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Second Vice Commander's Column Department cautions Posts on 'vet benefit seminars' American Legion Charities, Inc. details $1.7 million in contributions Clark elected Grande Chef de Gare |
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Kimball elected to lead
American Legion in Ohio Bob became the 94th Department Commander in Ohio at the closing session of the convention. Bob is a 33-year member of the American Legion and a life member for 16 of those years. He earned his eligibility by serving in the United States Air Force, with active duty from 1965-1970 during the Vietnam Era as an aircraft maintenance specialist on C-130s. Bob has served as Post, County, Division, and District Commander. On the Department level, he has served as Department Assistant Sergeant at Arms and on the Department Finance Committee for two years. On the national level, Bob is Vice Chairman on the Emblem Sales Committee. He is also a SAL member of Squadron 142, and Portsmouth Voiture 443 40/8, and a life member of DAV Chapter 52. Bob and his wife Marsha have been married for 42 years and have three sons - Rob, a member of Squadron 640; Brent, also a member of Squadron 640; and Brian, a member of American Legion Post 640, a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Bob and Marsha are also blessed with 5 grandchildren. Bob is retired from the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation. Others elected during the convention were Lou Dimmerman from the 4th District as Department First Vice Commander, Dennis Clausing from the 13th District as Department Second Vice Commander, Joe Rockwell from the 9th District as the Department Treasurer, Richard Zulch from the 1st District as National Executive Committeeman, and Hank Long from the 3rd District as Alternate National Executive Committeeman. Following the election, Past Department
Commander Dave Cropper installed the newly elected
officers. Legacy Scholarships fund college for the children of America's fallen As an unfortunate consequence of Operation Iraqi Freedom and America's war on terror, many children of active-duty military personnel are now members of single-parent families. In most cases, this also means their chances to attend college have greatly diminished. Children of military personnel killed on active duty are entitled to receive money toward a college education. But it's not enough. We are raising funds to ensure that higher education will be a reality for these families. Providing for the children our military personnel left behind is our civic duty. An education is a powerful way to show our thanks. That is why we established the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. But we need your help. The American Legion fights to see that our active-duty military personnel and their families are looked after. But despite our efforts, recent years have seen a significant shortfall in dollars allotted by our government. The educational benefit provided to surviving children is one of these critical gaps. The total survivor benefit for these children is slightly more than $36,135 to be used for a college education. In today's dollars, this benefit will pay little more than half of what a college education costs in the most affordable situation. This gap widens when considering the cost of a college education in the future. The most conservative estimate is that costs will increase by 5 percent per year, meaning that in 16 years, the most affordable college education will be $105,800. Military compensation will not keep up with these dramatic increases. Donations to the American Legion Legacy Fund are tax deductible. Make payments payable to American Legion Legacy Fund, PO Box 8007, Delaware, OH 43015. |
