Have you used Be the One training to save a life?

Source: September 10, 2024

The American Legion held its first suicide prevention training with Columbia University Lighthouse Project in February to support its Be the One mission of reducing the number of veterans and servicemembers lost to suicide each year. Since then, 9,100 American Legion Family members and others have undergone this training and/or other suicide prevention training.

If you have participated in the Legion's Be the One suicide prevention training with Columbia University, we want to hear from you. Please let us know if you have used this training as intended to intervene when a veteran was in crisis. You can email dispatch@legion.org to share. 

The suicide prevention training uses the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, which gives a suicide risk assessment via six questions that anyone can ask to help identify when someone is at risk for suicide or how to intervene if they are. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and there are four sessions of suicide prevention training scheduled. Sign up now for this life-saving virtual training. 

Next article: SWS heading to Montana

SWS heading to Montana

Source: September 10, 2024

The American Legion's System Worth Saving (SWS) team is heading to Helena, Mont., this month to conduct a town hall, meet with local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff and work toward solutions to ensure that area veterans are receiving the best health care possible.

The Helena visit kicks off with a town hall where all local military veterans are invited to attend and share their experiences with VA. During the town hall, American Legion representatives, VA staff and others will be on hand to address issues and questions raised by veterans related to their health-care experiences at their local VA.

The town hall, which starts at 6 p.m. Sept. 23, will be held at American Legion Post 2, 3095 Villard Ave. Helena, Mont., 59601. 

The event is free, and no prior registration or RSVP is necessary. However, veterans are invited to submit questions beforehand via www.legion.org/systemworthsaving/townhall

American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Vice Chairman Alan Cohen will be participating in the event.

"It may be surprising to some that The American Legion is bringing its System Worth Saving visit to a fairly remote location," he said. "But that's precisely the point. These visits are instrumental in ensuring that every veteran receives the health care they earned through their service to our nation — regardless of whether they live in a big city like Chicago or Los Angeles or a more remote location.

"We are visiting Helena because we fight for the rights of veterans who live in a rural area just as much as we do for those who live in big cities. At this visit, we will listen to what veterans say about the care they receive, learn from VA staff about their challenges and identify solutions to ensure that all our veterans are receiving the best care possible."

Each year, the Legion's Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission conducts a series of site visits to VA medical facilities and regional offices across the country. While on site, American Legion representatives meet with veterans, their families and VA administrators and employees to discuss issues and solutions at each site. These observations are compiled into a System Worth Saving report that is distributed to VA officials, members of Congress and the public. 

SWS town visits also have been conducted this year in Phoenix, Albuquerque, N.M.; and Tampa, Fla.

Next article: Marine veteran embarks on epic solo trek across Antarctica

Marine veteran embarks on epic solo trek across Antarctica

Source: September 10, 2024

The movie "Black Hawk Down" changed the trajectory of Akshay Nanavati's life.

Soon after moving to the United States at age 13 from India, Nanavati got into drugs, alcohol and lost friends to addiction. Then he watched on screen the valor of American servicemembers dying to protect their battle buddy. He quickly got clean, read books on military and life in combat, and joined the U.S. Marine Corps.

"That movie touched my soul," Nanavati said. "That suffering to not only find greatness within you but doing it for others."

Nanavati is this week's special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. He talks about how the Marines taught him to overcome his fears and laid the foundation for his book "Fearvana," and how he's about to embark on something that's never been done before.

Nanavati deployed to Iraq in 2007 as an infantry non-commissioned officer. He lost friends on the battlefield and then when he returned home to suicide. He too was struggling, diagnosed with PTSD and on the verge of suicide after five days of binge drinking.

"I always say, if you don't seek out a worthy struggle, struggle is going to find you anyway. That was the rock bottom moment I needed to rise back up and climb the abyss which led me to delve deep in neuroscience, psychology, spirituality, confronting my own demons."

That confrontation led Nanavati to writing "Fearvana," which is "to combat the demonization of fear and suffering as a whole – to say that suffering is not bad, fear is not bad, stress is not bad." And that post-traumatic stress does not mean it's a disorder.

When coming back from Iraq, "I struggled with crowds, loud noises. I struggled with survivor's guilt. I was told these are symptoms of a disorder. But these are very normal human responses when I spent seven months in a place where loud noises meant death. That's not disorder. That's a normal human response to war."

Writing "Fearvana" also encouraged him to confront his fears of heights, open water and tight spaces through rock climbing, sky diving, scuba diving and cave exploring.

The book and how he lives was also inspired by a photo.

Nanavati has a picture of a friend he lost in Iraq on his wall and under it he wrote, "This should have been you. Earn this life."

"This was the fuel to write the book," he said. "To help others navigate their own suffering and turn it into nirvana, turn it into bliss. And who I am today – sober and pursing something quite daunting."

Nanavati is making a 110-day, 1,700-mile solo trek across Antarctica – no dogs to pull supplies. "I'm the dog. I'll be hauling about a 400-pound sled for 10 to 12 hours a day for 110 days, completely alone. I will geographically be the most isolated life form on the entire planet for portions of that journey."  

What drew him to the challenge was the intense amount of physical, mental and emotional suffering the experience will elicit. "Not the suffering itself, but what the suffering gives you access to. You have to battle the dragon to find the treasure. In terms of voluntary suffering, there was nothing like it."

Nanavati is not known in the polar exploration he said, so what makes him think he can do this where he will face unforgiving weather, stark whiteness for miles and solidarity?

"I firmly believe I can do this thing that's never been done. It's going to war with yourself to cultivate, ‘I can do this thing.' You can't talk to yourself in a mirror and say, ‘I'm awesome, I'm awesome.' You have to prove it to yourself. It has to be earned.

"When I'm struggling on an expedition, I'll remember that there is a debt I owe for this life. Earn it. It becomes fuel to drive you forward. But you have to confront it to face it and turn it into an ally."

Follow Nanavati's journey across Antarctica.

In this episode, hear how Nanavati has been training for the expedition across Antarctica, like dragging tires and the comments he heard, his one lifeline, time-saving strategies for sleep and his own Wilson from the movie "Castaway."

Co-host Adam Marr and Joe Worley also discuss:

·       A bike journey across the United States to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. "It has a presence. There is a feeling there," Worley said. Listen to the Tango Alpha Lima podcast series honoring the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, where survivors, pilots, firefighters, servicemembers and others share their story from the day we never forget.  

·       The $100-million VA mistake.

·       Post 58 in Oklahoma using gaming to provide veterans camaraderie and support.

Check out this week's episode, which is among more than 260 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion's YouTube channel.

Next article: Five Things to Know, Sept. 9, 2024

Five Things to Know, Sept. 9, 2024

Source: September 9, 2024

1.   Passage of a six-month temporary spending bill would have widespread and devastating effects on the Defense Department, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said in a letter to key members of Congress on Sunday. Austin said that passing a continuing resolution that caps spending at 2024 levels, rather than taking action on the proposed 2025 budget will hurt thousands of defense programs, and damage military recruiting just as it is beginning to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Asking the department to compete with (China), let alone manage conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while under a lengthy CR, ties our hands behind our back while expecting us to be agile and to accelerate progress," said Austin in the letter to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees.

2.   Japan lodged another protest with China last week, its third in less than two weeks, after it said Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters around Japanese islets in the East China Sea. Four vessels crossed the 12-mile territorial limit claimed by Japan around the Senkaku Islands between 4 p.m. and 4:06 p.m. Friday, according to a Japan coast guard news release that day. Japan's Foreign Affairs Ministry then lodged complaints with the Chinese Embassy in Japan and with the Chinese government in Beijing, a ministry spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

3.   The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 14 with more than 40 wounded, Syrian state media said Monday morning. Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria late Sunday, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said. The initial death count reported by the Masyaf National Hospital in western Hama province was four. SANA, citing hospital head Faysal Haydar, said 14 were killed and 43 wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, said at least four of those killed were civilians.

4.   Two NATO members said Sunday that Russian drones have violated their airspace, as one reportedly flew into Romania during nighttime attacks on neighboring Ukraine while another crashed in eastern Latvia the previous day. A drone entered Romanian territory early on Sunday as Moscow struck "civilian targets and port infrastructure" across the Danube in Ukraine, Romania's Ministry of National Defense reported. It added Bucharest had deployed F-16 warplanes to monitor its airspace and issued text alerts to residents of two eastern regions.

5.   Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed early Sunday they shot down another American-made MQ-9 drone flying over the country, marking potentially the latest downing of the multimillion-dollar surveillance aircraft. The U.S. launched airstrikes over Houthi-controlled territory afterward, the rebels said. The U.S. military told The Associated Press it was aware of the claim but has "received no reports" of American military drones being downed over Yemen. The rebels offered no pictures or video to support the claim as they have in the past, though such material can appear in propaganda footage days later.

Next article: Legionnaire helps teen get GED to join Marines

Legionnaire helps teen get GED to join Marines

Source: September 9, 2024

For nearly 10 years, Legionnaire and Army veteran Jim Lindenmayer has been providing a hand up for homeless veterans living in Cherokee County, the sixth largest veteran community in the state of Georgia with over 16,000 veterans. Lindenmayer is director of the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program, which provides help with food, housing, clothing, Veteran Affairs benefits claims and more. It's because of his experience that Lindenmayer was introduced to a homeless teenager who wanted to serve in the U.S. Marines.

However, there was an issue. The teenager to did not meet a requirement of the U.S. Marines to join – a high school diploma or equivalent of.

Life for 18-year-old Alex Williams of Canton, Ga., has not been easy. He has lived in and out of foster care, group homes and with family members due to his parents being unable to care for him and his siblings. And early in his senior year at Cherokee High School in Canton, Ga., Williams dropped out.

"It all just wore me down," Williams told Joseph Bennett with the Cherokee Tribune. "I lost any sense of purpose. I didn't know what goals to set for myself or where to turn. I wanted discipline in my life, and I thought I could find that in the Marines."

It was with hopes that Lindenmayer could help Williams get his GED. 

Lindenmayer, who also serves as a service officer for American Legion Post 45 in Canton, said that "with Alex coming into our (CCHV) program we wanted to make sure that 1. he understood what and how we could help him; 2. we were going to treat him as if he was like any other veteran and not a homeless kid; 3. we were going to introduce him to the Marine Corps with the help of the local Marine Corps League; 4. his moving forward was all up to him – we could help but he had to do the work; and 5. what we do is not charity. Rather, we pay things forward."

Lindenmayer introduced Williams to the Marine Corps League, the nonprofit FOCUS that conducts classes for the General Education Development test and many others who could help him along his path to military service. And through CCHVP, the cost of Williams to live in a motel while he studied, food, GED fees and other incidentals were all covered.  

"As a former Army officer, I treated Alex just like I would have had he been in my troop," Lindenmayer said.  "I informed him of our expectations and that we were there to help.  I also made it known that he had to do the work and prep for the exams."

A Marine veteran who was a teacher helped prep Williams for the four GED exams, while Lindenmayer never left his side.  "I would call him daily or pick him up from the hotel and bring him to the Legion post to test prep so that we knew he was on tract," said Lindenmayer, who spent three weeks with Williams. 

And for Williams to understand what his new life and family in the Marines will be like, the Marine Corps League Detachment 1311 from Woodstock, Ga., invited him to one of their events to meet and talk with other Marines.  Rich Sabo, detachment commandant of the Marine Corps League in Cherokee County, also spoke with Williams "so that he could keep the Marine point of view alive with Alex," Lindenmayer said.  "By about the second or third week, Alex realized that our discussions of the military as being a family, but a different special family, started to ring true with him."

As pressure remained that Williams passed all GED exams, Lindenmayer worked it out with FOCUS to obtain word of his passing as boot camp was quickly starting.

Williams passed. But he wasn't quite in the clear.

"The Marine Corps required hard copies of his diploma and all we had was a screen shot of his passing and qualifying as a GED graduate."  Lindenmayer drove Williams to downtown Atlanta on a Friday afternoon to pick up a copy of his transcripts and diploma. "While I was driving us back to his hotel, Alex took pictures of his transcript and diploma and texted it to his recruiter."

On Friday, Aug. 30, during their one of many lunches together, Williams informed Lindenmayer that he was leaving for Marine Corps training in Paris Island, S.C., in two days. "Over that weekend I called him and reinforced that he needed to run 3 to 5 miles a day to get ready, and also to make sure that he was not afraid of taking the next step."

Williams left for boot camp on Sept. 1.

"We are waiting to hear of his mailing address so those of us, over 25 who helped him, could check on his status," Lindenmayer said. "We are already planning on taking a road trip to his graduation from boot camp in mid-December."

Prior to leaving for boot camp, Lindenmayer hosted a luncheon with a Marine Corps cake for Williams to celebrate his achievements.

"It was to show him that people cared about him maybe for the first time in his life," Lindenmayer said. "He did the work. He did what we asked him to do, and he passed all expectations and tests we put him through. I saw it as a celebration of his next life and new family – the Marine Corps.  It was a great win for our team and program to see him move forward. 

"I am glad Alex was a great kid and did not let what has happened to him in his life be a crutch or stumbling point moving forward with his life. He may not have had the best family life growing up, but he has a new family that is pulling for him and wants only what is best for him." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next article: George Fox, ‘Immortal Chaplain,' receives memorial marker at Arlington

George Fox, ‘Immortal Chaplain,' receives memorial marker at Arlington

Source: September 9, 2024

Of everything he ever did, Army Chaplain (1st Lt.) George Fox is most remembered for his final act: removing his life vest and handing it to a frightened soldier as their transport sank into the icy North Atlantic on Feb. 3, 1943.

One of four Army chaplains – a Methodist minister, a Reformed pastor, a Catholic priest and a rabbi – who gave their lives that night to save others, Fox is revered as a model of faith, courage and sacrificial love.

"When we were small, my grandfather was a larger-than-life figure to us, and someone we should all aspire to be like, to walk in his shoes to the best of our ability," said Lisa Murray Hirbour, the youngest of Fox's nine grandchildren. "I think all of us do carry that with us now."

On Sept. 4, the chaplain's family joined Army officials in reflecting on his legacy during a special service at Arlington National Cemetery, where Fox received full military honors following the installation of a memorial headstone last spring.

Maj. Gen. William "Bill" Green Jr., the Army's chief of chaplains, recounted Fox's exceptional military career, which began as a stretcher bearer in World War I. He joined the service at 17 "not with a romanticized notion of heroism, but rather with a simple burden to care for others above himself," Green said. "Ultimately, this was his selfless service to others that set him apart."

On the Western Front, Fox braved gunfire, artillery barrages and mustard gas to bring wounded men to safety, earning the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

After the war, he had the opportunity to pursue a career in finance but chose instead to become an itinerant Methodist preacher. He and his wife, Isadore, served communities in Illinois, New Hampshire and Vermont while he studied theology, and in 1934 he was ordained.  

"They lived on basically nothing," Hirbour said. "The kids went to bed hungry a lot, but that didn't dissuade him from his calling."

When the United States entered World War II, Fox volunteered to serve as an Army chaplain. He went on active duty the same day his son, Wyatt, joined the Marine Corps. 

"He was already a decorated soldier, with a family to care for and a parish to pastor," Green said. "And yet knowing better than most the horrific toll that wars exact on human souls, he made a decision to return to the battlefield, not for glory, but to share Christ's presence with others in the midst of what he knew would be humanity's most trying and sometimes darkest moments."

What happened next is a story told and retold. USAT Dorchester, packed with 902 military and civilian personnel, en route to Greenland. The constant threat of a U-boat attack. A sudden explosion, followed by chaos, confusion and fear. And in the middle of it, Fox – with fellow chaplains Father John Washington, Rabbi Alexander Goode and the Rev. Clark Poling – urging calm and comforting those unable to escape. They were last seen with arms linked, braced against the slanting deck, praying and singing hymns. 

Over the next two decades, the Four Chaplains – also called the "Immortal Chaplains" – were memorialized nationwide in chapels and sanctuaries, sculptures and stained glass, paintings and plaques. A viaduct in Ohio was named for them, and a swimming pool at a veterans hospital in the Bronx. In 1960, they were posthumously awarded the Four Chaplains' Medal, which has the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor.

Only recently, though, has there been a push to count the chaplains among the fallen at America's most sacred burial ground.

Bill Kaemmer, director of the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, said his goal is for each to have a memorial marker at Arlington by the end of 2025, the 250th anniversary of the Army's Chaplain Corps. 

In 2021, Kaemmer joined Arlington's staff as a cemetery administrative specialist. Curious to know how Fox, Washington, Poling and Goode were represented at Arlington beyond plaques to their respective faiths on Chaplains Hill, he learned that only Goode had a headstone in the memorial section, installed in 1998.

"Once I realized that was an option, I thought it would be right to move forward," he said. "If I accomplish nothing else in my time as director, helping get all four into Arlington would be a big deal. I think it's nice closure for the families."

The request for a memorial marker must be made by the oldest next of kin. Already in touch with Fox's family, Kaemmer volunteered his help if they wanted to start the process. 

"At the time, my mother (Mary Fox Murray, Fox's daughter) was still alive," Hirbour said. "We lost her last year. But I still thought, ‘They're all going to smile down on us if we can get this done."

Lost and damaged military records added a wrinkle, but with the guidance of an Army casualty assistance officer, Hirbour gathered and submitted the required documentation. Within months, a marker was approved and a date set for a long-overdue memorial service.

According to Kaemmer, Fox's headstone stands about 10 yards from Goode's. "If the other two come within a year, they might actually be next to Chaplain Fox's," he said.

Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment – the Old Guard – conducted Fox's funeral honors as they would a traditional burial. A casket team folded a U.S. flag and presented it to Hirbour, followed by the firing of a three-volley salute and the playing of taps.

"Today we honor Chaplain Fox's memory and example, as our Army has done for over 80 years," Green said. "And we pray that the members of our Chaplain Corps, both present and future, may always be found as faithful to their sense of calling as Chaplain George Fox was to his."

After his remarks, Green gave Hirbour an Army challenge coin bearing the image of the Four Chaplains. "We remember them every day," he assured her.

Six of Fox's grandchildren were present, along with other family and friends. 

"All of us were gratified to know his legacy is alive and well in the military and in the country, because we think this country needs heroes now more than ever," Hirbour said. "What they did was truly brave and should be recognized, although my grandfather himself would wonder what all the fuss was about."

American Legion National Commander Jim LaCoursiere attended the service with American Legion Auxiliary President Trish Ward and Sons of The American Legion National Commander Joseph Navarrete.

"The memorial service for the Rev. George Fox was touching and special, as The American Legion has never forgotten the heroism of the Four Chaplains," LaCoursiere said. "Without thought or hesitation, they gave away everything – life vests, gloves, jackets – to save others. Their actions demonstrate loyalty, unity and valor, and are a symbol for veterans and their families. Their memories live on through the American Legion Family."

In 2024, 1,764 American Legion posts conducted or participated in Four Chaplains Day ceremonies.

Fox himself was an active member of The American Legion. His last assignment was pastoring a church in the mill town of Gilman, Vt., where he joined Walter G. Moore Post 41. He served as historian and chaplain for the American Legion Department of Vermont, and was in charge of the wreath-laying at the state's 1939 Armistice Day ceremony.

His wife, the Rev. Isadore Fox, was the first ordained minister to serve as the American Legion Auxiliary's national chaplain (1970-1971). She also served as a unit president. In the February 1971 issue of the Auxiliary's National News magazine, the other Rev. Fox wrote of the Four Chaplains story, "It has become the symbol of brotherhood throughout our great land. It is a call to love in a sacrificial way for the benefit of mankind to the end that they may have a better world in which to live."

In 2023, as the Fox family looked into the possibility of a memorial marker, a huge effort was underway to save the chaplain's former church in Gilman. After over a decade of it sitting vacant, Methodist trustees put the building up for sale, and local American Legion members led a fundraising campaign to buy it. Contributions poured in from the community, the Chapel of Four Chaplains, members of the Fox family, American Legion posts and departments, Auxiliary units, SAL squadrons, various veterans service organizations and individual donors across the country. A large donation from the late Mary Fox Murray secured the purchase.

"The American Legion was incredibly important to both of my grandparents," Hirbour said. "We are forever indebted to them."

The Rev. George L. Fox Memorial Chapel is both a nondenominational house of worship and a museum. "I've got all the artifacts that my grandmother held for 40 years, and then my mother held for another 40 years," Hirbour said. "I want them to be properly displayed so people can come and see what Vermont treasures they were."

The plan is for the chapel to eventually host chaplain training and retreats, too.

Most of all, Hirbour wants to fulfill her grandmother's dream – "a chapel in memory of my grandfather, where people can come and reflect and pray in whatever fashion they want. A place where everyone is welcome and everyone is worthy, because that was their ministry. They didn't exclude anyone. We want to carry on the legacy of our grandparents and what they stood for in this life.

"We want to be there for everyone."

Next article: 2024 national convention award recipients

2024 national convention award recipients

Source: September 6, 2024

During the 105th American Legion National Convention in New Orleans in August, awards were presented to individuals, companies, groups and Legion departments in meetings, on the convention floor and during competitions.

Distinguished Service Medal: Jack Miller

Patriot Award: Michael Rodriguez

James V. Day "Good Guy" Award: Jay Glazer

National Concert Band Contest: American Legion Band of the Tonawandas, Tonawanda, N.Y.

National Color Guard Contests:

Advancing/Retrieving Colors: Newport Harbor Post 293 (Newport Beach, Calif.), 92.35

Military: Newport Harbor, 92.5

Open: Jackie Robinson Unit 252 (Los Angeles), 85.35

NJROTC Open: West Caldwell High School NJROTC Warriors (Lenoir, N.C.), 101.0

Overall Champion: Newport Harbor

National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year: Cpl. Nicholas DeFelice, Owings, Md.

National Firefighter of the Year: Capt. Daniel Rawson, Delta Junction, Alaska

Fourth Estate Awards:

Broadcast: KARE 11 NBC (Minneapolis), "Broken Promises"

Print: Louisville (Ky.) Courier Journal, "Safer Sidelines"

Spirit of Service Awards:

Air Force Airman 1st Class Vernica Challenger

Army Sgt. Mayann Santiago

Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Galbierz

Marine Corps Sgt. Davinsky Theodore

Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jesyka Ware

Navy Petty Officer Pablo Rodriguez Jr.

Space Force Sgt. Christopher Paradine

National Recruiter of the Year: Patricia E. Liddell, Midland, Ga.

District Commander Race to the Top Award:

Milton R. Chatham (Texas) – Category 1, District 2

Stuart L. Scott (Florida) – Category 2, District 3

Gary S. Ely (Georgia) – Category 3, District 9

Murray S. Hall (Maryland) – Category 4, District 6

100% Department Awards: Arizona, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Latin America, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia

Gen. Henri Gouraud Trophy: Category 1, Florida; Category 3, Maryland; Category 4, Virginia; Category 6, Puerto Rico

Department Commanders of the Year: Michael A. Raymond, Florida; Mark L. DeVirgilio, Hawaii; Douglas L. Huffman, Idaho; Peter P. Cruz, Latin America; Carmen I. Rosario, Puerto Rico; Betty Lynch, Rhode Island; Sondra Dickerson, Virginia

Culture of Growth Department Award: Arizona, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Latin America, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia

Second Century All-Time High Department Award: Puerto Rico, Latin America

All Target Dates Department Award: Hawaii, Idaho, Latin America, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia

Henry D. Lindsley Trophy: Puerto Rico

Jerry L. Hedrick Membership Award: Puerto Rico

O.L. Bodenhamer Trophy: Puerto Rico

Consolidated Post Reporting Department Award: Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wisconsin

Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Employee of the Year: Adam Colone, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Veterans Employment Awards:

Wolverine Services, Fort Cavazos, Texas, medium category

HumCap, Plano, Texas, small category

Outstanding Employment Service Local Office of the Year: Workforce Solutions of Central Texas

Outstanding Employer of Enhancing the Lives of Disabled Persons: Bobby Dodd Institute, Atlanta

100 Percent Americanism Award: Delaware

Daniel J. O'Connor Americanism Trophy: Ohio

Ralph T. O'Neil Trophy: Nevada

Frank N. Belgrano Jr. Trophy: Missouri

Child Welfare Foundation (CWF) Garland Murphy Award: Pennsylvania

CWF Udie Grant Legacy Award: Arizona

CWF Meritorious Achievement Award: Wyoming

CWF Excellence Award: Wyoming

CWF Garland Murphy Award – Riders: Florida

CWF Udie Grant Legacy Award – Riders: Arizona

William F. Lenker National Service Trophy: Florida

Educator of the Year Award: Chad Johnson, Jobs for American Graduates (JAG) coordinator, Lyman High School, Presho, S.D.

Next article: Riders chapter bringing Be the One, suicide awareness to its community

An expanded MCON conference highlights Be the One

Source: September 5, 2024

The second annual MCON conference will take place in Las Vegas at the end of October. As a founding sponsor, The American Legion has a special 100% off discount for members.

The mission of MCON is to create community, facilitate connection and improve the well-being of those who served and their families.  

MCON will be held Oct. 24-27 at The Expo at World Market Center, 435 S. Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas. The schedule is being updated regularly at this link. The event will also be livestreamed. Use code LegionMCON to register here for free.

A daylong Military Impact Summit will take place on Friday, Oct. 25. Separate registration is required (click here to do so). Among the highlights will be a presentation by American Legion Chief Marketing Officer Dean Kessel on Be the One, the organization's primary mission to reduce the number of suicides among veterans and servicemembers. Topics of other presentations during the summit include career transitioning, veteran entrepreneurship, corporate branding and more.

Over the weekend, the conference will feature various speakers, panel discussions and activities for military families. Among the speakers scheduled to appear:

• Rudy Reyes, a conservationist, writer, actor, motivational speaker and former Force Reconnaissance Marine. He is best known for portraying himself in the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill."

• Connor Matthews, also known as "The Controller," embodies the American hustle. His transition from six years as a distinguished Air Force combat controller to a formidable UFC fighter showcases his resilience, persistence and heart. 

• Marcus and Amber Capone. Marcus, a retired Navy SEAL, is the co-founder and CEO of TARA Mind, a public benefit corporation whose mission is to expand safe and equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapy for anyone struggling with a mental health condition. Amber, his wife, is the co-founder and executive director of VETS Inc., a pioneering 501(c)(3) organization providing resources, research, and advocacy for U.S. Special Operations veterans seeking psychedelic assisted therapies abroad.

• Ramón Colón-López, who served in the Air Force for 33 years. In December 2019, he became the fourth Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior enlisted servicemember in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Tish Stropes, an Air Force spouse, is the vice president of Strategic Initiatives for Fisher House Foundation. The foundation oversees a network of comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay at no cost while a loved one receives medical treatment. Tish is responsible for Fisher House's involvement with Warrior Games and Invictus Games.

• Former Army Ranger Dave Reid, a symbol of resilience, leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence. As the Vice President for the Robert Irvine Foundation, he channels his extensive military experience into aiding veterans and first responders, serving as an influential advocate and key connector to the community he holds dear.

Next article: Senators push $15M bill to study birth defects in children of veterans exposed to toxic chemicals

Senators push $15M bill to study birth defects in children of veterans exposed to toxic chemicals

Source: September 5, 2024

The generational effects of chemical warfare agents and other hazardous materials on the descendants of service members would be evaluated under a bill to fund $15 million in research on birth defects identified in the children and grandchildren of toxic-exposed veterans.

The Molly R. Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act would commission multiple studies that look at the connections between toxic exposures of service members in combat zones and severe disabilities that were later diagnosed in their descendants.

The bill is included in two separate appropriations bills for the Defense Department and the Interior Department that have advanced in the Senate. House lawmakers have not offered a companion bill.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee's subpanel on defense, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., co-sponsored the research legislation, which would fund multiple studies by federal agencies and nonprofit organizations.

"While there has been some research on the link between birth defects and generational exposure to toxins and chemicals, there has yet to be comprehensive, government-led studies into the effects of toxic exposure on descendants of toxic-exposed veterans," according to a statement from Tester's office.

The funds would support the Toxic Exposures Research Program and build knowledge on the generational impact of chemical exposures on military members and their descendants, according to Tester, who also is chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

"This bill aims to empower the toxic exposures research group to conduct more vital research related to toxic exposure," Rubio said.

The legislation is named after the daughter of a Vietnam-era Navy veteran exposed to Agent Orange during military service aboard the USS Ogden, an amphibious transport dock ship.

Molly Loomis of Bozeman, Mont., was born with spina bifida, a presumptive disability that has been diagnosed in the biological children of Vietnam War veterans. Spina bifida is a condition where the spine and spinal cord do not grow properly during pregnancy. Her father, Richard Loomis, died in 2013 from bladder cancer, which was presumed to be connected to his exposure to Agent Orange, according to the family.

"I try putting myself in my dad's shoes and how it might feel to face toxic exposure health issues. But then to learn your exposure could have resulted in the birth defects, disabilities, even shortened lifespans of your own children, perhaps grandchildren, too — I don't think I can fully imagine the nightmare of that," Loomis said. "Not everyone chooses to protect their country, but I'd say everyone wants to protect their children."

Service members exposed to toxic substances are more likely than the general population to develop rare cancers, heart conditions and chronic lung conditions, according to the legislation. Descendants of toxic-exposed service members also can experience lifelong medical conditions related to their parents' or grandparents' exposure to toxic substances, the legislation said.

Mokie Porter, communications director for the advocacy group Vietnam Veterans of America, described the legislation as another mechanism for funding an area that historically has been overlooked in research by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"Before these Vietnam veterans pass on, they want to ensure their children are taken care of. The children and grandchildren of toxic-exposed veterans have health conditions that have not been fully addressed," Porter said. "Most of the evidence linking exposure to birth defects is anecdotal because the research isn't being done."

Porter said new research dollars also would enable studies to be done outside the VA, including universities, medical centers and other nonprofit organizations with a background in studying birth defects and chemical exposures.

The VA presumes spina bifida in biological children of certain Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides was caused by military service. People with spinal bifida can have paralysis and require extensive surgeries and medical care. But Porter said while spina bifida is the most recognized birth defect associated with military chemical exposure, the link is still considered limited for lack of scientific evidence.

A previous bill — the Toxic Exposure Research Act — that Congress adopted in 2016 had authorized research into birth defects associated with chemical exposures during military service. But the VA has refused to act on it, said Jack McManus, an Air Force veteran and president of the Vietnam Veterans Association of America.

The VA determined research was not feasible because it would focus on the descendants and not the veterans themselves, he said. McManus, a former sergeant who served from 1965-1969, said he was a crew member on planes that sprayed herbicides in Vietnam and has experienced multiple health effects, including several types of cancer, neuropathy and diabetes. He does not have children.

The new legislation would require an interagency group on toxic exposures to work to raise awareness about associations between toxic exposures and birth defects, McManus said.

The bill also would require research and current treatments for serious health conditions identified in the descendants of toxic-exposed veterans to be published on a dedicated website.

The interagency group was established two years ago under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act. The PACT Act awards disability benefits for veterans with diseases and injuries that are presumed to be linked to toxic exposures during military service, including from burn pits, radiation and other hazardous materials.

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