the Minnesota American
Legion has had 98 state commanders.
In that same span, there have been only seven judge
advocates. The sixth of those, with 20 years of service,
retired this year.
Don Walser of Hutchinson did not run for re-election in
August, and was replaced by the seventh Judge Advocate,
Tom Lannon of Prior Lake.
Walser will continue to be active in The American
Legion, and he will continue as the liaison between the
Fall Conference will
be held in Mahnomen
The 2014 Department Fall Conference will
be held at the Shooting Star Casino in
Mahnomen from Oct. 23-25.
The conference will be sponsored by
Bagley Post and Unit 16.
The annual conference is the organization’s
school of instruction. Dale Barnett of Georgia,
leading candidate for national commander, will
be attending.
To make reservations for rooms, please contact the casino/ hotel at 218-936-2621 and
request The American Legion block of rooms.
Reservations for that block may be made from
Oct. 21-26. The block code is 632397.
Preregistration for the conference can be
done by using the blank located at the bottom
of Page 2.
Continued on Page 9
Department and Heart Research Foundation.
Walser grew up on a farm near Mountain Lake,
Minnesota, and attended a country school there. “We had no
electricity, no phone, no water, and, for three years, I was
the only student in my class.”
He graduated from the then College of St. Thomas with
a degree in economics and worked in farm mortgages
before enlisting in the Army. Walser served nearly three
years in Germany, finishing his tour in 1969 as an E-5 hanContinued on Page 2
NEW NW VICE PRESIDENT -- Lori Skallerud, Madison, Minnesota, was installed
as Northwest Division Vice President at the Charlotte Convention. She was introduced to the convention by outgoing Vice President Patricia Steranka of Colorado.
Page 2
Minnesota Legionnaire
September 2014
MINNESOTA’S JUDGE ADVOCATES
Albert Pratt, Anoka, 1922-28
Raymond Scallen, Minneapolis, 1928-44
Harold Rogers, Minneapolis, 1944-49
John T. Kain, Minneapolis, 1949-59
John Kressel, Minneapolis, 1959-94
Don Walser, Hutchinson, 1994-2014
Tom Lannon, Prior Lake, 2014-
Walser steps aside
after 20 years on job
Photo contest winner selected
A photo of a small dance band, taken by Harold Brau
of Chaska Post 57 in late 1944, was the winner of the
annual Minnesota American Legion Calendar Contest
this year. Brau is playing trombone in the photograph.
He will be the winner of the $250 first prize, and the
photo will be featured in the 2015 Department Legion
calendar.
The second place winner of $150 was Allie Kronberg
of Wayzata Post 118, and the third place winner of
$100 was Kevin Rofidal of Chanhassen Post 580.
In all, twelve winners were chosen, and all will be part
of the annual calendar which will be mailed out later
this year.
Other winners were:
Mike Walsh, Eyota Post 551; Jerry Fisher, Faribault
Post 43; Rodney Hatle, Owatonna Post 77; Douglas
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Mathwig, Stewartville Post 164; Daniel Beckius,
Albany Post 482; Richard Lindsey, Red Wing Post 54;
Ron G. Helm, Kelliher Post 470; Arthur Spronkl,
Edgerton Post 42; and Don Orttel, Minneapolis Falldin
Post 555.
There were over 120 entries into this year’s contest.
The pictures are those shot or collected by veterans
during their time in the service.
The calendar is a fundraiser for the Department, and
it is not sent to all members. It will be announced when
it is mailed, and those who wish to get one can do so
for free. Donations are accepted.
s Worker’s Compensation
s Social Security Disability
s VA Disability Appeals
Antonio Tejeda Guzman
Attorney at Law
A Veteran serving Veterans
320-262-3669
877-544-3164
214 4th St. SW, Willmar
www.tejeda-guzman.com
Continued from Page 1
dling classified documents.
Back in Minnesota, he graduated from the University of
Minnesota Law School and joined a law firm in Olivia. He
worked for the firm for 39 years before retiring two years
ago.
He has been a member of three Minnesota posts:
Hutchinson, Olivia and Minnesota Lake -- each in a different district.
In 1989, he moved to an office in Hutchinson, and it was
there, in 1994, that he was approached by Department
Commander Bill Barbknecht about being a candidate for
Judge Advocate.
John Kressel had retired after a 35-year stint as the
Department’s legal expert.
“Bill suggested and cajoled and talked me into being a
candidate.”
Barbknecht said it was one of the best things he did as
commander. “Don was a post commander, and we wanted
somebody with a Legion background.”
There was one hitch in the plan, though. Past National
Commander Dan Foley also had handpicked a candidate.
Walser found himself running against the established power
structure. When the votes were counted, though, Walser
prevailed.
He said there was a certain amount of scrutiny the first
few years. “Judge Foley, Don Miller and Bob Flaherty gave
me a lot of good advice and made me a better Judge
Advocate. And, if I did anything wrong, I heard about it.”
Probably the toughest challenge in the two decades was
a dramshop suit, involving a Minnesota post, brought
against the Department. “They were looking for the deep
pockets, of course. I was amazed at the number of documents they came up with to show the connection between
the post and the Department and the national organization.”
The suit was a tragic case involving the selling of alcohol to a person who then was involved in a fatal accident.
The national American Legion joined in the suit, and an
outside law firm was hired to represent the Department.
In the end, the state appeals court ruled that the
Department was not responsible for the actions of the post.
The Supreme Court also drew a line between the post and
the Department, but its reasoning was that the Department
was not licensed to sell alcohol and thus couldn’t be sued.
As time went by, Walser said the job became easier in
some ways. “When you’ve been around longer than anybody else, you learn some things.”
One of the toughest parts of the job was telling posts that
he could not help them. “For about 90 percent of the calls,
I had to explain that I could not give advice.” (See the lawsuit above.)
His main job was to advise the Department on legal matters and on Legion rules and bylaws.
“Part of my greatest value was to give the adjutant somebody to discuss things with. You try to exercise your judgment in a helpful way.”
One major accomplishment in his tenure was to work
with Department leadership in changing to a secret ballot at
conventions. Historically, the Department had voted by
post, with each post announcing its vote on the floor of the
convention.
“I think it’s a good change, though it took out some of
the drama and excitement. But it allowed people to vote for
the best person and not have to think about who they owed
something to.”
Because there were no candidates with a law degree at
the Executive Committee meeting in August, the DEC
elected Lannon, who is a parliamentary procedure and
Legion bylaws expert, as the new Judge Advocate.
Legal matters will be referred to Mary O’Brien, an attorney with the firm of Meagher and Geer in Minneapolis.
That’s the same firm that represented the Department in the
dramshop trial.
Walser said it was a good experience for him. “I was
glad that my experience and training in a certain field could
make a unique contribution to The American Legion. It felt
good to make that contribution.”
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August DEC decides against
endorsing Riders’ constitution
The Department of
Minnesota
Executive
Committee voted to not
endorse
the
state’s
American Legion Riders
constitution and bylaws.
The constitution had
been tabled from an earlier
meeting of the DEC, when
Richard Oelschlager, the
Riders liaison with the
Department, said it was difficult to plan events and
take care of other business
without a statewide organization as defined by the
constitution.
At the August meeting of
the DEC, though, only two
people spoke to the issue,
and both spoke against the
passage of the constitution.
Judge Advocate Don
Walser said that making a
legal connection between
the Department and the
Riders could create a situation that could expose the
Department to lawsuits.
Walser reminded the
committee that the most
dangerous and most expensive lawsuit in his 20 years
as Judge Advocate came
when a family sued an
American Legion Post,
after someone who had
been served at a local post
killed a member of the family, and lawyers tried to
connect the state organization to the post.
The Department was
only spared that connection
by a 4-1 vote in the
Minnesota Supreme Court.
Even so, the lawsuit cost
over $70,000.
It was a “big lesson,”
Walser said. “We have to
maintain a separation from
the posts. We dodged the
bullet that time.”
He called the Legion
Riders a “great organization,” but he advised
against the state Legion
becoming a “sponsoring
organization” that would set
up a legal tie between the
two.
Walser said insurance
coverage for Riders events
would be cost prohibitive.
Department Adjutant
Randy Tesdahl said a connection between the Riders
and the Department would
put a strain on an office
staff that is already busy.
Tesdahl said the Riders
were designed as a post program, and that’s how it
should stay.
“The Riders are very
effective, and they are a
vital part of our organization. They have done some
awesome things,” he said. A
constitution, though, would
“clearly tie” the Riders to
the Department.
A motion was first made
to table the constitution
again, but that motion
failed. Dan Williams,
Fourth
District
Commander, moved to
reject the constitution, and
it passed on a voice vote
with no opposition.
Commander
Peggy
Moon said that the
Department did not “want
to hurt those people in any
way. I just spent an entire
day with those people. I
want them to continue to do
what they do. It’s best for
the Legion.”
In other business:
-- Tom Lannon, Prior
Lake,
was
elected
Department
Judge
Advocate. Lannon, a past
state commander, is not an
attorney, but is an expert on
parliamentary procedure
and Legion governance. He
replaces Don Walser, who
had served for 20 years.
-- Bob Locker, Fridley,
was elected to a three-year
term on the Board of
Publications, the committee
that oversees the operation
of
the
Minnesota
Legionnaire.
-- Pat Logan, the new
Membership Director, outlined his plans to send
“scout teams” to the 65
armories and Army Reserve
bases in Minnesota to talk
to the soldiers about The
American Legion. He said
he wants to see similar
scouting missions to the
state’s police and fire stations.
-- Wayne Gilbertson said
there were 658 campers at
Legionville this year, down
from 708 last year. He said
Legionville is continuing to
work with Minnesota AAA
and with the Department of
North Dakota about becoming partners with the safety
patrol camp. He said the
correct pavers have been
delivered and will be
installed at the camp. The
pavers were a fund raiser.
-- Alternative National
Committeeman Marland
Ronning said he had lost a
briefcase at the Rochester
state convention, and asked
Legionnaires if they have
information on it to contact
him.
-- The next rally will be
Sept. 6 during the Camp-ORee at Legionville. Rallies
will also be held at Apple
Valley
on
Dec.
6,
Chanhassen on Feb. 7, and
Duluth on April 25. The
March Appreciation Rally
is still being organized.
-- New SAL Commander
Dennis Henkemeyer said
that the Fisher House adjacent to the Minneapolis VA
Medical Center would be
his project for the year. He
made Commander Moon an
honorary member of the
Sons of the American
Legion.
September 2014
Page 3
844-232-8287
Official Pre-Registration
Mail to:
Bagley American Legion Post 16
Attention: Fall Conference
Box 159
Bagley, MN 56621
A registration fee of $15 for each person attending is required. Please copy and send a separate
form for each person. Make checks payable to
“Bagley American Legion Post 16”
Registration at the door will be $18.
Post # _______ Unit #______ Squad #_______
District # ________
Name __________________________________
Address ________________________________
City ___________________ State___Zip_______
Phone ____________ Email_________________
One registration blank per person.
Dr. Robert
Shelton, D.C.
Page 4
September 2014
COMMANDER’S
COLUMN
By Peggy Moon
The 2014-2015 year has officially begun, and I have
already put over 2000 miles on my new vehicle, and, as I
write this, we are preparing to leave for the National
Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Yes, Carl and I are driving.
My first major outing with the new car involved joining
our Minnesota American Legion Riders on the northern leg
of their Legacy Run. What a thrill. As most of you know,
The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund provides
college tuition to those children who have lost a parent on
active duty since September 11. Our most current information teaches us that there are now 11,000 kids on this list of
all different ages. I was privileged to join the Riders in
Little Falls. We proceeded to Brainerd, Aitkin, Cloquet,
West Duluth, Bovey, Cass Lake, and Walker, collecting
donations and the goodwill of our members all along the
way. We also ate, courtesy of all the Posts. Thank you.
The highlight of the trip was in Bovey, Minnesota.
Bovey lost a cherished son, Phil Windorski, in Afghanistan
in 2009. They have since erected a beautiful granite monument to him. When you arrive at this location, you are
greeted by all the local officials and community members,
as well as his family, which includes two lovely little
cherub-faced daughters. It is an emotional visit, and definitely a “Why do I do this?” moment. There are also plen-
Mail Call
Editor’s Note:
The letter below was sent to the St. James American
Legion Baseball Program. St. James was the winner of the
sportsmanship trophy at the Division II Minnesota
American Legion Baseball Tournament held this year in
Luverne.
Respect for the game
I do not claim to be an expert in evaluating baseball programs for what success they achieve, but have spent the last
25 years in the game as a professional baseball scout, so do
feel that I have some knowledge to what the qualities are for
a team to be considered "first class."
I had the opportunity to watch your team on the field and
off the field for several days at the Minnesota State
American Legion Baseball Tournament. I can say that I
have never seen a team, coaches, and supporters conduct
themselves in such a very professional manner at all times.
I observed all showing such great respect for the game of
baseball, respect for all the umpires, respect for all the
opponents at all times.
I have never enjoyed watching a team play more than I
did watching your team throughout the entire tournament.
You all really represented the city of St. James in fine fashion, and they sure can be very proud of your play on the
field, and actions off the field. It was easy to see why the
tournament committee chose your team to receive the Best
Sportsmanship Award for the 2014 American Legion State
Tournament.
I happened to spend some time in the class room before
moving in to the professional game, and when a student of
mine performed their assignment or project in such an outstanding manner, I awarded them a 100. Therefore, I have
enclosed a 100 for your efforts in awarding your team what
they earned in Luverne recently.
Jerry Raddatz
Scout
Los Angeles Dodgers
Winona, MN
Post program
To the Editor:
I just got the Legionnaire with the article about the ALR
and can’t believe Don Pankake’s (who I rode with on
national rides) remark. I am writing this so people attending the Aug 9, DEC will realize why there will be a lack of
MNALR present.
I have been a member of the Illinois state chapter of the
ALR (American Legion Riders) for a couple years. I was
the only participant from Minnesota in the original national
motorcycle ride to raise money for an American Legion
Fund that had very little visibility. The patch I wear says
American Legacy Run since it was put together fast and the
pony express out of Texas was going to handle the structure
requirements ( I lobbied that first year to use the ALR since
ty of tears.
All along the way, I was impressed with the professionalism, the total focus on safety, and the dedication of our
Minnesota Riders. They know what they are doing, and
they represent this organization well. The last I heard was
that they had raised over $70,000. The final amount will be
announced in Charlotte. What can you say about an organization that is capable of raising this kind of money, and
attracting new members as well. Way to go Riders. Job
well done. Thank you for allowing me to participate.
I’ve also had a couple meetings with Patrick Kelly,
Director of the Minneapolis Veterans Health Care System,
and Barry Bahl, Director of the St. Cloud Veterans Health
Care System, as well as meetings with our County Veteran
Services Officers. I can assure you that they are all working very hard to attend to all of our veterans’ needs. If you
know of any veteran in need of medical care, they want to
know. With all the frustrating publicity surrounding care at
the Veterans’ facilities, please note that 95% of the staff are
very dedicated and attentive to our needs. They certainly
care about our veterans. A nice word of support would go
a long way.
Randy Tesdahl and I also had the opportunity to meet
with Senator Amy Klobuchar and her staff to discuss veterans’ issues. We talked about the need for primary care
physicians, as well as our concern to not hurt our VA facilities when seeking solutions to this health care crisis. After
all, this is a “System Worth Saving” and we need them to
remain strong. Appropriate funding is crucial.
After returning from Charlotte, we will soon be meeting
at Legionville for our annual Camp-O-Ree. We will also be
having our first Membership Rally there on Saturday, Sept.
6. Please take some time to tour the property and discover
what still needs to be accomplished. This is my project for
the year, and we can actually complete Legionville this
year. I am so very proud that we have tackled this project
without going in debt, and that it will be there for years to
come to educate our children. What a fine legacy we are
leaving for future generations.
Gotta Go - Need to gas up the car! Till next month....
MNALR chapter 1 Post 122 rode from Deer River to
Owatonna to help Aviation Post 511 escort the moving
Vietnam Wall to Crystal). I have ridden in seven national
rides and three instate rides as an American Legion member
to help raise funds for your American Legion Legacy
Scholarship Fund
Over the past couple years I have attended Minnesota
ALR constitutional creation meetings and I don’t agree with
some things (you know me), but it will allow them to set up
a state director, and area directors with a structure that
works in every department. National has a staff position and
a committee which was created from one rider who has
been on every national ride and resides in the region created. A single structure exists to handle the Multi-State
Motorcycle Ride.
The statement that all departments are not the same is
very accurate. The Department of Minnesota is different.
They want to control a program that is part of a post. the
ALR is not a Department function, it is a post function, and
the post responsibility. A department liaison was appointed
for some reason, but apparently they put in place a person
they don’t respect or listen to, why don’t you just get rid of
that assignment, and listen to the state director the MNALR
agrees to. Ten people (district directors) report directly to
the state director. the post’s respect the chapter directors
who report directly to the district directors. that’s the way
the departments work, get over it.
Your instate American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund
Motorcycle Ride has created a windfall of new American
Legion Family members, as Scuffy Paulson proved, at the
Rushford stop this past weekend, with two new members.
We are American Legion Family members, not just
motorcyclists that just have a knack of raising money and
making the American Legion Family look good. So do me
a favor on August 9th, don’t talk about a constitution,
accept a structure. Trust me, even CEO’s ride motorcycles
All members of the DEC are hereby required to hand a
dollar to the Department Finance Officer for the MNALR
yearly ride for the scholarships for making me write this
email.
The 40/8 grande promenade, dollar at a time, coughed up
$175. (Joyce and Del Rose wrote out a check for $50, now
you have an example.)
In closing, the legacy run will reach its goal of
$20,000,000. The ALR is a program of the American
Legion at a post level. The only ALR rule is, you must be
an active member of the American Legion Family and you
must own a motorcycle. (My HD Road King is 29” long,
13” wide, and 18” tall, with an operable radius of 500 feet
(controller included.))
Dave Adam
Minneapolis
Chaplain’s
Corner
By
Steve Klinkner
We have all received a “Note of Thanks” at some time in
our life, long after we had performed the favor. When that
“Thank You” note arrived, it warmed your heart because it
shows that our action was remembered and that someone
was still appreciating the effects of your gesture.
I would like to Congratulate Alberta “Bert” MarthWohlfiel of New Ulm, and a member of New Ulm Post 132,
for being awarded the “Outstanding Senior Citizen for
2014” at the Brown County Fair. Bert is a great example of
giving her time and energy to choose to make a difference
thru dedicated service to the community and The American
Legion programs. We are grateful for her and want to say
“Thank You, Bert.”
On a sad note, John Affolter, Past MN Detachment
Commander of the Sons of the American Legion, recently
passed away, He will be missed at the Department, and
District meetings and membership rallies as attendance was
of great importance to him. We can still say “Thank you,
John” for your commitment to the veterans.
The month of August was filled with Wedding
Anniversaries. My wife Donna and I went to my
Aunt/Uncle’s 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration at
Paynesville Post 271, Brother/Sister-in-law’s 25th
Anniversary at Eagle Lake Post 617 and dancing Friends’
40th Anniversary at Wabasso Post 263. What a great opportunity to reconnect with many relatives and friends. Just
like our Lord wants us to experience the joy that comes
from knowing that we are loved by him without limits or
conditions – we enjoyed the warmth of smiles, laughter and
hugs from relatives and friends. We are so thankful for the
friendships and memories developed throughout the years.
Take time to think of your relatives and friends and when
you have experienced the warmth you received back from
those individuals.
This month, let’s warm someone’s heart by saying
“Thank You” for their service to our God, communities, and
country. We owe a debt of gratitude to so many people who
have brought us to this point of our life. Remember to
“thank” our parents, our teachers and coaches; all those
people who dedicated themselves to us in our years of education; our first boss who was patient with us and gave us a
second chance; coworkers who support us thru tough times
by just being there like family, the relative or neighbor who
inspired us with their good example; the soldiers who
fought to protect our freedom; the law enforcement, firefighters, and civic leaders who dedicated themselves to
keeping our communities safe and prosperous; and the list
goes on. Make this your quest to continue to add to this
“Thank You” list. This list should never end as you enter
into a new day of encounters. If you start writing them
down each day, you will be surprised how many opportunities the Lord gives us to experience such warm feelings you
receive from giving of your helping hand or smile.
The Lord just wants every one of us to discover His
friendship through His people and is asking us to give Him
a hand to make that happen. So this month, let us go out and
say “Thank You” or send a note of thanks, even if it was just
for a little thing to someone who quietly offers a helping
hand. And let us not forget to “thank” our veterans, active
troops and their families for the sacrifices that they have
given for our daily freedom. Keep them in your prayers.
The Minnesota
Legionnaire
Official Publication of and Owned Exclusively by
The American Legion, Department of Minnesota
Al Zdon, Editor
First published in 1920 as the Hennepin County Legionnaire,
the Minnesota Legionnaire is now in its 95th year of publication. It is published monthly by The American Legion,
Department of Minnesota, Room 300A, 20 West 12th Street,
St. Paul, MN 55155-2000. Periodicals postage is paid at St.
Paul, MN, and at additional mailing offices. The Legionnaire
is a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association and
the National American Legion Press Association.
SUBSCRIPTION: $10 for non-members. Members receive
the Legionnaire as part of their dues.
PHONE: 651-291-1800, 866-259-9163, FAX: 651-291-1057
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The American
Legion, 20 W. 12th Street, St. Paul, MN, 55155-2000. (USPS
No. 013-679.) (ISSN No. 1644270)
ADVERTISING RATES: Contact Al Zdon, 651-291-1800
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.mnlegion.org
BOARD OF PUBLICATION MEMBERS: President Peggy
Moon, St. Paul; Vice President, Bob Locker, Fridley;
Secretary Randy Tesdahl, St. Francis; Treasurer, Richard
Horn, Melrose. Board Members include: Don Amundson,
Blue Earth; Bob Locker, Fridley; Clinton Burt, Slayton; Joe
Bayer, Minneapolis; Pat Logan, Bloomington; Virgil Persing,
Columbia Heights; Chris Ronning, Maple Grove; Sandy
Fredrickson, Glenville.
What’s Happening
Hastings Home Workshop
The Veteran Work Therapy Woodshop was established in
1993 at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings so residents could have a therapeutic work environment where
they could learn a new skill or refine their woodworking
abilities.
The woodshop allows veterans to earn a paycheck and to
build self-esteem.
The woodshop produces a variety of products, but the
primary product is a high quality, handcrafted triangular
flag case. The case protects the flag given to the family of a
deceased veteran.
The cases are made only of the highest grade of solid oak
or walnut, and they are sold at a reasonable price. Sales support the program.
For more information, call 651-438-8559.
Round Table
The World War II History Round Table at the Fort
Snelling History Center will have its first meeting of the
year on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. Admission is $5.
The program will be D-Day for the Allies on Gold,
Sword and Juno beaches in Normandy. John Nelson
Rickard, will be the historian and veterans will discuss the
landings of the British and Canadians.
The Round Table is still seeking veterans for this program and also for Bastogne, Eastern front, Italy (south of
Rome), supply and logistics, Leyte, and the 12th and 15th
Army Air Forces. Call Don Patton, 612-867-5144.
Legal Clinics and StandDown
The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans is staging a series of Drop-In Legal Clinics and a StandDown in
Minnesota. The clinics will include housing, employment,
benefits, wills, debt collection, and family law.
There will be clinics at:
-- September 23, St. Cloud, VA Medical Center, Building
8, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
-- Sept. 9, Minnapolis VA Medical Center, Flag Atrium
September 2014
Page 5
Balcony Room 2S, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The StandDown will offer on the spot help for all veterans and will include employment assistance, legal consultation, tax information, benefits, wellness exam, free haircuts
and meals, dental and eyewear service and clothing.
The next StandDowns will be held Oct. 31, at the St.
Cloud, National Guard Armory, 1710 Veterans Drive, 9
a.m. to 2 p.m.
-- Effective sales and marketing training.
-- Legal considerations.
-- Networking and lunch with leading veteran business
owners.
The event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 11
a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton Bloomington,
7800 Normandale Boulevard in Minneapolis. Attendess
should register at www.AUSA Veteran Event.com.
The Veterans Administration will host a townhall meeting in the auditorim of the Whipple Building near Fort
Snelling on Sept. 12 in the auditorium.
From 9:30-10:30, the subject will be the Veterans Health
Administration and from 10:30-11:30, Veterans Benefit
Administration. It will be a listening forum for all veterans
and stakeholders.
Three Minnesota veterans will tell their stories about
their experiences in 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall
Islands at 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Good Shepherd
Church in Owatonna. The Veterans Open Roundtable is
open to everyone.
At that time, it was important for the Navy to demonstrate that it could operate in a nuclear environment, and the
government wanted to know what an atomic bomb would
do to a fleet of ships.
These veterans were on different ships during atomic
bomb tests and seeing the results of the atomic bomb damage.
For more information, contact Gene Millang, 507-3202904.
Townhall Meeting
Ads sold for program
The program for the annual Fall Conference at
Mahnomen is now selling ads for the conference booklet.
Ads are 10 inches by 3.5 inches, $100; 4 and 7/8 inches by
3.5, $75; 2 and 3/8ths inches by 3.5, $50 and single line
support ads, $25.
Send clip art and money to Farmer’s Independent, Box
130, Bagley, MN 56621, or email ad to
[email protected]. Deadline is Sept. 15. The conference
is being hosted by Bagley Post 16.
Business Symposium
U.S. Bank and the Association of the US Army are sponsoring a Minnesota Veteran Business Symposium for veteran-owned business owners and those who are thinking of
starting a business.
The symposium will cover
-- Business planning and marketing research.
-- Basic accounting.
-- Websites and social media.
-- Financing and financing alternative solutions.
Sept. 27-28, 2014
Bikini Atoll Stories
Woman Veteran of Year
The Women Veterans Initiative will be sponsoring the
Minnesota Woman Veteran of the Year Award, formerly
conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional
Office. Nominations are now being accepted.
Nominations will close on Sept. 15.
October has been declared by Gov. Dayton as Veterans
Voices Month, and the Woman Veteran of the Year award
will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Minnesota
Humanities Center, 987 Ivy Street E., St. Paul, MN, from 35 p.m.
For more information on how to nominate, contact Jeri
Longfellow, 612-747-2696 or email to: [email protected].
Appointments announced for 2014-15
Page 6
September 2014
Commander Peggy Moon announced her Department of
Minnesota committee appointments for 2014 at the
Executive Committee meeting held in Osseo.
Art Tobkin of Bagley was reappointed to a three-year
term on the Americanism Committee and will serve as
chairman. Larry Pocrnich of Hibbing will replace Tom
Kunkel, who resigned, for a one-year appointment.
Tom Hallett of Mankato will serve as Boy Scout chairman, Bob Locker of Fridley as Community Service chairman, and Gary Weaver of LaCrescent as Education chairman.
Mike Bredeck of Madison will serve as Boys State
Director, and Leon Dahle of Morristown will be chairman
of Junior Shooting Sports. Tess Davis of Princeton will
chair the Oratorical Contest and Debra Norman of
Northfield will be vice chairman.
James Blakesley of Aitkin will chair the Safety-School
Patrol chairman. Joe Jansen of Arden Hills will be the representative to the Armed Forces Service Center. Denise
Milton of Bagley will chair the Blood Program.
Terry Buraas of Grand Forks, N.D. will chair the
Children and Youth Committee and Doug Wendtland of
Red Wing will serve as vice chair.
John Bey of Baudette will chair the Citizens Flag
Alliance, and David Heidebrink of Hutchinson will chair
the Employment Committee.
Tom Schottenbauer of St. Louis Park was appointed to a
five-year term on the Convention Corporation. David Bode
of Nicollet will be parade coordinator.
Chuck Kruger of Bryon was appointed to a three-year
term on the Credentials Committee. Lynn Nottage will be
chairman. Carl Hendrickson of Cloquet will chair the
Energy and Conservation Committee.
Bill Goede of Plainview will begin a new five-year term
on the Finance Committee. Tom Mullon of Eagan will represent the Legion on the Fort Snelling Cemetery
Association.
Michael Maxa of LeCenter will chair the Fund for
Hospitalized Veterans. Others appointed to the committee
will be Wes Thompson, Sartell, Mark Dvorak, LeCenter,
Eugene Olswold, New Ulm.
Tom Conway was named chair of the Law and Order
Committee. Richard Abraham of Mankato and Jeff Brokaw
of Winona will serve on the committee.
Bill Barbknecht of Underwood will chair the
Legionnaire Insurance Trust Committee. Cal Van Horn of
Morris was appointed to a three-year term.
Roger Myren of Eagan will continue as the Department’s
representative on the Legionville Board of Directors.
Robert Hart of Oak Park Heights will chair the Legislative
Committee and Mike Ash of St. Paul, Gary Larson of
Stillwater and Bill Brockberg of Worthington will serve on
the committee.
Tim Sanken, Hutchinson, and Rosemary Niesen of
Cologne were named to three-year terms on the Brain
Sciences Foundation. Richard Magraw of Spring Lake Park
will be consultant and Dan Ludwig of Red Wing will be the
Commander’s Advisor.
Don Walser of Hutchinson will be the liaison to the
Heart Research Foundation.
Lloyd Ricker of Dawson was re-appointed to a five-year
term on the Minnesota American Legion Foundation.
Richard Gosse of Wabasha was re-appointed to a fiveyear term on the National Security/ Foreign Relations
Committee. Curt Norenberg will serve as chairman. Col.
Richard Hayes, Brainerd, and Gen. John Vessey, Garrison,
will be special advisors.
Glenn Mueller of St. Charles will chair Operation Post
Home. Chuck Stone of Owatonna will chair the Pheasant
Dinner Committee, and Arnie Troe of Emmons and Fuzz
Martin of Owatonna will be vice chairs.
David Ecker of Browns Valley was appointed to a fiveyear term on the Post Development Committee.
Ralph Schneekloth of Mabel was appointed to a threeyear term on the Public Relations Committee. Jennifer
Havlick of Two Harbors was appointed to a one-year term
replacing Teresa Ash who resigned.
Darrel Redepenning of Fridley was appointed to a fiveyear term on the Rehabilitation Committee. Don Smith of
Backus was named to a two-year term replacing Lauri
Brooke of Detroit Lakes who resigned.
Bob Hirmer of Marshall was appointed to a three-year
term on the Resolutions Assignment Committee. Jeff Olson
of Stillwater will chair.
Ray Ozmun of Northfield was reappointed advisor to the
Sons of the American Legion. Brian Medinnus of Austin
will be vice chairman, south, and Walt Folendorf of East
Grand Forks will be vice chairman, north.
Steve Nelson of Chaska was named as vice director with
a three-year term on the Baseball Committee. Bob Mace of
Waite Park will chair the Bowling Committee and John
Torma, Brooklyn Park, and Irv Tooker, Akeley, will serve.
Dan Williams, Vadnais Heights, was appointed to a fiveyear term on the Strategic Planning Committee. Tom
Fernlund of St. Cloud will replace Commander Moon with
a one-year term. Fernlund will be chairman and Roger
Olson, Hutchinson, will be secretary.
Mike Schaffer, Fulda, will chair the Trophies and
Awards Committee, and Larry Ryan, Oakdale, will be vice
chair.
Marland Ronning of Maple Grove will serve a new twoyear appointment on the Veterans 4 Veterans Committee.
Dr. Donald Jenkins, who
is director of the trauma
center at the Mayo Clinic,
was honored at the National
Convention in Charlotte for
his work with wounded veterans.
Jenkins, a former Air
Force trauma surgeon who
pioneered innovative ways
to stop battlefield bleeding,
was presented with the
highest honor the Legion
can
bestow,
the
Distinguished
Service
Medal.
National Commander
Dan Dellinger presented
Jenkins with his medal.
In other convention
news, Lt. Col. Oliver North,
told the conventioneers that
America must keep its
defense strong. “Our adversaries must at least respect
us if not fear us.”
He praised the Legion’s
leadership. “The American
Legion reminds our country
that we are still the home of
the brave.”
Sons of The
American Legion
By
Dennis Henkemeyer
As I sit here this morning trying to think of something
profound to say about our dear friend John Affolter, it finally occurred to me that it does not have to be profound. All
I need to say is that we lost a very dear friend in John. John
was a proud veteran that took great pride in his service to
his country and great pride in his involvement with The
American Legion and Sons of The American Legion. He is
someone that will be truly missed and had a heart of gold.
I want to thank PNC Joe Mayne for sharing my letter with
those in attendance at his wake. Rest in Peace John.
Denise and I are less than a day away from leaving for
the national convention in Charlotte. This event marks the
end of a year and the start of a new one. I am excited about
the year ahead and know that the Detachment of Minnesota
will make huge inroads when it comes to our programs and
our membership. I look forward to working with
Commander Moon and President Ronning.
There are a couple of big events coming up in the next
month or two that I would like to touch on. First is the
annual Legionville Camp-O-Ree which will also include
our first department membership rally of the year. I look
forward to seeing many campers at this very enjoyable
weekend. The Sons of The American Legion will be providing many of the meals at very reasonable prices.
Also, the Detachment of Minnesota has its annual John
Zgoda Memorial Deer Hunt for Disabled Veterans. The
event will take place from the 3rd of October and run
through the 5th. We are limited to the number of deer
hunters that we have that weekend, so I would encourage
you to make your application as soon as possible. Also,
volunteers are needed in the kitchen and to sit in the deer
stands with the hunters.
As I have mentioned previously, my project for the year
is the Fisher House in Minneapolis. We want to stack the
shelves and pack the pantries. Checks for this worthwhile
project should be made payable to “MVAHCS” and make
sure to put “Fisher House” on the memo line. A donation to
the Fisher House serves our military and their families in
times of need. You can either present your check at any
upcoming department or detachment event or if you would
prefer to send it, please mail to: Detachment Adjutant Doug
Bible, 5602 West Oakes Drive, St Cloud, MN 56303.
Together, let’s propel to the top.
Mayo doctor honored with American Legion’s highest award
Jenkins and others pioneered a different type of
battlefield transfusion, and
also reintroduced the use of
tourniquets on the battlefield.
He is a member of
Rochester Post 92, and he
mentioned the post during
his remarks.
Jenkins praised the work
of battlefield medics. “A lot
of lives were saved before
they got to us thanks to the
medics.”
Membership Chart
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
At-large
Totals
As of August 27, 2014
2015
Goal
9,976
8,110
12,486
2,554
2,959
12,698
7,245
4,768
7,443
11,243
2,340
81,822
Total
2014
9,918
8,026
12,421
2,530
2,936
12,627
7,167
4,727
7,378
11,189
2,338
81,257
Total
2015
4,897
3,529
5,637
1,283
1,392
5,771
3,271
2,416
3,661
5,318
1,474
38,649
Percent
of Goal
49.09
43.59
45.15
50.23
47.04
45.45
45.15
50.67
49.19
47.30
46.68
46.78
Same
Date ’13
4,679
3,666
5,010
1,265
860
5,490
3,210
2,441
3,741
5,671
1,278
37,311
President Barack Obama
brought with him his new
VA Commissioner Bob
McDonald, who spoke after
he did at the convention.
Obama said progress
was being made in correcting the problems with the
VA health care system, but
much work remains. “The
misconduct we’ve seen,” he
said, “is outrageous and
inexcusable.”
He acknowledged that
the Legion had been in the
forefront of the effort to fix
the VA problems. “We’re
focused on this at the highest levels. We are going to
get to the bottom of these
problems. We’re going to
fix what is wrong.”
He said there would be a
new culture of accountability in the VA. He also said he
was not promoting a voucher system.
The Legion honored
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-
Licensed, bonded, insured
Vermont, and Rep. Jeff
Miller, R-Florida, with the
annual Patriot Award.
Sanders, who chairs the
Senate’s
Veterans
Committee, told the convention that “the cost of war
is much greater than most
Americans think it is. The
cost doesn’t end when the
last bullet has been fired or
the last missile launched.”
He recounted the plight
of the veterans flooding our
hospitals with brain injuries
and who are suffering from
post traumatic stress. And
he talked of the widows of
the 7,000 Americans killed
in recent wars.
“If you are not prepared
to give the veterans the benefits they have earned, then
don’t sent them to war.
He said the VA problems
must be fixed, but noted
that system generally provides very high quality
health care. “It’s not a question of quality, it’s a question of timeliness.”
JENKINS HONORED -- Dr. Donald Jenkins, a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic and former Air Force combat
surgeon, was given the Legion’s highest honor, the
Distinguished Service Award. He is shown, from left,
with members of the Minnesota delegation: NECman
Ray DeZurik, Past Commander Mike Ash,
Commander Peggy Moon, Jenkins, Past National
Commander Dan Ludwig, Past Department
Commander Bill Goede. Jenkins is a member of the
Rochester Post 92.
September 2014
Page 7
Baseball 2014
Eagan and Luverne
With all the teams on the field for the Division I opening ceremony, Eagan Post 594 Commander Tom Mullon led the players in the Legion code.
Members of the Excelsior team try to prolong a rally with an arm salute to their players on the bases at the Division I tourney in Eagan.
The St. James team went in the stands after a game and shook hands with the
crowd. St. James won the Division II Tournament’s Sportsmanship Trophy.
Foley players in the Division II tourney placed their hats on the ground and held
their hands over their heart during the playing of the National Anthem.
The Eagan players saluted their teammates with a thumbs up signal during Divison
I action in Eagan.
Page 8
COMMANDER MIKE ASH
Division I banquet speaker
September 2014
TWINS GM TERRY RYAN
Division I banquet speaker
SCOTT HACKETT
DENNIS FREY
Coach of the Year
Legion Baseball Hall of Fame
The pitcher of the year for Division I
went to A.J. Sayer of Lakeville North.
Dean Atchison, center, was given the
Graduate of the Year Award by Al
Davis and Slick Miller.
The field at Luverne was decorated to note the Division II state tournament.
Walker Froehling of St. James was presented the game ball for his perfect game
by staff member Bob Nistler. Froehling was named the outstanding player.
Luke Pettersen of Excelsior shows that baseball can sometimes be a dirty game.
Many of the Division II photos were provided by Digitell Studio in Luverne.
Baseball 2014
September 2014
LAKEVILLE NORTH, DIVISION I CHAMPIONS -- Lakeville North won the Minnesota American Legion
Baseball Division I Tournament at Eagan. Front Row (Left to right): Wes Ahlers, Joey Larson, AJ Sayer, Nick
Dorfman, Matt Petrick, and Kyle Rhodus. Back Row (Left to right): Jared Simon (Head Coach), Nick Oblak,
Drew Stewart, Brett Herber, Angelo Altavilla, Cole Nonweiler, Ben Jensen, Billy Riach, and Brandon LaRue
(Assistant Coach).
ST CLOUD CHUTES, DIVISION I RUNNERS UP -- St. Cloud Chutes came in second in the Minnesota
American Legion Baseball Division I Tournament at Eagan. Front Row (Left to right): Tom Imholte, Brian Minks,
Camren Dehler, Jeff Fasching, Nathan Giambruno, Jack Schramel, Jeremy Hartung, Dominic Austing. Back
Row (Left to right): Erik Ellingboe (Assistant Coach), Zach Sufka, Bryant Bohlig, Steven Neutzling, Brindley
Theisen, Tommy Auger, Jake Spaniol, Jake Gross, Brady Yoerg, Dave Wenner (Manager & Head Coach).
Page 9
They beat Hutchinson 12-11 in 10 innings to advance to the
semifinal game against Excelsior.
St. Cloud prevailed 7-3 and qualified for regionals, since
Minnesota sends its top two teams. It was the first time in
five years that a team outside the Twin Cities had earned a
regional berth.
In the title game, Lakeville North defeated St. Cloud 51.
St. Cloud’s Jeff Fasching was named the outstanding
player of the tournament, and the outstanding pitcher was
A.J. Sayer of Lakeville North. Hutchinson won the sportsmanship trophy.
Fasching batted .516 in the tourney with an .806 slugging percentage. He had 16 hits, the most in the tournament,
and 10 runs batted in. Sayer had a win and a save, and
opposing batters batted .188 against him. He had seven
strikeouts and allowed only two earned runs in the tourney.
Lakeville North and St. Cloud went on to the regional at
Fargo, N.D., where they took on six other teams in the
Central Plains Regional. Lakeville North defeated West Des
Moines, Iowa, 7-3, but then lost to Bismarck 12-2 and
Omaha Creighton 10-2 to fall out of the tournament.
St. Cloud, however, continued on a roll and defeated
Omaha Creighton 10-1, Fargo 4-3, and Bismarck 5-0 to get
to the final games undefeated. The Chutes were in the catbird seat as the only undefeated team.
Unfortunately, they lost to Omaha Westside 16-6, and
then, in the title game, lost to the same team 5-3. St. Cloud
loaded the bases in the ninth and scored a run, but Omaha
prevailed. Steven Neutzling, who also played very well in
the state tournament, went 3-4 with two runs and an rbi in
the final game.
In the Division II Tournament, Plato advanced through
the first two games of the single-elimination eight-team
tourney by beating Dilworth 5-3 and Foley 9-1. Also coming through to the final game was St. James who won over
International Falls 1-0 and Luverne 5-1.
Foley topped Luverne 3-2 in the third place game, and
International Falls defeated LaCrescent 8-4 to take the consolation title.
In the championship, Plato shutout St. James 6-0. Tanner
Grack pitched a one-hitter for the win.
In the third game of the tournament, St. James’ Walker
Froehling pitched a seven-inning perfect game. He also
pitched two inning of hitless relief in the next game. He was
named the tourney’s outstanding player.
The sportsmanship trophy went to St. James.
At the regional tournament in Milbank, S.D., the cradle
of American Legion Baseball, Plato defeated Waupan, Wis.,
5-1 in the final for the championship. Teddy Peterson was
named the tourney most valuable player as he went 8-10
batting. Cole Peterson picked up the win in the final game.
The Division I tournament was kicked off by a banquet.
Dennis Frey of Howard Lake was named to the Hall of
Fame, and Bird Island and Olivia were named co-Posts of
the Year. Scott Hackett of Eden Prairie was named Coach of
the Year.
Terry Ryan, general manager of the Twins, was the featured speaker.
At the Division II banquet in Luverne, Dean Atchison of
Moorhead was honored as Graduate of the Year.
Next year’s Division I tournament will be held in
Chanhassen. The Division II tournament will be held in
Morris.
PLATO, DIVISION II CHAMPIONS -- Plato won both the Minnesota Division II championship and the title at the
Central Plains American Legion Regional. Players on the team included: Colton Lueders, Tyler Chap, Bennet
Bielke, Reed Wawrzyniak, Carter Pinske, Levi Vorlicek, Teddy Peterson, Zach Jungclaus, Mason Goetti, Nolan
Lepel, Tristan Weber, Tanner Grack, Jacob VonBerge, Mitchell Pinske, Cole Peterson, Alex Romano, Aaron
Boraas, Josh VonBerge. Coaches were Matt Odegaard, Tim Lepel, and Tom Chap.
ST. JAMES, DIVISION II RUNNERS UP -- St. James came in second in the Minnesota American Legion
Baseball Tournament at Luverne. Members of the team were: Walker Froehling, Jacob Ziemer, Tyler Witcraft,
Bransen Petersen, Zachary Brandts, Derek Meyer, Simon Beck, Christopher Jones, Derrick Shupe, John Olson,
Justin Stevens, Evan Mortenson, Ryan Menssen, Devin Wolfe, Brady Halvorson, Johnathon Peterson, Jaren
Skarphol, David Bradley.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, DIVISION I -- Jeff
Fasching of the St. Cloud Chutes was chosen as the
Division I Outstanding Player, winning the Fred
Wanamaker Award. Fasching led the tournament in
hits with 16 hits.
Page 10
Minnesota’s
2014 - 2015
Leadership Team
September 2014
PEGGY MOON
St. Joseph
COMMANDER
GLENN MUELLER
St. Charles
VICE COMMANDER
ARNE GYNILD
Willmar
VICE COMMANDER
PAT LOGAN
Bloomington
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
DENNIS DELONG
Bloomington
VICE COMMANDER
GARY OLSON
Moorhead
HISTORIAN
MEL BUESSELER
Hillman
VICE COMMANDER
STEVE KLINKNER
Madelia
CHAPLAIN
CARL HENDRICKSON
Cloquet
VICE COMMANDER
CLINTON BURT
Slayton
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
MYRON EHRICH
West Concord
DIST. 1 COMMANDER
JENNIFER KAFKA
Blue Earth
DIST. 2 COMMANDER
DUANE ANDERSON
Elysian
DIST. 3 COMMANDER
DAN WILLIAMS
Vadnais Heights
DIST. 4 COMMANDER
WAYNE GLANTON
Minneapolis
DIST. 5 COMMANDER
CARL MOON
St. Joseph
DIST. 6 COMMANDER
VICTOR GADES
Morris
DIST. 7 COMMANDER
WILSON SPENCE
Duluth
DIST. 8 COMMANDER
THOMAS NORGAARD
Shevlin
DIST. 9 COMMANDER
THOMAS SANDERS
Pine City
DIST. 10 COMMANDER
Peggy Moon
Department Commander
2014-2015
Peggy Moon was installed as The American Legion Department of
Minnesota Commander in July, 2014. She is 98th commander of the
Department and the first woman.
Moon is a veteran of the United States Air Force, 1971-74, during
the Vietnam War. She has been a member of Zimmerman Post 560 for
36 years, and is a past commander.
She has been adjutant and commander of the Sixth District, and at
the state level she has served as Deparment Vice Commander,
Membership Director, and has served on the Employment
Committee, Post Development Committee, Internal Affairs
Committee, Public Relations Committee, Strategic Planning
Committee and the Convention Corporation.
Moon was the Minnesota representative to the dedication of the
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and she has been a longtime volunteer
at Boys State and the Oratorical Contest.
At the national level, she is currently the vice chairman of the
Committee on Children and Youth and she is vice president of the
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. She has also served on
the Distinguished Guests Committee and she is a life member of
ANIVICUS.
Moon served as chairman of the Minnesota Gambling Control
Board for 10 years. She is an alumna of Minnesota Girls State.
She and her husband, Dr. Carl Moon, live in St. Joseph. Carl is the
commander of the Sixth District this Legion year.
Moon’s theme for the year is “Celebrating Courage.”
Chris Ronning
Department President
2014-2015
Chris Ronning is a 24 year member of the American Legion
Auxiliary and is a member at the Osseo-Maple Grove American Legion
Auxiliary. Her eligibility is through her husband, a Vietnam era veteran
and her son, Craig, a combat wounded Desert Storm Veteran.
She has been an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary
serving in most offices and served as unit president two times. She went
on to become District President in 2002-2004 and lead her District
achieving their Membership Goal. Chris also served on the rural
County Council holding several positions including President two
times. She has also been active in the 40&8 and held the office of
Grande President de Minnesota.
Ronning held several Department Chairmanships, including
Legislation three times, VA&R, Leadership, Home Service and
Membership Chairman.
She also served as Department Second Vice President, First Vice
President and went on to become Department President for the year
2014-2015.
Ronning retired after 28 years as a Corporate Travel Consultant and
lives with her husband Marland in Maple Grove
Ronning loves to read in her spare time, which is very seldom and is
an avid fan of NCIS. She enjoys helping with steak fries, bake sales and
anywhere they need help at the American Legion Post in Osseo.
She was born in Heidelberg Germany and came to this country at the
young age of 19, where she raised one son and two daughters and now
Chris and Marland have a combined family of 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 16 great grand children.
Her symbol is the poppy and a butterfly and her theme is: Our
Veterans -- Past, Present and Future.
September 2014
Minnesota Legionnaire Page 11
Page 12
September 2014
National
Convention
Charlotte
Minnesota’s massed colors were once again a highlight of the national parade held in downtown Charlotte.
President Obama promised changes in the VA health care system.
The convention hall exploded in applause when Commander Mike Ash announced
that the Minnesota American Legion Riders had brought in $87,000 for the National
Legacy Fund.
Minnesota’s leadership teams from this year and last year were challenged to the
ALS ice bucket challenge at the Charlotte Sheridan.
The Ninth District Band performed outside the hotel
during the convention.
Minnesota recieved the prestigious Lenker Trophy for
outstanding rehabilitation services.
The Minnesota Party had a Jimmy Buffet theme,
including parrots and colorful shirts. Past Commander
Mike Ash and Past President Shirley Frederick
dressed for the occasion.
September 2014
Past National President Kris Nelson of
Baxter read a poem during the installation of officers.
Chuck Kruger, Byron, read the resolutions of the Conventional Armed
Forces Committee which he chairs.
Bill Goede, Plainview, gave the final
report of the National Guard and
Reserve Forces Committee.
Page 13
Ferdie
Haberman,
Brewster,
marched in the parade. It was his
49th national convention.
Honorary Junior President Jules Efta, left, danced with
her sister, Lexus, at the National Commander’s event.
Department Commander Peggy Moon and husband
Carl posed at the National Commander’s Banquet.
Department President Chris Ronning and husband
Marland enjoyed the National Commander’s Banquet.
Mike and Teresa Ash do a selfie during the Minnesota
Party. Over 100 Minnesotans attended.
Dr. Donald Jenkins of the Mayo Clinic received The
American Legion’s Distringuished Service Award for
his work in helping returning veterans. He is chief of
Trama, Critical Care and General Surgery at the clinic
and a member of Rochester Post 92.
Harold Bergstrom and Mel Buesseler sat with incoming National Commander Mike Helm at the Triple
Members of Past Department Commander Roger
Olson’s Third District team posed at the National
Convention. The four served together when Olson
was Third District Commander. From left: Past
National Vice Commander Don Hayden; Past
Department Commander and Judge Advocate Tom
Lannon; Olson; National Vice Commander and Past
Virginia Department Commander Richard Neville.
Past Commander Mike Ash passed the gavel to
Commander Peggy Moon at the Minnesota Caucus at
the convention.
Phil Bellefeuille, left, and Tom Fernlund, right, were
inducted into the ANAVICUS honor group at the convention. They posed with Past National Commander
Dan Ludwig, who is vice president of the group.
Page 14
September 2014
A medic from
D-Day
to the Bulge
H
By Al Zdon
e might have stayed home on a farm deferment.
He might have stayed in a nice, safe Army field hospital
posting.
He might have avoided joining the Airborne and being
captured by the Germans at the Battle of Bulge.
But in the end, Ken Axelson of Wanamingo experienced
his share of World War II history first hand.
Axelson, who turned 90 this year, was in high school
when the war started, and he didn’t join the Army until
1943. But in the next year and one half he managed to land
on Omaha Beach on D-Day, do his duty at Bastogne, and
spend his remaining months in the service as a guest at two
different German stalags.
A
lbert Kenneth Axelson grew up during the Great
Depression on a farm near Welch, about 10 miles
west of Red Wing, Minnesota. The fifth of six
children, he milked cows and did just about every other
farm chore as he grew up.
“I never thought we were poor, but then everybody was
poor. The highlight of the week was Saturday. My dad
would go to the tavern, but when he came home he’d bring
a tub of ice cream. He’d wake us up, and we’d all get
spoons and dig in.”
When it was time to leave the little one-room school
house in Welch, he was forced to live with a cousin in Red
Wing while he went to high school. “I didn’t like that a
hoot, so I dropped out after one year.”
The following year, though, Red Wing instituted school
buses, and Axelson was back at school, graduating with the
class of ’43. “They had classes to get you ready for war like
aeronautics, where you learned to identify enemy aircraft –
not that it helped a great deal.”
When he graduated, he was offered a job as a farm laborer on a neighboring farm, a choice that would have given
him a deferment from the draft, but he chose the Army
instead.
He wanted to be a pilot, “but I guess they needed medics
more than pilots, and so they sent me to school at Camp
Barkley in Abilene, Texas. Here I was, a gun nut all my life,
and they make me a medic.”
In November, he was on his way overseas on the RMS
Aquitania, a trip across the Atlantic that took nine days. In
England, he was assigned to a replacement depot.
“They’d have us out marching on the parade ground, but
the fog was so thick that when the unit did ‘about face’ I’d
just keep going and go back to the barracks.”
He made a good friend, Fernley Bush of Mankato, at the
depot. As D-Day approached, both got their orders: Axelson
to the 393rd Medical Collection unit then stationed in
Wales, Bush to the 29th Infantry Division. Both landed on
Omaha Beach at Normandy on D-Day.
Axelson was not happy with his assignment. “It wasn’t
pleasant at all. It was a chickenshit outfit. It was run by doctors and not by soldiers. Plus, they were all from Ohio and
Kentucky, and if you weren’t from there, you were nothing.
Plus, as a replacement, I got all the bad jobs.”
Axelson remembers being transported to the south of
England, and being sequestered for a week waiting for the
Ken Axelson grew up
in southern Minnesota
on a farm. Despite his
love of guns, the Army
in its wisdom made
him a medic. Unhappy
at a field hospital, he
volunteered for the
Airborne, and he was
captured at the Battle
of the Bulge.
invasion. “We were in the same camp as the 1st Division,
and they had been at Anzio. In the chow line, I could
observe that these were pretty sober guys. There was very
little BS-ing. They knew what was coming because they’d
been there.”
On the great day, Axelson and his comrades were loaded
on an LCT – Landing Craft, Tank – for the journey across
the English Channel. “There were two cranes on board and
a bulldozer that was carrying crates and crates of TNT.”
The LCT came in about noon on D-Day to Omaha
Beach. “I remember in high school, we use to debate about
where the invasion would be. And now here I was looking
at it.”
There was still plenty of shelling on the beach, but little
small arms fire at that moment.
“The two cranes never made it to shore. The bulldozer
made it to the beach, but then it was hit by artillery and with
all that TNT on board, it just disappeared.”
The tide was out, and the water was only ankle deep. “As
I made my way ashore, I went past the wreck of a Higgins
Boat, and I saw three 45s and holsters hanging from the
wall. I just grabbed them as I went by. I gave two to my
buddies, and kept one. I never used it in combat, but I liked
having it. Now and then we’d just go out shooting for fun.
There was plenty of ammunition. I ended up selling it for
$20.”
The conditions with the medical unit, which had been set
up on Omaha Beach and stayed there for three months, didn’t get better. “There was shakedown after shakedown. I
really think they were looking for those 45s. But we hid
them in our gas mask containers, and they never found
them.”
The sleeping arrangements also weren’t top notch. “The
officers got one 16-man tent to themselves. They even had
wooden floors. We were out in pup tents sleeping in the
rain.
“One day, one of the guys, probably he was drunk, went
into an officers tent and went to sleep in his sleeping bag.
When the officer came back, it wasn’t a great scene. But not
long after that, they moved us into the bigger tents.”
After about 10 days on the beach, Axelson saw some
KEN AXELSON
In the Army during World War II
KEN AXELSON
At home in Wanamingo
paperwork on his friend, Bush, that said he was wounded
and being moved through the 393rd. “But he never arrived.
He died before he got there.”
Axelson’s work was mainly as a stretcher bearer. “We
were just grunts all summer. We worked seven days a week,
all day long. We had German prisoners that didn’t work as
many hours as we did.”
After Operation Market Garden in September, the
American Airborne units had a need for medics. “My buddy
worked in the office, and he saw a flyer come through that
the 101st Airborne needed volunteers. All three of us
replacements signed up, and we all got transfers.”
“It was different from the day we got there. These guys
wanted to be friends with us. We were somebody when we
were there. We had a little status in combat.”
The men were sent to the 101st Airborne base in England
for training. “It was only two weeks, but it was very intense.
I had become a little soft being with the 393rd, so it was a
struggle, but I stuck it out.”
The finale of the training was for the would-be paratroopers to jump out of an airplane five times in one day.
Yes – five times in one day.
“Everybody wonders if they’ll be able to go out that
door. On the first jump, I was the second guy in the stick,
the second guy out the door. Sure enough, the guy in front
of me froze. He wouldn’t go. So there I was stuck behind
him. But Sergeant Pinky, that’s what we called him, just
kicked me in the leg and said ‘Let’s go.’
“And out the door I went. It was a good feeling to see
that canopy puffed out above me. I thought, ‘This isn’t so
bad.’ ”
Axelson, who has a vivid memory of the war, said he
frankly doesn’t remember the other four jumps that day. But
he was awfully proud and happy at the end of the day to get
his jump wings.
He was assigned as a medic to the Second Battalion of
the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Meanwhile, paratroopers from the 101st were slowly filtering back to England. Eventually, the whole unit was
withdrawn from Holland and everyone was reunited at
Mourmelon, France, for rest and recuperation.
“We were in a French barracks, four to a room. One of
the guys in my room had performed a tracheotomy on a soldier on the battlefield and had earned a Silver Star.”
After only a few days in Mourmelon, Axelson was working CQ “Charge of Quarters” and was sitting near the telephone. News started filtering in about a breakthrough in the
Ardennes. “I remember an officer asking me if I’d ever seen
any combat. I said, well, I’d been on Omaha Beach on DDay.”
On Dec. 17, 1944, the day after the Battle of the Bulge
began, the men of the 101st got ready. “We showered and
got new clothes. On the 18th, we got into trucks and headed north. They were big grain trucks, and we just walked up
the ramp and they closed it behind us. No top. It was colder than all get out.”
The 101st arrived near Bastogne just at daylight.
“When we got off the truck, and a Belgian told us we
were already surrounded. The machine gunner had too
much to carry and he dropped a couple of magazines. I didn’t have that much, and so I picked them up. I think those
500 rounds came in handy later.”
“We were dropped off between Champs and
Longchamps, just north of Bastogne. We walked about a
half mile into Longchamps and set up an aid station. That
was our home for the next two weeks.”
Axelson’s duties were much different than being a grunt
with the 393rd. As a combat medic, he had to sprint to rescue soldiers who had been hit, and administer aid when he
got there. At the aid station, he also was entrusted with medical duties.
A
rmy food could sometimes be supplemented with
some scavenging. “I snuck into a farmer’s barn
one day and I milked his cow into my helmet. I
brought it back to the station and the officer chewed me out
for drinking raw milk. All the farm boys got a kick out of
that. We had Germans all around us, and he was worried
about raw milk.”
The aid station was somewhat removed from the main
perimeter. “We didn’t have soldiers in foxholes around us,
so we would send out a patrol every hour to go to Champs
and back. On Christmas morning, the news was not good.
German soldiers were seen on the road.
There were only a handful of troopers at Longchamps,
and the officer in charge split them into two squads of about
nine men each, and a medic was sent with each squad.
“We were the only medics available. We dug in on the
side of the woods. This was about three in the morning and
it was pitch black. All night we watched the machine guns
on both sides. The American tracers were red, and I thought
the German tracers were green, but I was later told they
were silver.
“In the morning, the Germans wanted to cross the road
and get into the woods behind us. But our machine gunner
kept them back. The Germans sent a guy with a light
machine gun to come around on our machine gunner from
the side, but he was picked off before he could fire a shot.”
The U.S. was dumping mortar shells on the German
position, and they were forced to withdraw. “All night long
we could hear them talking and digging in among the rocks,
September 2014
Page 15
The building where the aid station where Axelson
worked near Bastogne still stands. Axelson has been
back to Belgium to visit some of the sites where he
spent the war.
but now it was quiet. They were gone.”
The little squad held its position all day, and then
returned to the aid station just before dark.
On January 3rd, 1945, the Germans brought 18 tanks up
the road. “We could see them coming. I was out bringing in
the wounded. I tried getting into a foxhole, but it was only
half dug. I could only get my legs into it. And I had to take
off my two medical bags to fit in the hole at all.”
W
ithin moments the position was surrounded by
the tanks. “There was nothing our officer could
do but put his hands up. They took us away,
and I forgot those two medical bags. I really regretted that.
I could have used that stuff later. Plus, I’d just got six
chocolate bars and I’d only eaten one of them.”
The men were marched alongside the German tanks for
a ways. “One of the tanks fired its cannon while I was right
next to it. It blew my helmet right off.”
The Germans had in prior days committed a war atrocity at Malmedy, shooting 84 American prisoners. Word of
the massacre had filtered through the American ranks.
“The same day we were captured, we had heard about
Malmedy. That changed everything in the Battle of the
Bulge. Guys didn’t want to get captured after that. And the
Germans who were captured didn’t fare too well either.”
“When we got to where we were going that day, they
took my wristwatch and went through my pockets and took
what they wanted. I didn’t have much.”
Marching the next day, an American artillery shell came
in and hit the little column of prisoners of war. “It cut one
of our guys right in half. I guess they call that friendly fire.”
Escaping didn’t seem like a good idea. “It did cross my
mind, but being a prisoner isn’t something you train for. It
seemed like a better idea to just stay alive and stick it out.
You could see the Germans weren’t long for the war. They
were delivering supplies with horses and with trucks
pulling trucks. We were delivering supplies with airplanes.”
Plus, Axelson’s medical skills were needed for his fellow
prisoners, three of which had been shot – one of them
through both buttocks. “I had my Red Cross brassard on,
and I think it saved me from a few lumps, maybe. Mostly
the German troops just ignored me.”
Along the way, Axelson was interrogated. “It was by a
German officer, and he sat behind a desk. He was all spiffed
up, and a good looking guy. I told him that I was a noncombatant and by the Geneva rules, I should be sent to
Sweden or Switzerland for the duration of the war.
“He laughed and said he had been to Sweden many
times, and it was a beautiful country. ‘Too bad you’ll never
see it.’ ”
There were two guards with a small group of prisoners.
“One of them threw a snowball, and he said that was all the
fighting he planned on doing. I got into a truck before him,
and he handed me his rifle while he climbed up. But then
they put him in another truck. So the whole time I was in
the truck I was holding his rifle. It was a semi-automatic
like I’d never seen before. I took it apart and put it back
together as we rode along. I wanted to find out how it
worked.”
By January 6th, the prisoners had been marched to a
stockade in the woods, and Axelson just remembers how
cold it was. “I jogged all night just to keep my feet from
freezing.
The next night was in a large warehouse. “They fed us
some barley soup, and I thought it was really bad. I didn’t
know that would be the best food I’d have for the next few
months.”
Some of the prisoners were giving a guard a hard time,
and to show his authority he fired his rifle into the air. “The
rifle just blew up, and the action just fell on the ground.
Now he was unarmed just like us.”
One night along the march in a crowded building,
Axelson was overcome with a need to urinate. He had to
wend his way through the sleeping bodies in the pitch dark
to get to the bath tub the men were using as a facility. “I
Axelson and his family posed for this photo in 1945,
after he had returned from the prisoner of war camp.
He is at lower right.
Axelson saved the document that officially proclaimed
him a parachutist after his two-week training in
England. Note that the certificate is signed by Captain
Herbert Sobel who was a featured character in the
HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”
Stalag 9B, considered one of the worst prisoner
camps in Germany in the war, was home for Axelson
for the final weeks of the war. It was liberated on
Axelson’s 21st birthday, April 2, 1945.
Page 16
September 2014
finally got to the tub, and I kicked it to make sure. I must
have kicked right between the guys legs who was sitting on
it.”
As Axelson relieved himself, the occupant of the space
was not very happy. “I think he swore for five minutes and
never repeated himself.”
At one point, the prisoners were locked into boxcars
meant to hold 40 men or eight horses. “There were 90 of us.
It was packed and it was cold, and the doors were wired
shut. Sometimes we’d just sit for a day in a train yard.”
By foot, truck and train, the prisoners finally made it to
Stalag 12A at Limberg. “Our barracks was pretty bare.
There wasn’t even a box to sit on. There was a stove in the
middle of the room, but there was no wood. The sanitary
facility was a hole in the floor.”
Axelson worked with a German doctor to help those who
needed medical care. “The only thing they had for bandages was crepe paper.”
Food consisted of a thin soup and a piece of black bread,
about an inch thick, once a day.
After a few weeks at 12A, one of the prisoners came
down with meningitis. The prisoners were offered the
chance to move to a new camp. It coincided with the
German effort to relocate the prisoners deeper into
Germany.
The prisoners were marched 25 miles a day by young
guards, sometimes only 16 years old.
One day on the march, Axelson could see that one of the
young German guards was eyeing his jump boots. “I pretended not to notice him, but he finally came up to me and
indicated he wanted my boots. He put his finger on the
muzzle of his rifle and pointed to my head. I convinced him
to let me wear them all day and I’d give them to him that
night.
“When we got near the village where we were supposed
to spend the night, though, one of our planes came in and
bombed the village just before we walked through it. There
were some regular German soldiers there, and they chased
our guards away because I think they wanted to kill us.
“One of them yelled, ‘You Yank sons of bitches, I’m
going to kill you if I can get my hands on you.’ None of us
said a word. He was pushing us and yelling at us, trying to
pick a fight so he could kill someone. But we didn’t
respond.
“The upshot was that the young guard who wanted my
boots was gone, and I got to keep them.”
The prisoners were hoping for a better situation as they
reached the stalag. “We had been told that the camp we
Taps
Affolter,
John Walter,
70,
Past
Detachment
Commander
of
the
Minnesota Sons of the
American Legion, 2013-14,
died Aug. 11, 2014. He was
also
Second
District
American Legion Adjutant
(1999-2000) and he was a
member and former commander of Mankato Post 11.
He served in the U.S. Army
Reserve for many years.
Affolter will be remembered
in part for the large white
van he drove to hundreds of
JOHN AFFOLTER
Legion and SAL events
through the years.
Harth, John Chris, 90, Army veteran of World War II,
died Aug. 7, 2014. He was in the infantry and served in
France and Germany including the Battle of the Bulge. He
was a member of Hinckley Post 388.
Cuperus, Burnerd, 83, Army veteran of the Korean
War, died Aug. 2, 2014. He served in the 519th Field
Artillery Battalion in Germany. He was a member of
Graceville Post 257.
Sandahl, Robert Kortbek, 94, Army Air Corps veteran
of World War II, died July 16, 2014. He served in the 446th
Bombardment Group. He was a member of Askov Post 243.
Korth, Elroy C., 93, Army Air Corps veteran of World
War II, died July 23, 2014. He served in France and
Germany. He was a member of Breckenridge Post 53.
Parsons, Glenn S., 63, Navy veteran of the Vietnam
War, died July 10, 2014. He was a past commander and
served on the exec committee of North Branch Post 85.
Fridgen, Joseph A., 90, Marine Corps veteran of World
War II, died July 21, 2014. He served at Guam. He was a
member of Wheaton Post 80.
Helgerson, Arnold E., 88, Navy veteran of World War
II, died July 3, 2014. He was a member of Albert Lea Post
56.
Shidler, Robert C., 77, Army veteran of the Vietnam
War, died July 14, 2014. He was a member of Albert Lea
Post 56.
Part of a V-Mail letter Axelson sent to his mother after he was released from the POW camp.
were headed for was a new camp and very nice. That was a
lie. It was one of the worst camps in history.”
The new quarters for the Americans was Stalag 9B at
Bad Orb. It as overcrowded and considered one of the worst
camps in the war. The one good thing was that as the days
went by the prisoners began to sense the war was almost
over.
“One of the guards had a radio, and he’d tell us that the
Americans had been repulsed, but they were 50 miles closer. The next day, they’d be repulsed again, but they’d be 50
miles closer again.
“Then one night we could see tracers in the distance and
we could hear the sounds of war. One morning, we woke up
and the guards had disappeared. It was an exciting week.
“Some wanted to escape, but it seemed like a better idea
to stay put and let the Americans come to us.”
On April 2, 1945, the day after Easter, tanks from the
44th Infantry Division smashed through the gate. It was
Axelson’s 21st birthday.
“The guy on the lead tank rode on top with his arm
around the 37 millimeter cannon. And just like that, it was
over.”
The liberators brought C-rations to the prisoners, which
they were eager to gobble up. “It was pretty heavy stuff and
everybody got sick. We just couldn’t hold it down.”
By April 5, the men were in La Havre and were soon on
a ship headed home. Axelson got 30 days leave in
Minnesota, and then spent the rest of the war at Fort
Benning with the others in the Airborne units.
Back in Welch, he got a job in a grocery store, but then
set off on a career that ended as a building inspector. He
married Billie in 1950 and they had six children, 13 grandchildren “and I’ve lost count of the great grandchildren.”
Axelson lives in Wanamingo. He is active on the computer, and recently made his own Power Point presentation
about his war years.
Myrom, Allen R., 88, Army Air Corps veteran of World
War II, died July 20, 2014. He was a B-29 flight engineer.
He was a member of Albert Lea Post 56.
Johnson, Raymond William, 82, Army veteran of the
Korean War, died July 28, 2014. He was a member of
Lanesboro Post 40.
Schuldt, William, 92, Army Air Corps veteran of World
War II, died Aug. 4, 2014. He flew 40 missions as a front
nose gunner on a bomber in the Pacific. He was a member
of Park Rapids Post 212.
Rue, Bernard Warren, 96, Army veteran of World War
II, died July 2, 2014. He was a member of Lakefield Post 4.
Anderson, Willard Curtiss, Navy veteran of World War
II, died July 29, 2014. He was a quartermaster. He was a
member of Monticello Post 260.
Spindler, Forrest, 93, Army Air Corps veteran of World
War II, died Aug. 2, 2014. He served in the Pacific and
Middle East. He was a member of Park Rapids Post 212.
Michelson, Marvin, 91, Army Air Corps veteran of
World War II, died July 29, 2014. He was a member of
Buffalo Lake Post 469.
Helgerson, Stanley Gordon, 97, Navy veteran of World
War II, died July 26, 2014. He served on the cruiser New
Orleans. He was a member of Hopkins Post 320.
Gamme, Roger L., 81, Marine Corps veteran of the
Korean War, died July 29, 2014. He was a member of Thief
River Falls Post 117.
Schumacher, Leon H., 74, Army veteran of the Vietnam
War, died July 26, 2014. He was a member of Eden Valley
Post 381.
Ost, Melvin C., 85, Army veteran of the Korean War,
died July 25, 2014. He was a member of Parkers Prairie
Post 219.
Breitweser, Roy, 96, Army veteran of World War II, died
Aug. 9, 2014. He served in Africa and Europe. He was a
member of Park Rapids Post 212.
Youso, Walter P., 89, Navy veteran of World War II,
died recently. He was a member of Hopkins Post 320.
Kucera, Valentine J., 97, Army veteran of World War
II, died Aug. 29, 2014. He was a member of Lonsdale Post
586.
Farrell, John, 81, Army veteran of the Korean War, died
Aug. 14, 2014. He was a member of Fairfax Post 205.
Frank, Alvin Frank, 82, Army veteran of the Korean
War, died Aug. 21, 2014. He was a past commander and historian of Blue Earth Post 89.
Henke, Harland A., 93, Navy veteran of World War II,
died Aug. 16, 2014. He served on the USS Suwannee
(CVE-27) in the Pacific. He was a member of Blue Earth
Post 89.
Retrum, Wallace, 92, Army veteran of World War II,
died Aug. 21, 2014. He served in the Philippines and New
Guinea. He was a member of Breckenridge Post 53.
Holmgren, Harold John, 89, Army veteran of World
War II, died July 17, 2014. He served in Italy. He was a
member of Alexandria Post 87.
Baumann, William John, 89, Army Air Corps veteran
of World War II, died Aug. 2, 2014. He was a staff sergeant.
He was a member of Alexandria Post 87.
Wood, Lyle Levon, 93, Army veteran of World War II,
died July 30, 2014. He was a platoon sergeant and stationed
in Alaska. He was a member of Windom Post 206.
Rohlfsen, Wilbert G. “Wally,” 99, Army veteran of
World War II, died July 21, 2014. He was a company commander for an artillery unit and spent three years overseas.
He was a member of Windom Post 206.
Kick, Harold Paul, 90, Army Air Corps veteran of
World War II, died July 25, 2014. He was a fighter pilot and
flew 50 missions in a P-51B Mustang named “Chinese
Laundry.” He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. He
was a member of Pine City Post 51.
Engman, Clayton Peter, 73, Navy veteran of the
Vietnam War, died July 14, 2014. He was a member of Pine
City Post 51.
Gilchrist, David, II, 92, Army veteran of World War II,
died July 29, 2014. He served in Panama, France, and
Germany. He was a past commander of Olivia Post 186.
Storlie, Oscar O., Jr., 93, Navy veteran of World War II,
died Aug. 24, 2014. He was a member of Waseca Post 228.
Cardwell, Dwane Franklin, 79, Navy veteran of the
Korean War, died Aug. 24, 2014. He was a former member
of the drill squad at Springfield Post 257.
Lang, Michael Ewald, 87, Merchant Marine veteran of
World War II, died July 28, 2014. He was a member of
Worthington Post 5.
Correction
Wiedemann, Kenneth Frederick, 93, Army Air Corps
veteran of World War II, died June 24, 2014. He trained as
a twin-engined pilot and later served as an instructor. He
served as a second lieutenant. He was a member of Pine
City Post 51.
September 2014
District Commanders
FIRST
DISTRICT
Myron Ehrich
Commander
Greetings from the Big Red First,
The First District picnic was on August 17th at a park in
Stewartville. There was a good turnout. If you were there
Thank You for coming, if not hope to see you next year.
Mighty First is up to bat, so lets get hits so we can get on
base. As first District Commander my projects will be: the
new Veterans Cemetery in Preston and the Eagles Cancer
Telethon in Rochester.
Lets have a good Labor Day weekend! I'll see many of
you at Legionville, Saturday Sept. 6th, for the Harvest
Rally. Come and join the fun and all of the activities.
Membership supper plans are being made at all posts. If
you like to have me at you membership supper just let me
know when and where so I can make plans to attend as
many as I can.
I am here to serve you as your District Commander!
SECOND
DISTRICT
Jennifer Kafka
Commander
Greetings from the 2nd District, as I sit and write this I
am getting ready to head to my first National Convention I
am excited to learn from the trainings and from the font of
information Legionaries from across this great nation of
ours will be bring with them. I hope to bring back information, ideas and a fresh outlook for 2nd District.
With the membership year off and running I would like
to share a couple stories that I hope will help all who read
this. First story, as change over ended and I stayed in the
empty room as the bartender cleaned up he spoke with my
husband and myself. After a little bit we learned he was a
veteran, and then I asked if he belonged to the American
Legion. He said no didn’t have time and with his GI Bill
he’d be going back to school. I mentioned without the
members of the American Legion he wouldn’t have that GI
Bill, he was surprised and eventually thru the conversation
he said he would join if even to be a number for now until
he has more time to support veterans. This young man
served our change over and no one asked if he was a veteran. Second story I was visiting a few members from a post
and a guest arrived and was listening to the conversation
and she asked to voice her opinion on the topic and what we
discovered was she had no idea that the American Legion
Auxiliary was for The mother, wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, great-grand-daughter, or grandmother of members of The American Legion. She thought it was only the
wife of the Legionnaire who could join. She said so for 60
some years I just didn’t know. The gentlemen did tell her to
come back the next day and they would get her signed up
with the post President. I hope this will remind us not
everyone knows who we are and what we do, we are the
voice of the American Legion Family.
THIRD
DISTRICT
Duane Anderson
Commander
Greetings from the Thundering Third.
The first couple of weeks as being District Commander
has been busy and rewarding, as I’m sure the rest of the year
will be. Some of my activities this last month include
attending the funeral of long time Legion Member and
Commander of Hutchinson Post 96 Wayne Pettis. On
August 5th I attended the 2014 Veterans Stand Down at the
Boy Scout Base Camp Fort Snelling. This was organized
by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. The
Stand Down was very well attended and well organized.
Many veterans from a large area were given assistance at
this event. There will be several other Stand Downs scheduled in Minnesota yet this year. If you hear of one in your
area be sure to try and attend. During the Department
Executive Committee Meeting held in Osseo on August 9th,
the constitution for the Minnesota American Legion Riders
was rejected. The action, I believe, was taken because of
concern of liability issues for the Department. The
American legion Riders in Minnesota will continue operating under Resolution 35 of the National Charter which indicates that the Riders will continue to operate at the individual Post level as they were established. I sincerely hope
that this can be done and that the Riders will continue the
outstanding contributions and dedication to their cause as
has been done in the past. As we are seeing in the present
Legacy Run the Legion Riders have already been able to
raise over $68000.00 in donations for children of Fallen
Veterans.
FOURTH
DISTRICT
Dan Williams
Commander
Congratulations Commander Peggy Moon on your election to lead our Department. We are excited about the
2014-2015 year. Now is the time to mark your calendar.
This year, Shop, Ship and Share will be held at Maplewood
Mall. This is a different location from the past few years.
Shop, Ship and Share will be Friday, November 21st, 12
Noon until 5:00 PM and Saturday, November 22nd 10:00
AM until 6:00 PM. Shop, Ship and Share is the event
where and when we send gifts to Minnesota troops who are
deployed. This allows our troops to have a touch from
home during the holiday season. We are partnering with
The Maplewood Mall, The U. S. Postal Service, local
schools and Minnesota businesses to ship packages to our
troops. We need your help now and on the days of the
event. To help now, support with postage. To help now,
you may send a donation to: Fourth District Headquarters,
North St. Paul Post 39, 2678 East 7th Avenue, North St.
Paul, MN 55109. On the event days please join us at
Maplewood Mall (3001 White Bear Ave, Maplewood, MN
55109). We anticipate The Vikings Cheerleaders, Crunch
(Timberwolves Mascot), TC (Twins Mascot), Goldie
(Gophers Mascot) and many more.
SIXTH
DISTRICT
Carl Moon
Commander
Since my last column, we held our training sessions that
covered My Legion.org, Reports, and Membership. What
great attendance we had at both sessions. The first was held
at the Royalton Legion where we had 42 participants representing 20 Posts. The second was held at the Walker
Legion where we had 34 participants representing 15 6th
District Posts and we even had the 9th District Commander
in attendance. Thank You to all who took time out of their
very busy schedules to attend and a very special Thank You
to the presenters: Ray DeZurik, Tom Fernlund, and our
beloved Membership Director, Jim Lucas.
If you like great food, fun activities, seeing old friends,
and getting to know new ones; plan on coming to the 45th
Annual Legionville Camp-O-Ree September 4th, 5th, 6th
& 7th. The camp is located north of Brainerd on beautiful
North Long Lake. Come up for a day or bring your camper
and stay. For information on camping fees and activities
call: 218-963-7750. All proceeds go to the Legionville
School Safety Patrol Training Center. In conjunction, the
Fall Department Membership Rally will be held on
Saturday the 6th at 4:30. Since this is being held in the 6th
District , good luck to any other Districts trying to match or
beat our turn-in.
Tuesday September 16th has been declared by Governor
Dayton as American Legion Day, in Minnesota. I encourage
all Posts to host a special event to let your communities and
fellow Veterans know what the American Legion is really
about; the assistance and support we have to offer those in
need. Please wear your Legion caps proudly.
SEVENTH
DISTRICT
Victor Gades
Commander
Keep those memberships coming in. Vice Commanders,
keep up the good work.
A common topic lately has been about our dwindling
numbers. How can we better address this? If you have a
Auxiliary unit or Sons squad, they can be a great asset to
you. They may be aware of potential new members for the
American Legion family.
Membership dinners should have all of the Legion family invited. I know their respective membership timelines
are not the same as the Legion, but a slight adjustment of
meeting date can give everybody a feeling of camaraderie.
Bringing together of the separate entities can foster common goals.
Coming at the end of September is the Fall Conference
at Mahnomen. This is a great opportunity to create new
friendships and foster old one, see how we work together as
a organization. Learn about what new directions we may be
taking: Many state that they cannot find the time to attend.
Phooey. Our ancestors built this organization with sheer
willpower. They did not have the modern conveniences that
we enjoy today, yet they found the time to attend and be
involved. Not everyone has to be a Commander. Maybe
their talents lie elsewhere. Find them, let them help us as an
organization and above all help fellow Veterans and their
families.
Page 17
EIGHTH
DISTRICT
Wilson Spence
Commander
Greetings from the Great Arrowhead 8th District of the
Minnesota American Legion.
The 2014/15-year greets us with some challenges. The
posts of the 8th District and I plan to take the challenges and
make them opportunities. Our nation’s veterans were faced
with a challenge prompted by the Veterans Administration
Medical System.
The American Legion turned that challenge into an
opportunity to set in motion a system of tasks to improve
the VA Health Care System by forcing a change in management and forcing Congress to make changes. We had a sitting United States president to want to come to our national convention to address us on changes to the VA, and to
assure the American Legion of his commitment to improve
the nations care of its military veterans.
The president’s actions were a direct result of the challenge turned opportunity by the members of the American
Legion. When we work together, there is nothing we members cannot accomplish.
Membership is a bright spot in the 8th District. The 8th
District has more members today than this time last year.
The 8th District officers and members are committed to
increasing membership this year.
Membership in the American Legion is a power and we
want to share the power.
NINTH
DISTRICT
Thomas Norgaard Sr.
Commander
This is being written from the Super 8 motel in
Asheville, TN.
August has been very hectic starting with a picnic in
Dent, the 6th District Organizational meeting, the 9th
District Organizational meeting, purchasing a different van,
getting insurance and financing set up, a 6th District
Commanders and Adjutants School of Instruction, driving
to the National Convention in Charlotte, NC ( a 3000 mile
test drive of our van). When I get back home on August
31st, I will have about 3 ½ days to unpack and repack the
tent and supplies before leaving for Legionville on
September 4th.
After Legionville, there are 2 Membership suppers to
attend, then October with the Department Fall Conference.
Anyone want to be 9th District Commander next year !!
Until I get back, may God Bless all our troops, all our
veterans and also God Bless this wonderful land we call the
United States of America.
TENTH
DISTRICT
Tom Sanders
Commander
10th District Commanders Column September 2014
Greetings, American Legion Family of the 10th
District and the Great Department of Minnesota. As we roll
along into another month, now where does the time always
go?
When I say roll on, I’m talking about the great
American Legion Riders and the Legacy Run. What a fantastic group. We need to give a huge thanks to everyone
involved with the run. Their tally wasn’t complete as I write
this column. It was over $68,000 at Coon Rapids where the
riders ended there two weekend ride for the children of our
fallen. Again “Go Riders”.
The District Membership Director, Bill Johnson has set
some intermediate goals for the Post of the District. We
want the Post’s in the “Mighty Tenth” to be able to reach
these goals. They are very attainable. The Officers of the
District are all very knowledgeable with communication,
contact and information. So be afraid to ask anyone.
Now that National Convention is over, the “Mighty
Tenth” can enjoy a great “Camporee” at Legionville. Pig
Roast on Friday night and a Fish Fry on Saturday. The proceeds are given back to Legionville, to continue what they
do for our youth and safety.
I’m already seeing the time go by faster. Putting on the
miles and having a lot of fun doing it. Thank you “Mighty
Tenth” and all you “Blue Cappers” that make all the
“Magic” happen! For God and Country
Page 18
The Auxiliary Bulletin
September 2014
No. 15-2
September 2014
President Chris Ronning
Secretary Sandie Deutsch
Department Headquarters, Veterans Service Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
The
President’s
Column
By
Chris Ronning
As our Butterflies flutter over our Veterans, we honor
“Our veterans, past, present and future.”
I already have attended a few functions, my first parade
was at Hopkins in the Raspberry Parade, perfect weather
and had a delicious luncheon before. Marland and I attended the Riders’ Kickoff Party at the Richfield Post. What a
bunch of dedicated Legion family members. Of course I
had to open my billfold to purchase some of their silent auction items.
Then off to the Junior Fun Weekend where we had 33
young ladies in attendance along with our Auxiliary chaperones. Fun was had by everyone, but not without learning
about Americanism. We had two female veterans with us
and the girls had a lot of questions for them. The juniors
learned the meaning of the Preamble, had time to swim, and
the weekend ended with a movie night. I think the adults
had as much fun as the girls munching on popcorn. I attended the 10th District Picnic Rally in Coon Rapids and I made
it just in time to eat, as always a delicious potluck.
Remember September is Junior Activities month. We
need these young ladies as they are our future Auxiliary
leaders.
On August 5th Marland and I attended the Stand Down
at Fort Snelling, what a heartwarming experience. I had a
chance to visit with Mark Ritchie and several other dignitaries.
Now the work begins. Our workshop was well attended.
I attended the Girls State committee meeting. It was so nice
to see all of the Chairmen attending. I hope everyone went
home full of ideas and took them back to their Districts and
Units. All of us went to dinner at the Coyote Moon for a
delicious meal and I got my liver pâté fix. We had our
Executive meeting on Sunday and each Chairman presented their program. The Finance and Budget committee were
also busy at work.
As I am writing my article, I am planning for my trip to
the National Convention and hope to come back with much
knowledge and plans of what our National President and
her team have in mind.
Our first Membership Rally will be at Legionville in
conjunction with our annual Camp-O-Ree on September 67. Let’s bring lots of membership and bring Minnesota
back to the top.
Fall Conference will be held in Mahnomen, sponsored
by the Bagley American Legion Family. As always, we will
learn from our Chairmen and I hope many of you will
attend. We have a special Workshop planned this year and
the topic will be on how to fill out your Annual reports, and
a program on National Security.
Our National President Janet Jefford will come to
Minnesota in March for a tour of Minnesota. More information will come out at a later date.
I hope your Units will still order the educational books
that Past Department President Shirley promoted last year.
Don’t forget, you can find all the information on each
program, all you have to do is go to:
www.ALAforVeterans.org
and click on links to each program. Our Department
website is www.mnala.org.
Hope to see many of you throughout the year, as we
work together for Our Veterans, Past-Present and Future.
651-224-7634
Ronning chooses theme for
upcoming Auxiliary year
Department President Chris Ronning has chosen “Our
Veterans - Past, Present and Future” as her theme for this
year of service to our veterans, our communities and our
nation through the programs and activities of the American
Legion Auxiliary. Her symbol is a butterfly. She asks every
Unit to make your programs and activities meaningful to
those we serve as well as to your members.
The first Unit mailing of the year is soon to be on its way
to all Unit Presidents. It should be in the mail around
September 8. It contains a wealth of information you need
to develop your plans and get them underway. Information
was included for many of your program chairmen as well as
special instruction sheets that should be helpful to your Unit
Secretary and Treasurer. Presidents, when you receive
these mailings, please distribute the information to the
appropriate people. Unit mailings are for all your Unit
members and are not the property of any one person. Your
Chairmen are waiting for ideas and suggestions so they may
develop their programs in a meaningful manner for your
Unit.
Also remember that you may choose to receive your
Unit mailing via email, all you need to do is contact the
department office with your email address. Keeping in
mind that if you receive it via email you can in turn share it
with more people in your Unit. All Unit Mailings will be
posted on our ALA website.
The address is:
www.mnala.org and any member can pick and choose articles to download and print. An added item this year is that
the Unit Mailing pages will also be posted to the Program
page that it is in reference to.
Further program suggestions and specific what to do and
how to do it will be forthcoming in the Unit Guide.
Program planning and execution of your Unit's plans are
critical not only to the success of our Auxiliary programs,
but serve to attract and retain active members. President
Chris has asked each Chairman to come up with an article
regarding their program in the month the program shares.
Programs should be carried on throughout the year, with
special emphasis placed on each program during its special
month. The program calendar for the year is:
August - Start of the New Auxiliary Year - Plan Your
Activities
September - Junior Activities
October - Education - Constitution and Bylaws
November - Past Presidents Parley; American Legion
Auxiliary’s 94th Birthday
December - Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation
January - National Security; Legislation
February - Americanism
March - Community Service; American Legion Birthday
April - Children and Youth
May - Poppy
June - Girls State
July - Department Convention
Thank you to all who are giving of your time, talents and
enthusiasm as you assume the responsibility for a program
in your Unit and/or District. The success of the programs is
up to you. By working together the Auxiliary will have a
successful year not only for those we serve but for our own
members as well. Let's really step up for our Veterans this
year and help our Department Chairmen make all of these
programs a success.
Our Department President Chris has chosen the following as President’s projects for the 2014/2015year. She will
work on raising funds to provide outdoor furniture and
grilling equipment for the Adult Day Care Center and the
Minneapolis Veterans Home. She will also be raising funds
to go to the Creative Arts Program at both the Minneapolis
and St. Cloud VA Hospitals. Any further funds that come in
will go to support Legionville.
President Chris would like each of the 10 Districts
to put together gift baskets for the Fisher Houses. There are
many family members staying there and they could use a
small gift card, toiletries, and things that many of us take for
granted.
PRESIDENT'S PROJECT
If you would like to have our Department President
attend a function or meeting of your Unit, please invite her.
She has dedicated this year to serving the American Legion
Auxiliary, its programs, and working with you, our Unit
members, in a meaningful and helpful manner. President
Ronning would like the opportunity to work with each of
our Units and Districts and is more than happy to join you,
schedule permitting.
Invitations should be directed to the Department
President and sent to Sandie Deutsch, Department
Secretary, American Legion Auxiliary, State Veterans
Service Building, 20 W. 12th St., Room 314, St. Paul MN
55155. Please do NOT send invitations to her home
address. An invitation form will be included in the first
Unit Mailing.
PRESIDENT’S VISITS
Under the leadership of our Department Membership
Chairman Judy Ackerman, we will begin to fly through the
air as butterflies into the new membership year. Judy has an
exciting and fun membership program for this year.
Judy is focusing her program on renewing members this
year. She stresses that all Units need to make membership
a "fun" program. Everyone should work together to bring
in membership. Think of new ways to make your Unit
exciting. Have a membership rally in your Unit or at one of
your Unit meetings, take a few minutes, have everyone grab
their cell phone and call unpaid members and ask if there is
anything they can do to get their membership paid.
National is again offering a button for recruiting one new
member this year. If a current member signs up just one
new member they can apply for a button from the National
President. The rejoin 1 award is again being offered this
year, which is "Rejoin 1" to bring a former member back
into the organization. This member must not have paid her
dues after 2012.
Our Fall Conference hosted by the Bagley American
Legion Family will be held at the Shooting Star Casino in
Mahnomen. Please read the poster that is on our pages
regarding the Silent Auction. Last year the donations were
simply wonderful. Make sure to come and see this very
entertaining event.
Target dates for our membership race are: 1) 25% of
goal by September 6 at the Harvest Rally , 2) 55% by
October 1, 3) 65% by Fall Conference on October 24, 4)
75% by the Pearl Harbor Rally on December 6, 5) 85% at
Sweetheart Rally by February 7, 6) 90% at the
Appreciation Rally on March 7; 7) 95% at the Spring
Round Up Rally on April 25 and 7) 100% on May 8, 2015.
Let's win the race to 100%!!
“RENEW, RECRUIT, REJOIN”
Dues notices will be sent out by the National organization on September 15; please remember dues are due now.
Make that personal contact with your members reminding
them to pay their dues now. Members don't have to wait for
the National notice before paying their dues.
DUES NOTICES
Every Unit should have received its 2015 membership
packet. It was sent to your 2014-15 Unit Membership
Chairman (Unit Treasurer if no Membership Chairman was
listed), as reported on your Unit’s 2014-15 officers’ list. If
your Unit has not received its 2015 membership packet,
please check with the Department office. Remember that if
we haven’t received a 2014-2015 officers list, your packet
is still in the Department office. We are still in need of 24
Unit Officer Lists - ladies please get those lists in.
2015 MEMBERSHIP PACKETS
Fall Conference will be held Friday and Saturday,
October 24-25, hosted by our Bagley American Legion
Family 16, Ninth District. It will be held at the Shooting
Star Casino in Mahnomen. Housing and pre-registration
information are included in this issue of the Minnesota
Legionnaire. The Auxiliary will hold its meetings at the
FALL CONFERENCE
Auxiliary Bulletin
Continued from Preceding Page
Shooting Star Conference Center. This is also the
Conference Headquarters. Please call the Shooting Star
Casino at 218-936-2621 to make your room reservations
now. Tell them you are making reservations under The
American Legion block code #632397.
On Friday and Saturday each Department Chairman will
share program ideas and suggestions on what Unit members
can do, and how to make a successful program. There will
a question and answer time following the various presentations when you can ask your questions of the Department
Chairmen.
Fall Conference is a time for each of us to become better
informed about our programs. It is for all members, not just
the officers. We hope every Unit will be represented at this
Department school of instruction. All members are invited
to attend. There will be training sessions on Thursday,
October 23 for National Security and due to popular
demand there will be a training session on Annual Report
writing. The session will begin at 7:00 p.m. There will be
signs to tell which room the training will be held. Please
make sure and attend - it is such a wonderful time to learn
about our programs.
A silent auction will be held at our Fall Conference with
the proceeds going to support the Auxiliary Emergency
Fund. This has become a tradition at Fall Conference, giving each of us the opportunity to help. The Chairman is
asking for new or gently used items to be used in the Silent
Auction. All items will be very welcome. There will be a
"Celebration Bell" District donation wall along with a jam,
jelly and cookie sale. Remember bidders can be all members of The American Legion Family. All items should be
brought Thursday evening or early Friday morning.
Bidding will be on Friday only. Be sure to attend and place
your bids - the items last year were simply wonderful.
We need to continue to support the Auxiliary Emergency
Fund. What better way than the “silent auction” at our Fall
Conference. It is our way of helping our own members who
find themselves in need.
SILENT AUCTION/BAG SALE
Each year we hear many comments about the number of
programs and projects the Auxiliary undertakes that require
monetary donations. Many Units find themselves in financial straits as they are supporting a number of projects that
are not part of the Auxiliary's program for the current year.
The Department Executive Committee has approved the
following solicitation of funds by our Department
Chairmen for this year:
Auxiliary Emergency Fund
American Legion Auxiliary Foundation
Forgotten Children’s Fund
Legionville
Armed Forces Service Center
Family Hospital Association
Department Scholarship Fund
Past Presidents Healthcare Scholarship Fund
American Legion Auxiliary Hospital Prog.
American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation
Minnesota Creative Arts Program
$5.00 Dollar Bill Shower
Brain Science Foundation
Gift Shop
Operation Military Kids
Department President's Project
Department Honorary Junior President’s Project
Child Welfare Foundation
Fisher House
Children of Warriors National Presidents
Scholarship
BUDGET PLANNING
Support of your District President's Project is also needed. Those donations need to be sent directly to your District
President.
Remember all donations should be sent to the
Department Office earmarked for the program(s) of your
choice.
Donations may be included in one check with a note
indicating how you want the donations credited and the
amount to each program. Make your checks payable to the
American Legion Auxiliary. Your help is appreciated.
Treasurers, see the Unit mailing for further details.
If your Unit wishes to make a donation to a program that
is not on the list above, the Unit must send that donation
directly to the organization they are supporting, NOT the
Department Office.
The 2014 Junior Fun Weekend was held August 2-3 at
Legionville. Junior Activities Chairman Patti Coleman,
Department President Chris Ronning and Department
Honorary Junior President Jules Efta kicked off the weekend with 32 Juniors and 24 Seniors in attendance.
Chairman Patti reported that 4 out of the 5 goals from
JUNIOR FUN WEEKEND 2014
National were achieved by the Junior Group during the
weekend. Over 100 children's bags for the VA Facility
waiting rooms were put together and delivered, which is
Honorary President Jules' project for this year. A great time
was had by everyone. Plan on attending next year - what a
great way to spend time with your daughters and/or granddaughters and learn about our wonderful country, along
with enjoying the Legionville facility and all it has to offer.
Department Secretary Sandie wants to extend her apologies to the following; Donna Redepenning who was
appointed as the Department Historian for 2014-2015.
Karen Thygeson was appointed the Constitution and
Standing Rules Chairman and Marsha Bible is the
Department Parliamentarian this year. All three of these
ladies are very hard-working members and have always
given more than 100% to make our organization the success
it is.
CHAIRMEN - CORRECTIONS
2014 August Workshop was held August 9th & 10th. On
Saturday morning all of the Department Chairmen met at
the Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Cloud for an all day training and learning session. The meeting was called to order
by President Chris Ronning and the work began. New
information for the year, program information and resource
information was the topic of the day. Chairmen worked on
their budgets, met with the Finance Committee and made
their plans.
On Sunday morning, the Executive Committee met at
the Best Western Kelly Inn and each of the Department
Chairmen presented her program and solicitation requests.
There was also a meeting of all of the District Membership
chairmen with Membership chairman Judy Ackerman. In
the afternoon these two groups joined their meetings to
cover the plans and awards for the 2015 Membership year.
All of the Chairman have come up with new and
exciting plans and ideas for this Auxiliary year.
AUGUST WORKSHOP
I think "Notes" sounds better than a corner so that's what
I am going with. Under the helm of President Chris
Ronning, we made it through our first major Executive
Meeting without a hitch. It was really great to hear the new
Chairmen go over their programs at the August Workshop.
The new and fun ideas that they will be promoting, hopefully will be used by all the Units. By the time you read this
I will be back from the National Convention in Charlotte. It
is a long 8 days to be away from home but I genuinely
encourage more of our Minnesota members to attend in the
future. You really get a big picture of what our organization
does and what it plans to do in the future. You meet so
many new people from throughout the country as well.
Also, please plan on attending Fall Conference in
Mahnomen at the Shooting Star Casino - if you all know
me, it couldn't be held at a better venue (ha). Dan and his
crew at the Shooting Star are simply wonderful to work
with and make us feel right at home. I just can't wait for the
Silent Auction - the items for bidding are beautiful and my
husband just "can't wait" to see what I bring home. I just
love to "win" items at a silent auction. Everyone have a
wonderful month and hopefully the bad weather will hold
off until March.
Many of you asked for a copy of the poem that Bobby
White wrote and presented at the Department Convention
in Rochester. Bobby is a Veteran who has participated in
the Minnesota and National Creative Arts Program and
Festival and was invited to speak at our Auxiliary
Convention. He wrote this poem in the morning as a tribute to the Auxiliary, in his room while waiting to come on
stage - what a talented man.
SECRETARY SANDIE'S NOTES
FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR YOU
You support our military; serve Veterans and their families too,
You help Veterans cope and recover and I respect that in
you.
You’re passionate in your service, dedicated to the end,
You share your money, your heart and your time helping
Veterans mend.
Your challenge is great, but you always get ‘er done,
Who’s a true American patriot? It’s you, you are the one.
You bring unexpected blessings and peace into our life;
You help ease the pain and soothe the constant and total
strife.
You promote the creative arts, helping Veterans rehabilitate and heal,
You thank us for our service - yes your love is real.
For all that you have done, and for all the things that you
do,
You’re the reason why we served…For God, For
Country and for YOU!!
May God bless each and every member of the American
Legion Family across our great nation.
A proud and grateful Veteran,
Bobby White (2014)
Program of the
month is Juniors
September 2014
Page 19
We have begun our new
year with Department
Honorary Junior Auxiliary
President Jules Efta, from
Argyle, Minnesota. Our
Junior members are excited.
“Juniors are Gems Serving
Veterans” is her theme and
our Juniors started showing
the “gems” that they are at
our Annual Junior Fun
Weekend that was recently
held Aug.1-3. They planted
flowers outside of the new
barn and in front of one of
the cabins at Legionville,
and made children’s activity
bags for the children of vetPATTI COLEMAN
erans who visit VA facilities
Chairman
throughout Minnesota. The
activity bags are the Dept. Honorary Junior President’s special project this year. Units can support Jules’ project by
making bags and collecting items to keep children busy.
These bags can be brought to the Department Junior
Conference in April or you can donate them directly to a VA
facility, hospital, home or CBOC in your area. Please let
me know how many bags you donate and to which facility
for reporting purposes.
The Junior Fun Weekend also included getting to know
each other and getting to learn more about the American
Legion Auxiliary and our programs. They learned about
raising and lowering the Flag, the meaning to the Preamble
to the Constitution of the American Legion Auxiliary, and
they played Junior Jeopardy.
In the Junior Activities program this year let’s set our
sights in becoming “rich” by adding more “gems” to our
collection. Our “wealth” will be determined by our numbers, and how well we educate, mentor and promote our
Junior program. They are the ALA volunteers of the future.
Support your Junior members in service projects for veterans, active military, their families, children and the community. Lead by example and show them their true” value”.
Make the extra effort to include them in your Unit activities.
They have great ideas to share with enormous energy and
enthusiasm to help. Keep in mind we are one organization.
The Junior Auxiliary is not a separate entity.
Encourage participation in the Junior Patch program.
There are three age group levels so members 3-18 can participate. The complete programs can be found at alaforveterans.org under Resources and the Junior Activities program. If you need to have printed copies, please contact our
Department Office and they will be happy to send them out.
In the year that we join together for service to “Our
Veterans Past, Present and Future” remember the value and
wealth that our Junior members, our “gems”, can contribute
to our programs and uncover the hidden treasure in all that
they do.
Attention Veterans!
This is your northern
Minnesota resort. Barrier-free
and open 12 months a year.
Gateway to the BWCA.
800-777-7538
email: [email protected]
www.veteransonthelakeresort.com
All cabins have a lake view.
RESORT FOR DISABLED VETERANS,
ACTIVE DUTY AND ABLE BODIED
VETERANS, DISABLED GENERAL
PUBLIC AND FAMILIES.
Page 20
September 2014
Independent Rural Living
Senior apartments for elderly and those with
disabilities. Safe, convenient, comfortable, and
affordable rural living in Southeast Minnesota.
Also available:
Housing with
Services,
Nursing Home,
Subsidized
Rent,
Homemaker
services
Samantha 507-864-7714
or www.goodshep-rushford.org
Contact:
JON BROWN
VA DISABILITY APPEALS
952-201-1799
Former VA Decision
Review Officer
CALL TODAY!
www.vaappealsagent.net
[email protected]
Display, Protect and Preserve Your Memorial United States
Flag in a Beautifully Handcrafted Solid Oak Flag Case
with a Glass Front, Removable Back and Engraved Plate
with Name and Branch of Service of Veteran.
Minnesota Veterans Home
1200 E. 18th Street
Hastings, MN 55033
“Made by Veterans for Veterans”
Phone: 651-438-8559
Fax: 651-480-0058
Reverse
Mortgages
Call for a free consumer
guide and personal quote.
-- Must be 62 or older.
-- Never make a monthly
mortgage payment again.
-- Receive a lump sum of
cash, credit line or monthly
payments.
-- Income and credit not
required.
NMLS ID #283509
Let a retired active duty
veteran you can trust
show you how you may
benefit from a Reverse
Mortgage.
Mike Kraus
Serving MN and WI
7365 Kirkwood Court North, Suite 300
Maple Grove, MN 55369
763-355-8540
[email protected]

September - American Legion

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