H Call of The Convention / Page 2 H Legionnaires in Action / Page 8 H Commander: Indiana Held in High Esteem / Page 10 H
April 2007
Surprise Visit By President Delights Legionnaires Bush Condemns Limits on War, Raps Walter Reed Treatment; Hoosiers Descend on Legislators
Lt. Governor Hails Veterans’ Commitment Department Commander James Delaney recently received a letter from Indiana Lieutenant Governor Rebecca S. Skillman, expressing appreciation and admiration for Hoosier veterans and their continued service to the state of Indiana. In remarks transmitting the letter, Skillman’s office wrote Commander Delaney that Becky “while Lt. GovSkillman Indiana Lt. ernor Skillman she Governor wishes could be present at the many Memorial Day services commemorating servicemen and women, she would like to let our Hoosier veterans know that she (will be) thinking of them on that special day.” In her letter, the complete text of which follows, Lt. Governor Skillman wrote: “Dear Honored American Legion Members: “In honor of Memorial Day, a day to celebrate our fallen armed servicemen and women, I would like to take this opportunity to share a few thoughts with you, our esteemed Hoosier veterans. “These days, our men and women in uniform are among our most precious resources. Indiana is part of a nation at war. We have daily reminders of the effects of war both on our troops of today and those of past wars and conflicts. For this reason, we have an obligation to commemorate the sacrifices of our armed servicemen and women, and thank their families not only on Memorial Day, but on each and every day. “As veterans, you have a unique perspective and Governor Daniels and I welcome your thoughts, concerns, and advocacy. We are truly grateful
President George Bush was an unannounced, but welcome, visitor to the stage of the 2007 Washington Conference in March. Department Commander Jim Delaney and a contingent of Hoosier Legionnaires were in the audience, and later visited the Indiana Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill.
Hundreds of Legion leaders from around the nation, including a group of Hoosier Legionnaires led by Indiana Department Commander James Delaney, gathered in Washington DC for the annual Washington Conference, and were surprised by the unanticipated appearance of the President George Bush at the legislative rally held each year as a send-off for visits to Capitol Hill. Although conference planners were well aware of the visit, most conferees expressed both surprise and delight at the appearance of the Commander in Chief. “We had no idea President Bush was going to be here until late last night,” said Kathleen Dagley, who managed to find a near-front row seat, from which she pressed forward to shake hands with the President after his remarks. “I don’t think I’ll wash this hand any time soon,” she said. In his own remarks, the President advised Legionnaires heading to the Hill to make it clear that “we are at a critical juncture in the War on Terror, and our enemies are watching us very closely.” He indicated that America’s enemies are watching the Congress closely, also, and by its efforts to curtail funding or set a definite time-table for withdrawal, “the Congress is sending the message that the
terrorists have been waiting for.” The President also praised The American Legion’s Resolution 169, which puts the Legion on record in support of America’s war effort and its troops, as well as providing a blueprint for demonstrating that support. “Your Resolution 169 is a clear and unqualified message of support of our forces’ efforts to dismantle the terrorist network,” he said. “Vietnam veterans understand that if you support the troops, you support the mission. You cannot separate the two. That is the lesson we learned from the war in Vietnam.” The President took particular aim at the then-emerging non-binding resolutions which presaged efforts by congress to tie withdrawal to war funding – a bill he vetoed May 2. “Non-binding resolutions led to the killing fields” of Southeast Asia,” Bush said. “It makes no sense.” In his wide-ranging speech, the President also repeated his promise to see that the country’s war veterans will receive the best possible care when they return from war. “My decisions have put kids in harm’s way. I am concerned that they are not getting the care they deserve when they come back,” he said, referring to reports of substandard care
at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Care of veterans, he said, “is an important commitment. Money is one thing. Delivery of care is another. What happened at Walter Reed is unacceptable and is not going to continue.” To assure that it does not, Bush promised “a comprehensive review of care from the time a soldier leaves the battlefield to his return to civilian life.” Following the rally and President’s speech, the audience fanned out to visit members of their respective Congressional Delegations. Indiana Commander Delaney led a group to Senator Richard Lugar’s office for a rare meeting with the Senator himself. Senator Evan Bayh was unavailable to meet with the Hoosiers, but most of the Members of the House of Representatives did make time for small groups carrying the Legion’s message. Among the legislative priorities presented to the legislators were: • Flag Protection Amendment • Support For The War On Terror • The FY08 VA Budget • Support For The Public Expression Of Religion Act • Veterans Employment And Training Act Funding • The Total Force GI Bill • Total Repeal Of The ‘Dis-
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2007 Joint Spring Conference
Candidate Urges Legion To Rely On Its Reputation
The leading candidate for National Commander of The American Legion has called on Hoosier Legion, Auxiliary and SAL members to build on the organization’s hard-won reputation for determined support of America’s troops and foreign policy. Martin V. Conatser’s (Ill.) remarks came as he addressed the 2007 Joint Spring Conference in Indianapolis, where more than 1,000 members of the Legion Family gathered for joint sessions, commission and committee meetings, and a variety of special events. “Just yesterday,” Conatser told those attending the conference’s general session, “I participated in a conference call with our National Commander, Paul Morin, and the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Let me tell you: Gates did not have to call The American Legion. He did, though, because he knows our position on the War on Terror. He knows of our support of the troops. And he knows of our influence among members of Continued on page 2 Congress.”
Conference Photos – Page 8
Gates also placed the call, Conatser said, to “explain first hand to our National Commander the reasons behind the just announced decision to extend Iraqi tours of duty to 15 months.” That decision, according to Conatser, was made to relieve the pressure on troops experiencing repeated deployments and to stabilize troop levels in the wake of the so-called troop surge; it was conveyed to The American Legion first-hand because of “our firm support of the President’s conduct of the war and our ability to influence public opinion,” Conatser said. The candidate was firm in his assessment of The American Legion’s traditional reluctance to call attention to its accomplishments. “It is time to let people know who we are and what we stand for,” he said, adding that membership inevitably will follow. During his two-day visit to the conference, Conatser attended a number of commis-
sion and committee meetings and was the guest of honor at a pair of special receptions and the commander’s traditional Conference Party. He also spent several hours in discussions concerning the Department’s newly introduced District Headquarters Posts transfer program, which was the subject of a lengthy and detailed review led by the program committee’s chairmen, PDC Bill Firkins and John Michalski. The candidate had been briefed on the transfer program at National Headquarters, and came armed with several concerns, not the least of which was to clarify the intent of the program. Following the meeting, in which District Task Force Chairmen described their procedures and progress to date, Conatser declared his reservations eased, but added that he would continue to maintain a “wait and see” attitude. He conceded that the program, in which the eligibility of Post 777 members is verified by
Interested and Involved
Martin Conatser, leading candidate for National Commander, addresses the nearly 700 Legion, Auxiliary and SAL members gathered in Indianapolis in Mid-April for the annual Joint Spring Conference. In addition to his keynote address, Conatser’s three-day visit included receptions, dinners, visits to commission and committee meetings, and a lengthy discussion of the Department membership Continued on page 3 program.
Top VSO Commanders To Congress: ‘Fund The War’ In a joint letter to House and Senate leaders and delivered to every member of Congress, National Commander Paul A. Morin and VFW National Commander Gary Kurpius sent a simple message to Congress: pass a war-funding bill void of any extra legislation as soon as possible for the sake of U.S. troops serving in harm’s way. “This critical funding request must be void of any language that directs the conduct of military operations or troop movements based on timelines established by Congress
rather than the commanders on the ground, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or by the commander in chief,” the two chief executives wrote. Morin and Kurpius told Congress it should consider and debate the president’s fiscal 2007 Defense Emergency Supplemental Appropriations request with only those amendments directly related to the ongoing cost of war, because “the men and women of the armed forces in the theater of operation are dependent on this emergency funding to sustain and achieve their mili-
tary missions.” According to VFW Commander Kurpius, “Everyone wants the war to end, but how it ends is just as important, so with all due respect to the small majority in the new Congress who voted to withdraw most of our 140,000 troops from Iraq next year – you are wrong.” “Congress’ failure to fund the troops sends a clear message to them,” Morin added. “The commander in chief sent this bill to Congress over two months ago. I don’t understand how some in Congress
can play ‘chicken’ with troops’ lives, training, equipment and unit deployments that affect all our military families too. I just don’t get it, and I’m not alone. “As leaders of our respective wartime veterans’ service organizations, we strongly encourage the removal of all restrictive language designed to influence the conduct of military operations and troop movements. Our knowledge about warfare and the evils of terrorism were learned in the hard school of experience. With all due respect to you and your colleagues – first things
first, take care of the troops. They are the ones placed in harm’s way.” “You were wrong to force a showdown with a president who vowed beforehand to veto any measure that contained artificial troop withdrawal language,” both commanders told Congress. “And you were wrong to add almost $20 billion, for programs unrelated to the war, on top of the $103 billion requested by the Defense Department. In a nutshell, not funding direct combat operations is the same as having your hands tied in a knife fight, they said.
“Unrealistic restrictions and troop withdrawal timelines will tie the hands of our battlefield commanders to maneuver their forces,” Kurpius said. “That will break the morale of our troops in the field – and to those of us who have been there and done that, morale means everything in a war zone.” This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, the veteran leaders reiterated. “This issue is about American men and women who we sent to war, and now some want to pull back before they finish their job,” the pair said.