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.

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.

I was up until about 0200 sorting through things and packing. Then got up at 0400 to catch a US Air direct flight to Philadelphia. NEC Chuck Armbruster and ANEC Lyman Brenner picked us up, and we had a lot of fun trying to fit our luggage and bodies in that tiny vehicle for the trip. We got right into the schedule which includes post visitations and some other tours, and headed for the first stop.

We went to Claymont 18 at the fire station for some presentations. Started with an interview by Jesse Chadderson of the Brandywine Community News. He asked some really good questions, and I have confidence he wrote a good article. I was next interviewed by Amy Cherry of WDEL 1150 AM radio, who will also post the video on their Web site. This is the home post of both the NEC and ANEC. Presented their certificate for achieving an all-time high prior to Dec 31 to Commander Aleta Krauss, a Legion College graduate, so that Amy could video the presentation, then took it back to present it again later. The Post and Auxiliary meet at the fire station and the SAL meets at a substation. We presented the fire station with a new American flag and a Corporate Blue Star Banner, both of which were raised by NEC and ANEC, and recorded by Amy. Marissa Favata accepted the flags on behalf of the fire department.

The Newcastle County Public Safety Building to meet with Col. Mark McGowan the County Police was the next stop. We first presented a really beautiful glass plaque Citation of Honorable Action to Diablo, a K-9 Officer who was shot in the line of duty. Her handler is Sgt. Chris Sarnecky. The presentation was made curbside as recovery is still in progress. Moving back to the entrance area, we presented a Corporate Blue Star Banner to the Police Dept. They had a number of their officers there to witness the presentation to Officer Diablo and to do a formal ceremony in raising the Corporate Blue Star Banner.

Newcastle 30 was our next stop. Gov. Jack Makall attended, and we had a 20-minute conversation about Delaware issues. During his remarks, he mentioned his Dad’s World War II service. He then presented me with a Certificate of Tribute signed by himself and the lieutenant governor. As soon as the ceremony ended, Post 25 immediately recruited the governor into the SAL. Lunch was a grilled BLT wrap, which was a new experience for me. Once again, I presented an all-time high certificate for achieving it before Dec. 31 to both Post 10 and Post 18. The post is noted for its baseball teams, and they presented a baseball T-shirt to Larry and me. The 45 present included reps from Newark 10, Delaware City 13, Claymont 18 and Middletown 25. We took group pictures with all members of each post, then the district officers, then the department officers. We talked some about the Washington Conference, then took questions.

We stopped by the National Guard HQ in Wilmington and met with the adjutant general, MG Frank Vavala. One of the most positive meetings I’ve had. He was full of praise for the Delaware Legion Family’s participation in everything the Guard is doing. He’s also a member of Post 25, as are five other past adjutant generals. I noticed a fully dressed Revolutionary mannequin in the lobby, which is how the Blue Hens earned their name.

After checking into the Sheraton in Dover, our hotel for the duration, we went to Dover 2 for a prime rib dinner. There were 54 present, and they asked some good questions. First Vice Commander Mike Cohil and Post Adjutant Jeff Crouser gave me a pillow that was made by prisoners in the Dover prison, an afghan and a bottle of Talisker single malt. I was informed it was the third pillow ever made there. It has the Delaware seal on it and is very well done. The Riders then gave me a 6-pack of a local brew, a Rider shirt and a mug.

I got up early Thursday to work on the DC trip report. Started the day at the Wilmington VAMC in Elsemore. They serve all three Delaware counties and southern New Jersey. They have five outpatient clinics – two in Delaware and three in south Jersey. The director wasn’t available, so the lead surgeon, Dr. Enrique Guttin (who just came back from Haiti) and PAO Charles Quisenberry, gave us the brief, and PAO and his assistant Patricia Caldwell conducted the tour. They are sending doctors to the clinics to at least do consults without having to have the patient come to Wilmington. The center had a lot of projects scoped and were able to take advantage of stimulus money to get some of them completed. They will be adding a third floor that will have clinics for OIF/OEF vets and a separate clinic for women vets. They also have a number of remodeling projects going on inside the facility to make them more family oriented and increase their capability. They asked for help lobbying for their unfunded issues. On the tour, we met a number of the residents. Joe Smith was on the landings at Omaha Beach. Ken Altaliar gave me a demonstration of an upper-arm exercise machine. We also met the president of the residents’ association, Marcos Duilio, who says institutional food is their only complaint. They have a well done tribute wall where there is a book with stories provided by residents and numbered. They then do an etching on a clay brick which is also numbered to match the story and put on the wall. This was one of the more positive VAMC visits we’ve had.

Smyrna 14 provided a roast beef sandwich lunch. They run the oldest American Legion Ambulance Service – have been doing it since 1924. They gave me one of the coins they had done for the 85-year anniversary. They have 2 ambulances with a Suburban as a backup. There are 4 paid crew during the day, and 2 volunteers at night. Cdr Mike Havel and Ambulance Chairman Allen Post gave me a ball cap, portfolio and pen and pencil set. I was interviewed by Ben Mace of the Smyrna Clayton Sun Times. There were 29 present for lunch. They also have an old picture from the ‘20s or ‘30s with a national commander in uniform that they can’t identify. We took a picture and told them we would have the librarian check it out.

We were then given a tour of Dover Downs, the Monster Mile, by George Keller who has been at the site since they opened 41 years ago in July, 1969. We first went to the bridge, where corporate sponsors bring their guests for about a half hour of viewing and many drivers have signed the seats. This is a one-mile oval made of concrete with 9-degree banked straightaways and 24-degree banked curves. The garage area was next, where they work on two cars per bay and it’s all open so everyone sees what is going on. The journalist area is huge and has everything you need for connectivity. We then made a pit stop in the first slot. We could have stood in Victory Lane, but decided not to get out of the van in the rain. There is a casino and hotel on the site, but are operated by a separate entity.

We paid a social visit to Harrington 7, which is Department Commander Larry Marcouillier’s home post. They have a really great trailer to tow to provide a food capability. Has two freezers, full refrigerator, two grills, two deep fat fryers and a large serving window. It has jacks on all four corners so it can be level in just about any condition. Cool. They also host an antique car show that is very profitable. Once again, I presented them an all-time high certificate for achieving it prior to Dec. 31. I also presented 3rd District Commander Jay Malin a national membership award in the form of a Christmas bonus check for each percent above 100 percent he was at Christmas. State Rep. and SAL member Bobby Outter was among the 18 present. I was interviewed by Logan Anderson of the Delaware State News. The Post claims to have the widest bar in The American Legion, and it is pretty wide. The post gave me a license plate and an old Donald Duck style Navy cap.

Seaford 6 was the dinner site. I was interviewed by Lynn Parks of the Seaford Star, and she asked some of the best questions yet. Should be a good article. The original boxcar that France gave to Delaware is located here. The post itself is a very large log cabin. Had the chicken cordon blue and rock fish for dinner. Met Andrew Bell who is a two-time department Oratorical winner, an Eagle Scout and went to Boys State. State Rep. Dan Short gave me a Delaware wall plaque that he passed around and had all 58 present sign it. Post Ccommander Bob Michael gave me a pencil sketch of myself along with a notebook with a collection of American Legion Magazine covers that that were drawn by Bob Clarke, who is 84 and used to draw for Mad Magazine. He drew the sketch from the portrait we provide to the posts, and it looks better than the picture – no double chin, etc. They are fantastic. Bob Clarke was in the audience and came forward for the presentation. He signed the sketch “Madly yours, Bob” just as he signed everything else he drew. The Chief of Police was also in the audience.

Friday morning was spent at Dover AFB. We were met by 1st Lt. Ben Derry and 1st Lt. Ed Mitchell to start the tour in a van. First stop was their new air-traffic control tower – newest in the Air Force, so it replaced the oldest in the Air Force. Col. Manson Morris, Commander 436th Airlift Wing, greeted us and took us to the first trainer simulator for training air-traffic controllers. They can bring up a variety of airfields and scenarios to start the qualification process. The colonel departed when we went to the tower itself. They not only control military aircraft, but all the air traffic in their assigned FAA area, which is over Dover. We met 2nd Lt Abigail Wise from the PAO office who coordinated the visit. She is an Air Force Academy grad who is about to make first lietenant.

We went to the USO in the terminal area. They have three separate areas and provide some unique services. USO Director Joan Cote conducted the tour, starting with telling us how well she knows Peter Gaytan and showing pictures. I also met Airman 1/c Sheldon Scott, commander of Millford Post 3, who will be departing for Afghanistan. Since Dover is the 1st stop for the remains and provides dignified transfers, we started in the large room where the families, chaplains and all support services wait for the transfer to begin. Joan went into great detail about how complicated coordinating these events are, and all the various contingencies they have to be prepared for. When you think of the scope – families with babies to teenagers, multiple families due to divorces – and meeting all their individual needs, it is daunting. The kids room is bright and cheerful, and the walls are done with a Disney theme – kids can follow Mickey in a bubble around the world on one side. Another has a window painted with a C-5 and C-17 visible. There is a smaller room with a large picture window done as a fishbowl for babies and infants to 3 years old. The main USO room is really well done and looks new. It has various quiet areas, a computer room, a food area, a theater for movies, and an outdoor picnic area. It was all done from donations and grant money. We boarded the bus and drove by the mortuary where the USO has another room for the troops and families. All of our fallen warriors pass through here, and we didn’t get off the bus for a tour – just passed by. The USO part is in the back, so the strict cleanliness standards in the mortuary don’t apply, and escorts and family members can relax. Joan is the grant queen, as she goes after all money she hears about and usually gets some.

Our visit to the flight line started with a tour of a C-5B conducted by Bob Reese. These planes are really huge. We started on the flight deck, which used to be called the cockpit but now is called the flight deck in all branches of the service. Dover has a tremendous throughput to support many theaters’ needs. There is a lot of room for crew facilities on the flight deck, and a large area with some 75 seats for people in the back over the cargo area. Like a COD in the Navy, the people sit backwards, which can take some getting used to. There were no C-5M’s available, so we went to a C-17, which is a bit smaller. The flight deck reflects that and there is no passenger area. When it is configured for an airdrop, the one loadmaster can empty the plane in as little as 12 minutes. First Lt. Jeff Fry led this tour.

Millsboro 28 was the first stop after leaving the base. The honor guard was at the entrance and saluted me aboard – this was the only formal welcome of any post in Delaware. I had the tuna salad lunch, which is a change. I was interviewed by Glen Rolfe of the Sussex County Post. I was also reunited with 3-yearo-old Nathan Glasco of Squadron 28, who I met in Louisville with my granddaughter McKenzie and who salutes constantly. State Reps. Peter Schwartzkopf and John Adkins, and State Sen. George Bunting joined us for lunch. I helped the post present a 60-year certificate to John Hollingworth, and 50-year certificates to Ed Hoff and Jim McWilliams. The state officials joined me and presented each a certificate from the House and Senate. This presentation was well done. I also presented a special award plaque to Barry Haig for his service to the post in spending hours clearing the snow out of the parking lot. I had to shorten my presentation as we were running short on time. Post Commander Jim Lafferty presented a landscape painting done by Auxiliary member Nancy. The post also has a weekend warrior event where they take warriors to various activities (hunting, fishing, etc.), and they gave Larry and I Weekend Warrior T-shirts and a red shirt for Fridays. Nathan’s grandparents then had Nathan present an 8-by-10 framed picture of Nathan and McKenzie at the National Convention in Louisville. Nathan’s first words were: “I’m going to put this on my wall.” I told him I was sure his grandparents had another one for him. Don Addor gave me a copy of his World War II book “Noville Outpost to Bastogne” which details his involvement in the Battle of the Bulge as part of Patton’s 3rd Army. The Auxiliary Unit President gave me a clock mounted on a wood carving of Delaware and a check to the NEF. The SAL commander also gave me a check for the NEF and another for the Child Welfare Foundation. Seventy-four were in attendance.

We made a brief stop at Rehoboth Beach 5 where Commander Tom Mann introduced me to his officers and the commander of Post 17. The Riders Director presented two 6-packs of Dogfish Head beer as they have a member who works in the brewery, and a bottle of Isle of Skye Talisker single malt, which I opened and shared with all who wanted a taste. This little post had 18 members crowded in.

Back at the hotel, I met with U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, a retired Navy captain and pilot who graduated from Ohio State. I met him on my campaign stop in Delaware, and we had a good visit. We went over the Legion’s legislative priorities and talked of my impression of what I’ve seen in Delaware, which is all good. After the senator left, I had a brief meeting with Kate Rohrer, who works for State Rep. Castle.

The National Commander’s Banquet was held in the Sheraton with 75 in attendance. I gave the full speech and added a few comments about the visit. I had the flounder dinner, and it was delicious. After the talk, I got a lot of checks, primarily for the NEF. Department Commander Larry gave me an extremely large portrait of Kalmar Nickel Ship. Department President Beverly presented a treasure box with a Delaware letter opener inside. After the SAL presented checks, I presented their plaque for last year’s CWF contributions. Morass Evans presented a Certificate of Tribute from the governor, and State Rep. Bill Carson presented a Certificate of Tribute from the State House. It was signed by Speaker Robert Gilligan and all 41 members of the House.
Delaware was a well-coordinated visit, as can be expected in a department with PNC Ric Santos as the department adjutant, keeping the visit flowing and not being too demanding on our time. We had a great time in our 29th Department visit.

The Maryland contingency with department commander, department adjutant, NEC, ANEC and a couple of others were in the audience to drive us to Maryland for that Department visit.

As has become my norm, I went to bed at midnight and got up at 0300 to pack. We all traveled together on Air Alaska to Seattle. Rita then headed home, and we took a Delta flight to Atlanta, where Larry went to Tampa and I accompanied Liz to Jacksonville. Originally, Larry and I were going to DC to await the Delaware visit. But since Liz went to Alaska, I used that as my excuse to change our route to go through Jacksonville to Delaware. The flight was a real disappointment. I was looking forward to watching two more movies across the country, and had started the movie Taking Chance. The system crashed 20 minutes into the movie, and they were unable to get the movie portion working for the rest of the trip.

These two days at home went faster than any two days this year have gone. I had a lot of nickel-and-dime tasks to do – get the suits cleaned, do the laundry, get a decent haircut as the DC barber was a butcher, find shoes as my Taiwan bought shoes split and it’s only been three months. I did get to spend some time with the four little ones, which was amazing. They miss me more than the kids missed me on deployment (of course they were much older and had plenty of other interests). Monday, I went to Bolles High School and picked up the Girls State applications for Liz. I was also able to attend my regular post meeting, which was a bonus and meant I got to see a lot of folks I wouldn’t have seen without the meeting.

Tuesday, I tried to get somewhat caught up on Facebook, e-mails and trip reports. The results were mixed. Liz was cooking her southern fried chicken lunch with her famous potato salad. I say famous as I see nothing special about it; she’s Scottish, and it comes out different each time. But people actually come in just to get her potato salad. And they line up for her chicken – and she’s from the north of Scotland. Plus, Kadence had to be picked up from day care, so she spent the rest of the afternoon with me. I played the last two big prize bingo games to no avail.
Time flew by, and again, I was up until 0200, then got up at 0400 to pack. One of the more unique trips is about to begin as we will fly to the first visit, then be driven to two other visits.

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.

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Our 28th department visit was to the Western District Conference in Fairbanks, Alaska, the same city I made my campaign trip. Fairbanks 57 was the host on my campaign trip, and North Pole 30 was the host for this conference. I had another one of those nights where I didn’t go to bed and tried to catch up on Facebook, write some of the DC trip report and pack. We left Washington on Air Alaska with stops in Seattle and Anchorage. National President Rita and Liz went along. I actually watched movies for the first time in a long time on these flights. Saw Wolverine, the Beginning and The Blind Side on the way to Seattle. Alaska is four hours behind EST, so I expect to get a lot of night e-mails that originate in the morning at HQ.

We were met on arrival by a lot of Alaska Legion Family members, led by NEC Jim Van Horn. Leading Candidate Jimmie Foster would also be attending. We checked into the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel. Fairbanks 57 was having their burger night, so I had the bacon cheeseburger, which I assumed was going to be beef and not some exotic Alaskan meat. Their Riders Chapter was having a meeting, so I stopped by and made some comments.

Friday began with the DEC meeting led by Department Commander Harry Pawson, which went by quickly. It was followed by the Western District DEC meeting led by District Commander Mike Berry, which was even quicker. The Western District Conference was a joint session. Impressively, there were three mayors present who all gave greetings: Luke Hopkins of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Terry Strle from the host city Fairbanks and Doug Isaacson from North Pole where host Post 30 is located. Mayor Hopkins informed me he was in the White House on the VP side the same time I was meeting with the president. Ft. Wainwright Garrison Commander Tim Jones gave some remarks about what they do, talked about how much harder it was to get on facilities and offered to make the base more open to veterans groups. I gave a summary of the Washington Conference, Secretary Shinseki’s remarks and my meeting with President Obama. President Rita spoke on her theme for the 90th birthday year of ALA. U.S. Sen.Mark Bergich had his regional director Tom Moyer provide comments. District Commander Berry and District President Marlene Walker then introduced their officers, and the conference recessed to break-out sessions.

President Rita and I accompanied the Boys and Girls State Chairmen, Bill Jacoby and Debra Henderson, to Lathrom High School to speak to their Student Council Meeting. While waiting to get our visitor badges, we talked to teacher Patrick Roman, who turned out to be Alaska’s Boys State Governor from 1982. This school hasn’t participated in the last two years. The chairmen presented the specifics of the Alaska programs, then Rita told them her experiences at Girls State and how they carried over. I also spoke of my experiences at Boys State and how it helped me get into the Naval Academy. Then I spoke of my 11 years as a Florida Boys State counselor and some of the kids I’ve met. When I mentioned I tweet and have over 2,000 friends on Facebook, they really perked up. Then when I told them I had been in a private meeting with the president two days earlier, the excitement level peaked. Two boys and one girl took applications, and we got a great group picture.

Liz returned from shopping in time to attend the Western Conference Dinner which consisted of chicken, ribs and beef in a buffet line so you could take some of everything – how thoughtful. National President Rita was the keynote speaker, and she really gets the Auxiliary enthused. She also received a lot of nice gifts. After the dinner, we went to the Alaska Ice Art Championships where they have single block and multiple block sculptures. These are magnificent and are really enhanced at night with the various-color light schemes they employ. There were some that were still being created, and it is amazing to see the techniques they use to bring these figures to life. There is a small gift shop at the entrance, so that was our last stop before leaving.

Saturday morning, reports were received from yesterday’s break-out sessions. I visited and gave remarks at the SAL Conference and the Auxiliary Conference. Channel 11 had called while we were at the Student Council meeting yesterday and said they would be here after 9, but they didn’t show and I only got a recording when I called them.

Liz went shopping to the North Pole, and we went site seeing. First stop was the tourist visitor center for the oil pipeline, which was closed and padlocked. The map says the pipeline is 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez marine terminal. It was built from 1973 to 1977, crosses the Yukon and another river, climbs and descends mountains, and zigzags for flexibility. There are five pumping stations to keep the oil flowing, and it flows at about 100 degrees. There are devices called pigs that pass through the pipes to help with the flow.

We then went to the North American Sled Dog competition for kids. The first event was the single dog competition, and the kids are about 4 years old. It’s a timed competition; there’s only one sled on the course at a time. We left before the second event got under way. Next stop was the University of Alaska Museum of the North, which has some great exhibits from history. Right at the entrance is an 8-foot-9-inch bear. Talk about intimidating. I also liked the mummified Ice Age steppe bison named Blue Babe. The museum walks you through history from a lot of aspects, and as usual, we didn’t have enough time to take it all in.

Liz was back from shopping when we got back, complete with a new suitcase to carry it all in. The Western District installations were the first event of the evening. They installed the SAL, Juniors, Auxiliary and Legion in short order, then prepared for the Convention Dinner. They served a prime rib dinner. My remarks seemed to be widely discussed, and many of my Facebook friends were in the audience. Alaska President Francisca gave National President Rita a check for $1,000 for the Ride 2 Recovery, which the Auxiliary sponsors. The commander gave me a book on Alaska, an Iditarod coin and a wooden bowl, and the Auxiliary gave me an afghan. Liz was given a necklace and a cook book. After the official portion of the evening ended, the outgoing officers gave their remarks and thanks for the year, and the incoming officers gave their remarks and plans for the coming year. Jimmie Foster was the MC for the festivities, and it is easy to see why.

We arrived here from DC and will depart in the morning for Jacksonville. This, I hope was the only trip that involves a 4 hour change in both directions.

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.

Up at 0530 Thursday to pack for the U.S. Airways direct flight to DC. Everything was on time, and we were met by the limo service that will meet folks for this conference. The room wasn’t ready at the Renaissance hotel yet, so we went to HQ to get some work done. The Department Service Officer School was in session, and we attended the reception for them on the 7th floor of the HQ Building. Verna Jones gave me a pin and said she was making me an honorary member of NADSO – the National Association of Department Service Officers.

Friday, we started in the office again. I have had a toothache for about six weeks now that gradually got to the point where I only chew on one side, and the side of my face tingles to the top of my scalp. So I made a dental appointment at 0945 which they could fit as a consult only. I got all the bad news. The tooth is dying, root canal needed. But Dr. Turner doesn’t do root canals, so he referred me to the dentists across the street. My luck, they had room to start the root canal process. Told me it would take two visits. I asked Nancy to modify my time at home for Easter to start here in DC. Looks like I can get here from California on a redeye at 0845, have the final appointment with her at 1000, go back to Dr. Turner at 1200 for the crown work, return to the airport by 1500, and get on a 1700 flight that will get me to Jacksonville at 2200. Just miss one day at home. Spent the afternoon in the office working on the many hoops you have to go through to get to Kosovo. This was the final day for the DSO School, so we went to their reception in the hotel.

Saturday morning, Liz arrived for the official visit to the Department of D.C. This was the 27th department visit – halfway. On March 2, I have six months left. Where does the time go?

The Department of D.C. visit was a luncheon/reception at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn-Key Bridge. Department Commander Wendell Dorn was in the VAMC and was not able to attend. We will try to arrange a visit at some point to see how he is doing. First Vice Bron Mogenis briefed me on the various trips they have sponsored for wounded warriors. They have sent warriors fishing and deer hunting in Texas, bear hunting in Maine, on African safaris and to New Zealand. I told him this is the type activities the young vets would be interested in participating and helping out in. The Executive Producer of the internationally televised outdoor series “Huntin’ With The Judge” is the Hon. Julie Mogenis, Bron’s daughter. Bron provided some literature on what they have done.

The luncheon began with the head table forming outside the hall and marching to the dais. A color guard composed of all branches of the service presented the colors. A portion of the Marine Corps Band provided the pre-luncheon music through the National Anthem. PNC Clarence Bacon, D.C. Office Executive Director Peter Gaytan, retired D.C. Office Executive Director John Sommer and his wife, Nancy, were part of the head-table procession. There was also a table of D.C. staffers including Legislative Director Steve Robertson, Economic Director Joe Sharpe and VA&R Director Barry Searle, as well as my Aide Larry and his wife Sandy, and my driver Skip Lee. A total of 118 were in attendance. I had the salmon and Liz had the prime rib. I gave them my push for social networks and told them there were plenty of veterans in D.C. as their market penetration is less than 7 percent. They presented their $1,000 donation to the NEF and $1,000 donation to the Child Welfare Foundation to me. They also gave me a crystal paperweight in the shape of the national capitol, and they gave Liz a plate with various D.C. landmarks around the perimeter. After the dinner, three younger vets and two older vets came forward to thank me for the social network push and assured me they were working to get their members to participate.

We returned to the Renaissance after the luncheon for the Washington Conference.

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.

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