American Legion News

Why the Korean War matters

Source: July 26, 2024

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July 27, 2023, marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice ending Korean War hostilities. The era ran from June 25, 1950, to Jan. 31, 1955; Congress extended the period due to the uneasy peace negotiations after the armistice was signed in 1953. Unlike many other wars, the Korean War fostered many names. It is often called the "Forgotten War," or a "police action." Sandwiched between World War II and the Vietnam War, it is often overlooked.

The war began when North Korean forces stormed across the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea. Their goal was to take total control of Korea. They nearly succeeded in pushing the United States and South Korean troops completely off the peninsula. Then-President Harry S. Truman responded to the invasion with a so-called police action by assembling a group of international allies to come to the aid of the South Koreans. North Korea had the support of the Soviet Union and China. By September 1950, North Koreans had nearly pushed UN troops off of the peninsula at the critical southeastern port of Pusan.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the Asian theater, never expected that the Russians or Chinese would enter the war. While the Russians provided military equipment and advisors, they did not engage full-scale in the war. However, in the fall of 1950, the Chinese sent nearly 250,000 troops across the Yalu River into North Korea. The UN advance at that time was pushed back to the 38th parallel. In April 1951, Truman relieved MacArthur of command for insubordination. In July 1951, truce talks began in Kaesong.

The Korean War was relatively short but very costly in terms of human lives. Nearly 5 million people perished. More than half of the casualties were civilians, about 10 percent of the population. This rate of casualties was higher than World War II and the Vietnam War.

Here are some historical facts about the war from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: • 6.8 million American men and women served from June 27, 1950, to Jan. 31, 1955. • 54,200 Americans died in service during the hostilities that ended on July 27, 1953. Of these, 33,700 were battle deaths. • There were 7,140 POWs during the war. Of these, 4,418 were returned to the United States, 2,701 died and 21 refused repatriation. • There have been 131 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor among Korean War veterans.

• 58,000 Americans were killed during 15 years of war in Vietnam, or 3,866 per year. 54,000 Americans lost their lives in three years of war in Korea, or 18,000 per year.

Iwo Jima is generally thought to be the most ferocious battle ever engaged in by Americans – yet compare it to the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War:

• Iwo lasted 36 days. Chosin was 15 days.

• Iwo had 6,135 Americans killed in action, or 175 per day. Chosin had 3,115 Americans killed in action, or 208 per day.

• Iwo had 17,841 wounded, or 510 per day. Chosin had 14,000 wounded, or 933 per day.

• Iwo had 60,000 Marines. Chosin had 20,000 fighters (17,000 Marines, 3,000 Army and 1,000 British Royal Marines).

• Iwo had 22 Medals of Honor awarded, or one for every 2,727 men. Chosin had 17 Medals of Honor awarded or one for every 1,176 men.

• At Iwo, Marines outnumbered the Japanese 3 to 1. At Chosin, the Chinese outnumbered the Americans 10 to 1.

• At Iwo, Marines killed 20,000 Japanese, or 571 per day. At Chosin, Americans killed 28,000 Chinese, or 1867 per day.

In addition, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, as of June 23, 2023, here are the latest statistics on missing personnel from Vietnam and the Korean War: • Vietnam missing in action (MIAs) – 1,579

• Korean War missing in action (MIAs) – 7,479

By no means do I bring these facts up to downgrade or denigrate the sacrifices during World War II and the Vietnam War; I had an uncle killed in World War II and a high school buddy killed in Vietnam. But my connection to the Korean War losses is a bit more personal. I have written about my uncle, Cpl. Charles A. Williams, several times in publications. He was killed at the Chosin Reservoir on Nov. 27, 1950, the first night of the battle. Approximately 20,000 Chinese troops overran approximately 3,000 U.S. Army and South Korean troops on the east side of the reservoir. My uncle's remains were found in the fall of 2003 and returned for burial in Kentucky in July 2004. My then-80-year-old father was able to bury his brother at long last.

Should the Korean War still be called the "Forgotten War"? Ask the people of South Korea. They have never forgotten the sacrifices made by the thousands of UN forces who helped save their country and are still standing guard today. I saw an example of just how thankful they still are to the United States and its UN allies. I went on this year's Texas South Plains Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., in early June. After some of our veterans placed a wreath at the Korean War Memorial, a group of sharply dressed South Korean generals approached our group, thanked our Korean War veterans and had their picture taken with them and shook their hands and bowed. After that, they took a group photo nearby next to the words "Freedom is not Free" etched in the wall of the memorial. These generals know what those words mean to their country, and they were honored to show us their appreciation. We should all honor our Korean War veterans as they do.

Larry A. Williams is a writer, Air Force veteran and member of George S. Berry Post 575 in Lubbock, Texas.

Next article: 70 years of Legion Baseball rule books now available on Digital Archive

70 years of Legion Baseball rule books now available on Digital Archive

Source: July 26, 2024

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Learn about American Legion Baseball with more than 70 years of digitized rule books, starting with the 1928 season. The newly available books demonstrate changes in Legion Baseball over the last nearly 100 years.

The national youth program was founded in 1926 as American Legion Junior Baseball. In 1961, the name was changed to American Legion Baseball to differentiate the program from other youth baseball programs. Details of the name change can be found on page 64 of the May 1961 Proceedings of the National Executive Committee.

The books include the rules for the upcoming year and information on national and regional games from the previous season including activity highlights, winner lists and team photos. Regular features include Players of the Year and alumni who are members of a Major League team.

Visit the Digital Archive to discover something new about American Legion Baseball.

Next article: Oklahoma senator elected president of Boys Nation 2024

Oklahoma senator elected president of Boys Nation 2024

Source: July 25, 2024

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In previous years, voting for the president and vice president of American Legion Boys Nation happen the same night as the respective debates for the program's top two offices.

For Boys Nation 2024, the debate took place Tuesday night and the election took place Wednesday morning — resulting in another sleepless night for the candidates.

"I don't think it's fully processed with me yet, the fact that I was selected by this group of outstanding change makers and visionaries, it's just crazy to me," Morgan Johnson of Oklahoma said after his election as president on Wednesday.

"I lost a ton of sleep preparing for this. I have a lot of really great debaters, a lot of national level policy guys and national debate performers that helped prepare me, because I've never really debated before; I don't do debate at my school, we don't have it," Johnson said. "So preparing, educating myself on policy, I was up until almost 2:30, 3 a.m. the night before the debates, practicing and preparing, and then a couple hours beforehand, I was working with my VP candidate from my party, Josh (Williams of Idaho), and we were all preparing. So much help from so many guys."

Johnson, the Federalist candidate for president, defeated Arkansas' X'zaeviun Sims to become the fourth Oklahoman elected Boys Nation president. He joins Joe Davis (1975), Jerome Loughridge (1990) and Rick Lam Jr. (1995).

Johnson said he wanted to run for president because he knew it had been awhile since Oklahoma had a Boys Nation president. And he also wanted "to be able to unify people, to be able to push people's messages."

Johnson was sponsored to Oklahoma Boys State by Post 153 in his hometown of Wagoner, Okla.

"You had faith in me … to be here is so humbling and so awe-inspiring," he said in thanking Post 153 for their support.

The four election races didn't end in a complete sweep by the Federalists, who on Saturday saw Eshaam Bhattad of Illinois and Charan Bala of Maryland elected president pro tempore and secretary of the senate respectively. In Wednesday's voting for vice president, Nationalist Rohan Parekh of Alabama defeated Williams.

Following the election, Johnson and Parekh were sworn into office by David Bobb, president of the Bill of Rights Institute.

Special guests

The senators of Boys Nation 2024 have seen plenty of sights around the D.C. area already this week — some that few get the opportunity to visit.

On Monday morning, both Boys Nation and American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation were guests at the White House alongside NCAA champions from all three divisions. Some of the senators even had the opportunity to play volleyball or cornhole with national champion athletes on the South Lawn.

"White House was awesome, we got to see a bunch of really cool athletes and I met so many really cool teams, like Florida State and UCLA," said Johnny Honnold of Missouri, who was sponsored to Missouri Boys State by Pembroke Hill School. "What was really cool was seeing Vice President Harris right after she was (endorsed) by President Biden to run for the election."

"It really meant a lot to me to be in the White House," added Matthew Hardy of Iowa, who was sponsored to Iowa Boys State by Post 31 in Lake City, Iowa. "I've been to D.C. a couple times now, seen the White House every time but never the inside. It was really unique to read up on the history that they had placarded around and you could see, visualize what other presidents lived there, and feel that."

After a visit from West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland on Monday night at Marymount University, the Boys Nation senators headed to the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. There, as guests of Justice Samuel Alito — who attended New Jersey Boys State — they received a guided visit of the Supreme Court chamber and posed for photos on the steps of the building.

And Tuesday night, after the presidential and vice presidential debates, the senators embarked to the House, where they received a tour courtesy of Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.

After Wednesday morning's election and inauguration, the senators visited the Pentagon.

Next article: NORAD jets intercept 4 Russian and Chinese bombers off Alaska coast

NORAD jets intercept 4 Russian and Chinese bombers off Alaska coast

Source: July 25, 2024

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North American Aerospace Defense Command says it "detected, tracked, and intercepted" four bombers — two Russian and two Chinese — flying near Alaska on Wednesday.

The Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bears and Chinese H-6 strategic bombers were operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone but "did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," NORAD announced in a press release after the incident.

The intercept was handled by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets, the statement said. The Russian and Chinese bombers were not considered a threat, according to NORAD.

A spokesman for NORAD, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Capt. Sean Carter, told Stars and Stripes by email that he had no further information available on the incident.

An ADIZ is an area beyond a country's airspace where, for national security, it exerts some air traffic control and requires aircraft to identify themselves. They are not formally recognized under international law, "although various norms pertain," according to the Congressional Research Service.

On Sunday, Russian fighters intercepted a pair of Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers in international airspace over the Barents Sea, the area north of Scandinavia and eastern Russia, while the bombers were en route to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, according to the service.

The B-52s continued their flight without changing course, according to U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa.

Next article: Providing financial ‘relief' for back-to-school expenses

Providing financial ‘relief' for back-to-school expenses

Source: July 25, 2024

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Roosevelt McKnight Jr. has only been the commander of American Legion McCulloch-Wagner Post 109 in Vail, Ariz., for around one month. But he's already made an impact, as seen by the post's most recent attempt to support its community.

On July 20, Post 109 spearheaded with the Corona De Tucson Fire District, a local business and other members of the community to fill one of the fire department's new trucks with school supplies. The contents of the truck are for students in the Vail School District.

"I was looking at this being an annual event," McKnight said. "But we have a couple teachers that go to our post, and they said it would really be good to make it a semi-annual event. But my plan is for it to be at least annual."

McKnight said he knows this time of year can create a financial strain on parents with school-age children. "We have worked before with the (ReSources) Vail Food Bank," he said. "One of the things in working with the food bank … is they were telling me they have seen an uptick in the amount of families coming through, and in particular, the amount of veteran families struggling. So that was in the back of our minds.

"But we wanted to extend it out. If we have families and there's an uptick in families needing food assistance, maybe we can take this on and get our community to come together and this post to come together and provide some relief for returning to school for some of these families."

In addition to teaming with the fire district, Post 109 also invited Caffeine Dealer, a local coffee shop and food truck, to take part in the event. A local Boy Scout troop helped with the effort and also provided a pancake breakfast.

The post was able to collect backpacks, pencils and pins, paper, hand sanitizer and other items. McKnight then reached out to the school system to find out when he could drop off the items, and that's when he found out a news team from News 4 in Tucson – which conducted an unrelated supply drive two days after Post 109's – was there to get video of the supply drop-off. But instead, McKnight ended up being interviewed about the post's effort. Watch the video here.

McKnight said the success of the drive, "exceeded any expectations that I had. But I think we have a really good footprint and a good relationship with this community. The (Corona De Tucson Fire District) fire chief said that this is the beginning of a very different relationship with them. And both of his grandfathers were World War II veterans, and he didn't know he was eligible for membership. So we've picked up a new member (in the Sons of The American Legion)."

Next article: Maryland post makes record donation to VA

Maryland post makes record donation to VA

Source: July 25, 2024

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For years, Dorchester American Legion Post 91 in Cambridge, Md., has made donations throughout the year to various U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities within the state.

But this year the post decided to make the donation in one lump sum – and made history in the process.

Earlier this month, Post 91 made a $42,000 donation to the VA Maryland Health Care System. It was the largest single donation the system has ever received from a veteran service organization's individual post.

"We used to give quarterly, but we decided to do it at the end of the fiscal year, which allowed us give more money at one time," Post 91 Finance Officer George Williams said. "We're trying to support the people that we work with, and our brothers and sisters in the service … who are elderly or need additional assistance. We were in a position where we could do such, and our Donation Committee worked out the money we had available."

In addition to having five legalized slot machines, Williams said the post benefits financially from having a facility that can be broken down into three sizes to rent out for events.

This year, the post will have been able to donate a total of $200,000 to various causes. "We give to every fire department within our county and two in our neighboring county," Williams said. "We give to different churches, animal rescues, educators, Boy Scouts. I think there were over 70 groups that we gave to."

The donation to VA will make a sizeable impact as it benefits veterans receiving care at the Baltimore, Loch Raven and Perry Point VA Medical Centers, as well as the Cambridge, Eastern Baltimore County, Fort Meade, Glen Burnie and Pocomoke City VA Outpatient Clinics. The funds will help provide diversional recreation supplies and activities while also providing support for the VA National Games, transportation services, educational resources, adaptive sports programing, supplies for new and expecting mothers, and equipment for inpatient care units.

"This donation from The American Legion Dorchester Post 91 will help to support important patient projects and programs that enhance the quality of life for Maryland's veterans," said Jonathan R. Eckman, P.E., director of the VA Maryland Health Care System, via press release. "As the largest donation ever received from an individual VSO post, it also demonstrates the commitment of Post 91 to supporting the needs of Maryland's veteran patients and reminds them that their service in the armed forces has not been forgotten."

Williams said being able to make that kind of impact, "is a remarkable feeling – that we have the means to do such. Again, this was one of our better years for giving, and we try to give the bulk of the money to entities relating to the VA system. It's good that we have the ability to give to the veterans in need."

Next article: Legion Riders provide summer barbecue while honoring residents of veterans home

Legion Riders provide summer barbecue while honoring residents of veterans home

Source: July 25, 2024

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Missy Heise grew up in a military family. The secretary of American Legion Riders Chapter and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 452 in Keewatin, Minn., she's the wife of a veteran – Legionnaire and fellow Legion Rider John Heise – while other family members have served.

That's why Heise and a group of her fellow American Legion Riders recently rode 90-plus miles to the Minnesota Veterans Home at Silver Bay to visit with the residents there, providing a summer barbecue in the process.

"For me, it means a lot," Heise said. "It's really important to me, because I feel that they don't get enough thanks for all the freedoms that we get to enjoy."

In addition to grilling out for the residents, members of Chapter 452 spent time listening to their stories and making sure they felt both remembered and honored.

"We felt it necessary to go up there and just spend some time with them," Heise said. "They enjoy seeing and talking to people. They don't get a lot of visitors, other than family. We felt to give back to them, it would be nice to not just donate, but to give our time to sit and visit with them and cook for them."

It's the second year the chapter has visited the home, but the Riders and other members of Post 452's Legion Family regularly support the veterans there with donations.

But the visits are different.

"They absolutely love it," Heise said of the residents. "We circle the building with our bikes so everybody does get a chance to see them. Then we have our bikes parked, and they'll come through and spend a lot of time looking at them and talking to us about our bikes.

"We talked to one gentleman who used to ride Harleys all the time, and he was just amazed looking at our bikes."

Jennifer Fisher, the veterans home's senior RN, told WDIO that visits make an impact on the residents. "You know they don't get tons and tons of visitors besides families," she said. "So having groups like this come in and give that sense of community."

Next article: Phishing, spear phishing and whaling

Phishing, spear phishing and whaling

Source: July 25, 2024

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LEARN HOW YOUR PLANNED GIFT CAN HELP THE AMERICAN LEGION

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is conducting Nationwide Tax Forums, sponsored by the Security Summit, in five different cities this summer. The four remaining forums are July 30 in Orlando, Aug. 13 in Baltimore, Aug. 20 in Dallas and Sept. 10 in San Diego. Registration forms and deadlines are available on IRS.gov; the IRS notes that taxpayers and professional advisers are welcome to attend the forums, but it is expected that they will sell out.

The forums are designed to highlight the latest strategies of fraudsters. There is a a specific focus on protecting tax preparers and their clients. The latest and most successful scams will be covered. Some of the scams to be aware of include:

Phishing/Smishing Phishing emails or SMS/texts (known as "smishing") are common strategies for a fraudster. One method to increase the probability of success is to send phishing emails to several professionals in the same firm. This increases the likelihood that at least one individual will click on a link and download malware.

Spear Phishing This is an email strategy known as a "lure." These scams are more difficult to identify. They single out an individual and attempt to craft an email that is especially likely to succeed. The scammer often claims to be a potential client. They may engage in a series of emails that appear to be a normal part of business. However, there eventually will be an email with a link to documents that supposedly have been requested by the tax professional. This link will download the malware.

Clone Phishing The latest phishing scam involves hacking an email message from a client to the tax professional. Since a regular email is not encrypted or protected, a hacker may be able to intercept such an email. The scammer then re-sends the email and pretends to be the client. This makes the tax professional think the email is from their known client, increasing the likelihood that they click on a link and download malware. The malware enables the fraudster to use client data, file false returns and claim improper tax refunds.

Whaling A whaling attack is similar to spear phishing. However, these attacks are focused on leaders of organizations or executives who have access to important business information. Whaling attacks will frequently target individuals in a finance or human relations office. The whaling email may claim to be from an officer or director of the organization and ask the finance or HR staff person for critical information.

The IRS warns professionals to be on the lookout for red flags or warning signs. If you receive an unexpected email or text that claims to come from a colleague, a bank, a credit card company or your tax software provider, check out the source before clicking on links or responding. A scammer may also decide to send a duplicate email that is very similar to an email you have just received from a trusted individual. The duplicate will contain an attachment or link that downloads the malware.

Another effective strategy for scammers is to claim urgency. They may indicate that your password to an important website has expired and must be renewed immediately. Finally, be careful if there is an email address that includes misspellings. Some scammers have been quite successful with email addresses that are identical, except for an "0" that replaces the "o" in the email address.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel notes, "There are major red flags that can be easily overlooked, so tax professionals and taxpayers should be extra careful and look closely when they receive an email from an official-looking source."

Tax preparers are reminded that they are required by the Federal Trade Commission to use multi-factor authentication for access to client's personally identifiable information (PII). Professionals should develop a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). This plan will help protect your clients and yourself from fraudsters and scammers.

The American Legion's Planned Giving program is a way of establishing your legacy of support for the organization while providing for your current financial needs. Learn more about the process, and the variety of charitable programs you can benefit, at legion.org/plannedgiving. Clicking on "Learn more" will bring up an "E-newsletter" button, where you can sign up for regular information from Planned Giving.

Next article: Legionnaires, at-risk veterans share camaraderie over baseball

Legionnaires, at-risk veterans share camaraderie over baseball

Source: July 25, 2024

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About a year ago, members of American Legion National Defense Post 46 in Washington, D.C., toured Access Housing Inc. (AHI) DC, which provides housing to area veterans experiencing homelessness, along with resources to find employment and permanent housing. Since then, the post has provided donations such as 48 pairs of shoes, boots, socks and 71 sets of bedding that the veterans can take when they transition to permanent housing.

"We are not only meeting a physical need of warmth, but a psychological need that somebody cares. That somebody in this neighborhood (Post 46) cares about you and wants to help you," said Chris Herndon, Post 46 adjutant and District of Columbia National Executive Committeeman. "This is a way that we can take care of our soldiers and the people that really need help."

Along with donations, Post 46 members began to look at how they could socially support veterans residing at Access Housing Inc. This led to the idea of a baseball game outing.

On July 20, members of Post 46, their family and 10 veterans from Access Housing Inc. DC attended the Washington Nationals game against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park.

"Providing this opportunity to our fellow veterans epitomizes what the Legion is supposed to do as a veteran service organization," said Post 46 Senior Vice Commander Jason Secrest, who organized the baseball outing. "This is supporting the bonds of service that tie us together."

The 10 veterans were shuttled to and from Nationals Stadium for free through Baron Tours, whose owner Claudine Halabi is a supporter of Post 46 and friend of Herndon. They enjoyed concession food and camaraderie with Post 46 members.

"They shook hands with every Legionnaire, and we talked with them," Herndon said. "They were very thankful and so appreciative of us doing this for them. We're trying to build a relationship with these veterans who we don't quite know, but we want to learn more about."

In response to the outing, AHI Lead Case Manager Juanita Carey wrote to Post 46, "On behalf of AHI veterans and staff, I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your generous support and sponsorship of the NATS game tickets. Your commitment to AHI's cause to give back to veterans contributes to the significant impact that lasting memories like at this event have on our veterans."

Next article: Seehafer condemns flag burning