The American Legion Online Update
November 20, 2008
Tutwilers get 'Extreme Makeover' in Kansas
Heartfelt pandemonium reigned supreme on the afternoon of Nov. 18 in Chapman, Kan. Its population of 1,300 was greatly inflated that day by more than a thousand well-wishers from surrounding towns and a contingent of soldiers from nearby Fort Riley. Relatives, neighbors, family, friends, veterans and fellow soldiers turned out to watch as Army Spc. Patrick Tutwiler and his family took possession of their completely rebuilt home - courtesy of many volunteers working for ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."On the road in Washington
Editor's note: The following narrative was written by Jin Kong after his recent visit to The American Legion Department of Washington. Kong is assistant director for Internal Affairs/Membership at National Headquarters in Indianapolis.Nov. 20, 1943: A soldier at Makin Atoll
While the Marines fought their way to victory on Betio Island at Tarawa, the U.S. Army's 27th Division squared off against the Japanese at Makin Atoll, on Butaritari Island. Private First Class John P. Earley was one of more than 6,000 soldiers who landed; he came ashore from the attack transport, USS Leonard Wood (APA 12). Nearly 62 years later, on April 2, 2005, Earley wrote down his memories of the battle and aftermath. Here are some excerpts:Legion applauds VA report, recommendations on Gulf War illness
The American Legion is expressing strong support for a report by the Department of Veterans Affairs that promises better care for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War illness.Groups ask U.S. Supreme Court to save memorials
On Nov. 11, representatives from the largest veterans service organizations - including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Order of the Purple Heart - spoke at a news conference at the National Press Club to highlight Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, an historic case that impacts war memorials across the country.TroopTube debuts as video site for servicemembers
TroopTube, an official Pentagon video-sharing site, made its public debut last week, 18 months after the Defense Department barred YouTube from its military network. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Les' Melnyk said the goal isn't to replace YouTube but to give troops a reliable site for personal videos and officials a way to monitor those uploads for potential operational security violations.Legion post honors centenarian D-Day veteran
The U.S. Army's Freedom Team Salute director, Col. Dave Griffith, presented commendations to Bartolo Trimboli, 100, of Potomac, Md., and three others on Veterans Day at a ceremony hosted by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post 295 in Gaithersburg, Md. On June 7, 1944, Pvt. Bart Trimboli landed in Normandy as part of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart.November 13, 2008
12-year-old raises awareness, funds for H2H
Courtney Smits is a typical 12-year-old in many ways. She likes to hang out with her friends. She giggles when talking about boys with them. And during a clean-up project at American Legion Post 55 in McDonough, Ga., she enjoyed splashing around in the sudsy water while she washed the wooden floors.Hagel supports Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center
(Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from an op-ed written by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.) For me, visits to The Wall evoke powerful memories of courageous soldiers I had the privilege of serving alongside in Vietnam. Their lives, as well as those of more than 58,000 other men and women, were taken from them in their prime. Each name on the memorial represents unfulfilled dreams and hopes and, just as importantly, countless family members and friends who never had the chance to say goodbye.Legion College 2008 sets graduation record
Fifty-four people graduated from American Legion College last week, more than any previous class. The week-long training session, held Nov. 2-7 at National Headquarters in Indianapolis, proved to be a resounding success. Legionnaires from all across America attended, and they returned home with even stronger leadership skills, problem-solving abilities and organizational know-how.National League of Families in danger of closing
Nearly 40 years ago, Ann Mills Griffiths joined the National League of POW/MIA Families because her brother, James, was listed as missing in action while fighting in the Vietnam War. He was a lieutenant commander and pilot in the U.S. Naval Reserve. For the last 30 years, Griffiths has been serving as executive director of the organization. Its mission: to obtain the release of all prisoners, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains of those who died serving the United States during the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia.VA works to streamline disability evals
Wounded servicemembers leaving the military will have easier, quicker access to their veterans benefits. VA is expanding its Disability Evaluation System (DES), a pilot program that will offer streamlined disability evaluations for 19 military installations.Company specializes in preserving lifelong memories
During wartime, the measure of a hero can be many things: a young soldier leaving home for the first time, a spouse supporting children alone, a nurse caring for wounded in the face of battle, and even children maintaining a brave face while their parents are off to war. Hollywood has translated the war experience hundreds of times, but these big-budget interpretations often contain flawed portrayals of who those heroes really were and what, exactly, they went through.November 6, 2008
Legionnaire fights for WW I memorial
Thomas Kouyeas, past commander of The American Legion's Department of the District of Columbia, wants the U.S. government to take better care of the only World War I memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Only a stone's throw from the far grander World War II national memorial, the granite rotunda - bearing the names of 487 Americans who died in battle - sits neglected on the 90th anniversary of the Great War's end.We owe veterans our appreciation
By David K. Rehbein, National Commander, The American Legion John C. Villepigue was a 22-year-old Army corporal from Camden, S.C. On a mid-October day, Villepigue and two comrades were on a scouting mission when they were ambushed and bombarded with enemy machine-gun fire. One of Villepigue's fellow scouts was instantly killed and the other seriously wounded, but Villepigue charged on. Advancing another 500 yards, he killed four enemy soldiers, captured six more and secured the two enemy machine guns, while sustaining serious injuries of his own.Marine amputee rejoins battalion
Cpl. Garrett S. Jones was patrolling the streets of Iraq with his team, when he was suddenly hurled 15 feet into the air by an enemy booby trap. The next thing Jones knew, he was on board a helicopter flight headed for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He was strapped into a gurney with a military chaplain hovering over him.VA health-care outsourcing challenged
Sens. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, and John D. Rockefeller, D-W.Va., acquired a document last month that outlined VA's plans to shift away from renovating or constructing health-care facilities, in favor of leasing facilities or purchasing care from outside providers. Akaka and Rockefeller wrote to VA Secretary James Peake on Oct. 27, inquiring about the implications that such a plan would have on the VA health-care system.Legion fights for 'blue-water veterans'
A 2006 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims awarded disability benefits to "blue-water veterans" of the Vietnam War for diseases related to Agent Orange. Last spring, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed that decision. So, once again, veterans who served offshore have no Agent Orange presumption, unless they can prove they set foot on Vietnamese soil.Veterans can now salute during national anthem
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers not in uniform can now render the hand salute during the playing of our national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect this month. The legislative change was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., an Army veteran, and included in the Defense Authorization Act of 2009.Have you subscribed to the new Legion Online Update?
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