contents - The American Legion

Message from the Commander
Legionnaires of this great state of Texas
Congratulations! We met our first
target date on membership of 50% for
August a week before the due date.
We are making our Department and
ourselves proud. Now we must work
harder to meet our second target date
in September to continue our progress.
CONTENTS
Message from the
Commander
1- 2
Article Submission Guidelines 3
Message from the
Auxiliary President
Veterans Seen as
Vital to Job Bill
4
8-9
Do you have an article or
announcement for
The Legion Times?
If so, please send all
submissions to times@txlegion.org
by the 20th of every month and it
will appear in the following issue.
We still have some posts who have not
certified yet. To the Post Commanders
who have not done their certification
we need you to do it as soon as
possible so that you can receive your
membership cards. We need your
members to be counted. If you need
help contact your District Commander he will be glad to help you.
Earlier this month Frances and I attended the funeral of Past
Department Commander Bob Walls in Mineral Wells and presented
Mrs. Walls with a bible and expressed our condolences on behalf of the
Department of Texas. We had a good turnout of Past Department
Commanders and Legionnaires present. The family expressed their
appreciation and thanks for being there.
I was invited to be on the 9th District membership drive (or coffee tour
as we use to call it) August 20th & 21st. We traveled 402 miles
covering the west side of the district and collecting 298 membership
renewals and visited with 20 post commanders. We had a caravan of
15 vehicles and traveling with us were 3rd Division Commander
Connie Jo Purchis, SAL 3rd Detachment Commander Connie Waddell,
Past 9th District Commander Tom Harlan and all American Legion
officers of the 9th District, Department Auxiliary President Mary
Waddell, 3rd. Division Auxiliary President Bobbie Wesch and our 9th
District Auxiliary President Twyla Greer.
(continued, p. 2)
The Legion Times
Volume 93, Issue 2
September 2011
Executive Director
William West
Editor
F.G. Adams
Send all correspondence
and submissions to:
The Legion Times
PO Box 140527
Austin, TX 78714
T: 512.472.4138 / F: 512.472.0603
We all talked about pride in being a member of the American Legion and the Auxiliary
and membership and what it is going to take to make us, The Department of Texas, #1
in the American Legion. I want to thank 9th District Commander Glen Moody for the
invitation to join them. Everyone had a great time eating,drinking coffee, cokes and
visiting with those we had not seen in some time. Shelby Post 602 Commander Jerry
Kubala presented Commander Moody and myself with a Post 602 cap. Thank you
Commander Kubala I will proudly wear it.
I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication in meeting our first target date.
Let’s continue to work hard to meet our 2nd target date in September. I know that
we can do it because we are proud of our achievements and our organization which in
turn helps our veterans..
We are getting ready to leave for the National Convention in Minneapolis and will
have a report on it next month. Remember let’s make the Department of Texas and
ourselves proud. God bless the American Legion Family and our nation. For God and
Country.
“We Lead – To Make a Difference Today for Tomorrow”
J. G. (Lupe) Garza
E-mail: times@txlegion.org
The Legion Times assumes no
responsibility for material
submitted and reserves the right to
edit any submissions.
Editorial deadline is the 20th of every
month for inclusion in the following
month’s issue.
Subscription is included in the annual
American Legion, Department of Texas
dues. Contact the American Legion,
Department of Texas for extra copies,
or copies for non-legionnaires.
The Legion Times
is the official publication of the
American Legion Department of Texas
Member of:
American Legion Press Association
Texas American Legion Press Assoc.
Texas Press Association.
The Legion Times is published online
12 times a year by the American
Legion, Department of Texas
2
2 011-201 2 DEPARTMENT O FFI CERS
J. G. Garza, Department Commander
James Fleming, Department Vice Commander
Jim Prendergast, National Executive Committeeman
Paul Dillard, Alternate National Executive Committeeman
William West, Department Adjutant
Charles Edwards, Department Chaplain
Walter Ivie, Department Treasurer
Daniel Corbin, Department Judge Advocate
Cyndi Miller, Department Historian
Sandy Kousman, Department Sergeant-at-Arms
Terry Bigley, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms
Ken Mueller, Immediate Past Department Commander
Michael Simon, Director of Internal Affairs
Edward Reyes, Department Service Officer
Michael Lacy, Department Service Officer
Rebecca Hollingsworth, Department Service Officer
Donald Bridschge, Department Service Officer
DIVISION COMMANDERS
Linda Reed, 1st Division Commander
Ashton Thomas, 2nd Division Commander
Connie Jo Popham, 3rd Division Commander
W. L. Fleming, 4th Division Commander
DISTRICT COMMANDERS
Jimmy Walker, 1st District Commander
Charles Denson, 2nd District Commander
Michael Croson, 3rd District Commander
Robert Bunch, 4th District Commander
Jeff Perkins, 5th District Commander
James Osborne, 6th District Commander
Everett Ison, 7th District Commander
Bryan Coleman, 8th District Commander
Glen Moody, 9th District Commander
Bill Moore, 10th District Commander
John Rogers, 11th District Commander
Alan Robart, 12th District Commander
James Carminati, 13th District Commander
Walt Myers, 14th District Commander
Noe Alvarado, 15th District Commander
Roger Folmar, 16th District Commander
Donald Douglas, 17th District Commander
Harold Lehnick, 18th District Commander
Bill Youngren, 19th District Commander
Fred Vasquez, 20th District Commander
Johnnie Washburn, 21st District Commander
Jerry Blaylock, 22nd District Commander
Robert Hester, 23rd District Commander
ARTICLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Do you have an article or news announcement your article. Let us know in your e-mail of any
to share with the rest of the Department of
corresponding captions, and/or name of the
Texas? If so, please follow these basic guidephotographer if necessary.
lines for submissions.
• Spell check everything! Especially people’s
• Submit your text in Microsoft Word format
names, web addresses, etc. We do our best to
(.doc) or as a text file (.txt or .rtf). No “.docx”
catch typos, but sometimes they still slip by.
files please, as these are often problematic. You can help us greatly here by simply running
Save your file as the same name of the aryour spell check function in your word
ticle, so we can easily keep track of it. And be processing program.
sure to make it clear who the author is, whether it’s you or if you are just forwarding it to us. • E-mail everything directly to us at
• WE LOVE ARTICLES WITH PHOTOS, or any
other kind of images! Include photos and/or
artwork for articles separately (NOT embedded in the article) as high resolution (300
dpi, or better) JPGs. Please name these files
accordingly so we can track them along with
times@txlegion.org by the 20th of every
month for it to appear in the very next issue..
This way we have plenty of time to work with
in case we need to clarify anything with you.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and hope you
continue to help us grow The Legion Times!
3
Message from the Auxiliary President
The month has been filled with exciting travels. I attended the American Legion Baseball
banquet and play offs in Pharr, Texas, hosted by Post and Unit 101. The guest speaker
encouraged and challenged the players to develop good habits, be of good character and to
make a commitment to whatever they undertake in life. He challenged them to be the best
team player and to always give everything their best. The Legion Family threw out the first
game pitch to open the tournament. My pitch made it to home plate, just a little to the right.
The catcher made me look good, as he was able to catch my pitch. Thank you to Pharr Post
and Unit for hosting the banquet and tournament. I want to thank the American Legion for
their continued support of this worthwhile program and for their hospitalities.
The Veteran Affairs Hospital Tours schedule is complete and posted on the Auxiliary website:
www.alatexas.org. We would love to have all Division, District and Post Commanders attend
and show their support.
Commander Garza and I are committed and have partnered to build Texas membership. We
are committed to being visible in our state and communities. We believe that being visible will
attract new members, but we have to ask them to join and support our Veterans. Commander
Garza has committed to National Commander that Texas will make 100 percent in
membership goal. Wouldn’t that be wonderful and exciting for Texas Legion and Auxiliary to
achieve? We must go to work now, in order to meet this commitment. It is going to take every
legion and auxiliary member to commit recruiting to one new member or by contacting those
that have not renewed their membership. We can achieve 100 percent, I know we can.
The Auxiliary has completed our Budget Planning Meetings, and will present the budget in
September at Department Executive Committee Meeting. We will also be having an
Information Jamboree, which promises to be very informative and fun.
We look forward to seeing everyone there.
“Celebrating Our Veterans and Freedom”
For God & Country,
Mary Waddell
Department President
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VETERANS
OUTREACH/BENEFIT SEMINAR
SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 2011
9:00 am till NOON or till all have been counseled
AMERICAN LEGION POST 46
Wake Village, Texas
Location: Texas Elks Lodge#2771, 3702 New Boston Rd.
Texarkana, Texas
Representatives from the VA Regional Office in Waco, Texas, the Overton BrooksVA Hospital Shreveport, LA., Texas Veterans Commission, which includes claims,
education opportunities, and Veteran employment opportunities, Information from
the Texas Veterans Land Board, Small Business Administration, Area Agency on
Aging, The American Legion and other agencies offering services to OEF/OIF
Veterans, will be on hand to discuss and help with any questions, claims, employment,
and basic benefits.
****
Registration will start at 8:30 am, and all counseling will be on a “first come – first
serve” basis. However, all wishing any form of counseling will receive help. All
Veterans, spouses, or family members are encouraged to attend.
The Elks Lodge will be providing a free breakfast for all Veterans starting at 8 A.M.
****
For more information contact one of the following:
Ken Kunkel, 1st District Service Officer – 903-278-2931
Linda Ariaza, Commander Post 46 – 903-733-5953
Bobby Baker, Seminar Coordinator – 903-720-2316
A WORD ABOUT LEGIONNAIRE INSURANCE TRUST
The Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) was formed in 1966 with two primary goals:
to provide Legion families with low-cost insurance protection, and to provide a
source of revenue to participating Legion Departments.
The Trust has been so successful in its forty-three years that today over
2,000,000 Legionnaires in 48 participating Departments are enrolled in this
unique program.
Also, in the same period of time, hundreds of millions of dollars in claim
benefits have been paid to Legionnaires and their families through the LIT;
and over $52 million in allocations have been paid to participating Legion
Departments.
The first Trust insurance plan to be offered was the Hospital Income Protection
plan, a program designed to pay fixed dollar amounts for periods of hospital
confinement. Over the years, other insurance coverage offered included:
Cancer, Accidental Death, Travel Accident, Critical Illness, Disability Income,
Emergency Assistance, Long Term Care, Medicare Supplement, Discount
Cards, Dental, Whole Life, Auto, Homeowners, Identity Theft, and Home
Health Care.
Since its creation, AGIA has worked closely with the Trust to develop insurance
programs especially designed for Department members and their families. We
are proud to serve you through the Trust and invite your inquiries and
suggestions on any aspect of our activities.
24177
© 2011 AGIA
THE LEGIONNAIRE INSURANCE TRUST ( LIT )
Over Four Decades of Partnership for a Healthy America
Your Single Benefits Source for
All Department Insurance Plans
Do not buy Insurance until you learn about the
full range of high-value plans negotiated for you by the LIT!
LIT FAST FACTS:
Founded in 1966 to provide Legionnaires with
high-quality insurance products at low group rates.
Serves 48 American Legion Departments.
FEATURED PLANS:*
Emergency Assistance Plus — 24-hour
emergency and medical back-up plan to help
Legionnaires handle almost any crisis away from home
that health insurance usually will NOT cover. This
includes Medical Evacuation, Medical Assistance, Travel
Assistance, and Assistance for Companions.
Hospital Indemnity — Pays Legionnaires for
hospitalization resulting from a covered injury or illness.
Benefits help pay for the expenses not covered by
primary insurance.
Cancer Care — Pays Legionnaires benefits for the
treatment of cancer, including coverage for hospital room
and board, chemotherapy, drugs and medicine, radiation
therapy, nursing care, surgery, and much more.
Travel Accident — Pays death benefit for
travel-related accidents. Also pays a daily benefit for
hospitalization resulting from a travel-related accident.
Accident Protection — Pays benefits for covered
accidents. You get round-the-clock protection — 24
hours a day, anywhere in the world.
Medicare Supplement — Pays Legionnaires age
65 and over benefits to supplement what Medicare
doesn’t cover, such as deductibles and co-payments.
LifeLock — LifeLock, the leader in identity theft
protection, helps protect Legionnaires’ identity — even
if your information falls into the wrong hands. As a
LifeLock member, if you become a victim of identity
theft because of a failure in LifeLock’s service, they’ll
help you fix it at their expense, up to $1,000,000.
Long Term Care — Pays cash benefits for nursing
and/or home health care. Benefits pay for skilled,
intermediate or custodial care in a nursing home.
Auto and Homeowners — Valuable automobile
coverage for all your vehicles. Choose liability limits,
Over 675,000 members enrolled.
As of 2010, paid over $500,000,000 in claim
benefits to Legionnaires and their families.
As of 2010, paid over $55,000,000 in allocations
back to participating Departments.
Your Department has its own representative called
a Trust Director who actively oversees the workings
of the LIT.
Managed and administered by A.G.I.A., Inc.
For fast facts on any plan,
mail the postage-paid
INFORMATION REQUEST
on the back of the brochure!
Fill out the card on the back of the brochure and
mark the boxes to get more information on any of
these products.
Then drop the card in the mail — the postage is
already paid! Or if you’d rather, call us at our toll-free
number — 1-800-235-6943 or go online at
www.theLIT.com
*Product specifications and availability vary by state. Specific information on all
benefits and exclusions will be mailed to you along with eligibility details.
TO ORDER MORE
ALL-PRODUCTS
BROCHURES, CALL
1-800-445-3269
26464
and receive discounts for a safe driving record, low
mileage, multiple vehicle coverage, and for being
over age 50.
Veterans Seen as Vital to Jobs Bill
Commander supports Obama’s plan to deploy veterans in the
battle to revive America’s economy.
WASHINGTON (Sept. 8, 2011) – Pressing Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, which aims
to reduce unemployment and stimulate U.S. productivity, President Barack Obama told a joint
session of Congress Thursday evening to look to the nation’s veterans, who have fought with
their lives to defend our country. “The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when
they come home,” he said.
The president’s words in a Thursday evening address to the nation echoed what he said
Aug. 30 at the 93rd National Convention of The American Legion in Minneapolis when he
announced a plan to offer tax credits to companies that hire veterans. There, he told about
10,000 Legionnaires and their families that he was calling on every state “to pass legislation
that makes it easier for our veterans to get the credentials and the jobs for which they are so
clearly qualified. This needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.”
American Legion National Commander Fang A. Wong said the president’s plan to get more
Americans back to work falls in line with the Legion’s ongoing efforts to reduce veteran unemployment, especially among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Far too many of our young veterans are returning home to find they can’t get back into the
workforce – is that a proper way for our country to reward these men and women who have
served us so well overseas?” Wong said.
According to a Joint Economic Commission report to Congress last June, the unemployment
rate for male veterans aged 18 to 24 stood at 27 percent.
“We sponsor more than 100 job fairs per year for servicemembers and veterans,” Wong said.
“We press federal agencies to hire more veterans. We show veteran-owned small businesses
how to get more federal contracting dollars. So The American Legion heartily welcomes the
jobs plan initiatives pertaining to veterans announced by President Obama, especially since
they reinforce the White House’s commitment to get more veterans employed.”
In the address, Obama said the American Jobs Act will “provide a jolt” to an economy that is
now stalled. He pinpointed education, transportation and small business as areas that can
make an impact in the recovery. He told lawmakers that the measure will make it easier for
small businesses to procure federal contracts.
(continued, p. 9)
8
The American Legion is now working with the government to improve compliance with a federal law mandating that no less than 3 percent of federal contracts be awarded to businesses
owned by service-disabled veterans. Obama also spoke of the power the GI Bill poses to stimulate the economy, as it did after World War II. “Millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, had the opportunity to go to school because of the GI Bill. Where would we be if they
hadn’t had that chance?” Earlier in the day, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed the Veterans Opportunity to
Work Act (known as the VOW Act), sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida. The bill would improve transition counseling for servicemembers leaving active duty, and also help veterans to
obtain licenses or certificates for skills they learned in the military.
“Military training and experience needs to be recognized by civilian employers. This is an issue The American Legion has taken to the White House and Congress many times,” Wong
said. “Now we are seeing some results – in the president’s new initiatives to get more veterans
hired, and in the VOWS Act that is making its way to a vote on the House floor.
“We have got to convince the private sector to recognize the full value of military service. Taxpayers invest a lot of money in their training. Such a huge investment must not be wasted,”
Wong said. The American Legion has been pushing Congress and the private sector for wider recognition
of military skills and experience. The Legion’s Economic Division is planning to host a conference early next year on licensing and certification issues for veterans.
Telling Congress that “we are tougher than the times we live in,” Obama echoed his Aug. 5
speech at the Washington Navy Yard. Before a largely military audience, he outlined four proposals to reduce the jobless rate among Post-9/11 veterans, including tax credits for firms that
hire veterans who are unemployed or have service-connected disabilities.
“The president has challenged the private sector to hire or train 100,000 jobless veterans by
the end of 2013,” Wong said. “We join the president’s call to action, but would like to up the
ante. The American Legion is challenging America to bring veterans unemployment below the
5-percent mark before Election Day of 2012. Hiring veterans is one of the best ways to honor
their service.”
Contact: Marty Callaghan at 202-263-5758/202-215-8644 or mcallaghan@legion.org.
9
The Legion Times
PO Box 140527
Austin, TX 78714
T: 512.472.4138
F: 512.472.0603
times@txlegion.org
From The American Legion, Department of Texas GET UPDATED!
The Legionnaire Insurance Trust has been The Department of Texas’s sponsored member benefits program for 7 years and continues to fulfill our members needs while being the only such program to benefit our Department. For more information on the products and services provided by the Legionnaire Insurance Trust, Call: 1‐855‐297‐2218 Or visit us on the web at: www.theLIT.com More than 165,000 subscribers
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