INDIANAPOLIS (March 12, 2010) – “A great victory for common sense,” was how The American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill characterized yesterday’s ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional.

In a separate ruling yesterday, the Court also upheld the use of the national motto “In God We Trust” on coins and currency.

“The American Legion was very critical, in fact outraged, when the same Court ruled in 2002 that the Pledge was unconstitutional because of a phrase that has existed in the Pledge since 1954,” Hill said. “But it is time to give credit where it is due. The Ninth Circuit corrected its earlier mistake and now there is absolutely no reason why schools across the nation should not lead their students in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every day.”

The latest ruling answers the call of a resolution unanimously passed by delegates at The American Legion’s 90th National Convention in 2008 which stated, “That The American Legion reiterate its continuing support for the Pledge of Allegiance in its current form, voicing opposition to any and all attempts to revise it beyond the version approved by Congress in 1954…”

The California atheist who filed the complaint said he would appeal the ruling, a move that would once again put him at odds with The American Legion, which has filed numerous “friend of the court” briefs in support of the Pledge.

“While this was an important victory in protecting American values, the Pledge isn’t the only great American institution under attack,” Hill said. “Since 1989 it has been legal to desecrate the Flag of the United States. The American Legion calls on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment that will allow Congress to protect the flag from desecration. Now that the Pledge is legally protected, let’s show Old Glory the same respect.”

Hill also compared attacks on the Pledge to legal attacks being waged by the ACLU and other groups against veterans memorials that they deem “religious.”

“During this session the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case dealing with the constitutionality of a cross in the Mojave desert, which was erected as a war memorial,” Hill said. “We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court rules that these are symbols of patriotism and not the establishment of a state religion. The vast majority of the American people are not offended by references to God. There is no reason why our legal system should be.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Media contacts: Joe March or John Raughter (317) 630-1253, Cell (317) 748-1926 /(317) 441-8847. A high resolution photo of National Commander Hill is available at www.legion.org.

WASHINGTON (March 12, 2010) – The American Legion is tackling a problem suffered by an alarming number of military veterans: unemployment.

A report just released by the Dept. of Labor says that last year’s unemployment rate for young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as 21.1 percent. Meanwhile, the jobless rate among non-veterans in the same 18-to-24 age range was 16.6 percent.

“The American Legion has been aware of this situation for some time,” said Joe Sharpe, director of The American Legion’s Economic Division in Washington, “and we are addressing it with frequent, well-attended job fairs and business workshops for veterans.

“The unemployment problem among some of the younger vets is being exacerbated by substance abuse and homelessness. We are working hard to help solve those problems, too,” Sharpe said.

Homelessness, a natural consequence of unemployment, was the topic of a recent day-long workshop held Feb. 26 by The American Legion as part of its 50th annual Washington Conference. Workshop panelists included officials from the departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development. They cited unemployment and substance abuse among veterans as contributors to homelessness.

During its Washington Conference, the Legion also sponsored a job fair and small business workshop, attended by about 200 veterans.

“Given today’s economic realities, the unemployment challenge among young veterans is especially difficult,” concluded Sharpe, “but we are doing everything we can to help our country’s most deserving job-seekers meet it.”

The American Legion maintains an online Career Center to disseminate employment information to veterans. It can be accessed at www.legion.org/careers .

Media contact: Craig Roberts, ( 202) 263-2982/301-792-7500.

In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.

In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks about moving forward into the final stage of the health insurance reform debate. He will reiterate why reform is so crucial and what it will mean for American families and businesses: they will have more control over their own health care, they will see lower costs, and they will see an end to insurance company abuses.

Click for more >>>

WASHINGTON – (Business Wire) The American Legion presented a Florida congressman with its prestigious Distinguished Public Service Award during the organization’s 50th annual Washington Conference held at the Renaissance Washington, D.C., Hotel today.

Click for more >>>

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2010) – The nation’s only festival dedicated to honoring military films will be the recipient of The American Legion National Commander’s Public Relations Award during a luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel Wednesday.

In a letter to GI Film Festival President Brandon Millett, National Commander Clarence E. Hill wrote, “The GI Film Festival was selected to receive this honor because of its support of one of The American Legion’s corporate goals: promoting the honorable nature of military service. Since 2007, the annual festival has honored works that exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the American military through the medium of film. As the GI Film Festival Web site states, you present films “that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty.”

“Our mission from the beginning has been to honor the service and sacrifice of the American veteran,” said GI Film Festival co-founder Laura Millett, in a statement from the GIFF. “What a special honor to be recognized by The American Legion, one of the nation’s most respected veteran service organizations. We’re very proud of the growing reputation of our film festival and we look forward to building on this success in 2010 and beyond.”

The fourth annual GI Film Festival, www.gifilmfestival.com , will be held May 12-16 in Washington and will feature a number of first-time film screenings and celebrity panels.

Past recipients of the award include the late Meet the Press host Tim Russert, entertainer Ben Stein, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and former Secretary of Education William Bennett.

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Columbia, SC (WLTX) – The state’s unemployment rate is above the national average, and one group in the Midlands may soon be receiving help.

Clarence Hill, the National Commander of The American Legion, visited Fort Jackson early Monday morning meeting soldiers, touring the facilities, and speaking with reporters. Hill is addressing a joint session at the State House Tuesday, he hopes to explain The American Legion’s position on unemployed veterans in South Carolina.

Click for more >>>

The National Commander of the American Legion made a stop in Mankato today as part of a four-day visit to Minnesota.And as News 12’s Nathan Harrington tells us, the leader of the Legion wants to change the way the Legion reaches out to new veterans.

It’s been over a decade since the National Commander of the American Legion has come to Mankato.Clarence Hill of Florida visited Post 11 in downtown this afternoon.

Watch video >>>

INDIANAPOLIS – (Business Wire) “A great start,” was how American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill characterized the president’s plan to increase funding for military families to a record $8.8 billion in 2011.

Click for more…

WASHINGTON (December 16, 2009) – The American Legion called reports that soldiers are being sent to combat with deficient gear and lack of training “completely unacceptable.”

“The American Legion supports our troops’ missions in Iraq and Afghanistan but they must have the best equipment and training that we can possibly give them,” National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “Representatives Ike Skelton and Solomon Ortiz should be commended for bringing these serious concerns to the attention of the Pentagon leadership.”

The two House members wrote in a Dec. 10 letter that they are “greatly troubled” by what they have been told by soldiers.

For instance, a military historian found that the M4 carbine failed at critical moments during a July 2008 firefight in Afghanistan, in which nine U.S. soldiers were killed.

“Even though these weapons routinely rank lower than other military weapons in testing, they are still being issued as the Army’s weapon of choice,” the lawmakers wrote.

“I am also concerned that troops are reportedly being taken from bootcamp and being sent to combat, with little or no additional training. Soldiers are also saying that their rucksacks are poorly designed and make it difficult to fire their weapons,” Hill said. “My question to military leadership is ‘Who has the backs of our troops?’ The American Legion would like some answers. Training and equipment should be factored in as essential costs of war, just like VA health care. We will take this issue up with the Secretary of Defense and even the president of the United States if it is not addressed quickly.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Media contacts: Marty Callaghan (202) 263-5758, Cell (202) 215-8644; Joe March or John Raughter (317) 630-1253, Cell (317) 441-8847/ (317) 748-1926. A high resolution photo of National Commander Hill is available at www.legion.org .