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Commander’s Corner The Usual Suspects Post 27 hosts almost 100 Legionnaires. We highly value each and every one for the honorable service they have rendered to our nation and for the support they continue to provide to fellow veterans everywhere. Sadly, the vast majority of our Post members are never or rarely seen. Of course, health reasons and/or time commitments preclude some om more active participation. This is both valid and understandable.

A small cadre of Legionnaires always seems to carry the load, perform the ceremonies, serve the community and build friendships. So I am reaching out to those of you who have opted for a lesser participatory role. The part you have chosen to play doesn’t minimize your importance to the Legion. But I would suggest that you may be cheating yourself out of some of the most significant activities and meaningful friendships you will ever encounter. The greater the participation the more fine service we can provide and the more meaningful the friendships we can develop.

Join us at our meetings and other activities. When you do, you will see that the best of The American Legion is at the side of your fellow Legionnaires. We need you, and whether you know it or not, you need us.

April 14 -- Post 27 meeting. 6:30 pm, Davis County Memorial Courthouse, Room 116. April 18 – Patriot’s Day. Fly the flag. May 3 – Speech by Post 27 2016 Oratorical Winner Auditorium, David County Admin Bldg., 45 E. State St., Farmington, 6:00 pm. May 10 – VA Health Care Town Hall, American Legion Post 112, 320 E. 3900 S., SLC May 12 -- Post 27 meeting. 6:30 pm, Davis County Memorial Courthouse, Room 116. May 21 – Armed Forces Day. Fly the flag. May 26 – 13th Annual Veterans Memorial Gold Scramble, Hill AFB Golf Course. May 30 – Memorial Day. Fly the flag.

Post 27 Programs

& Activities

Flag Education

High School Constitution Oratorical Contest

American Legion Utah Boys State & American Legion Auxiliary Girls State

Military Funeral Honors

Eagle Scout Court of Honor Flag Ceremonies

Flag Retirement Ceremonies

U.S. Flag sales

Honor Guard & Rifle Team for community events in Kaysville, Fruit Heights, Farmington, Centerville

Jake Garn Sea Cadet Squadron sponsor

DATC Veterans Center support

VA Outreach support at Post location

Medal of Honor Character Development Program in Davis County schools

POW/MIA updates

Meet The Candidate sponsor in Farmington

Farmington/Kaysville Cemetery Flag project Memorial Day weekend

Parade participation

American Legion National Emergency Fund support

Veterans Still Serving!

April 2016 Still Serving America www.post27.org

Davis County Memorial Courthouse, Room 116, 28 East State Street, Farmington, Utah

Kent Hansen

Proposed Slate of Post Officers for 2016-2017 Commander Kent Hansen 1st Vice Commander Frank Ferrante 2nd Vice Commander Ken Hadley Adjutant Dale Crockett Sergeant-at-Arms David Layton Chaplain William A. Huber Financial Officer John Sheets Judge Advocate Steve Walkenhorst Historian Dan Miller The floor will be open for further nominations at the April 14 meeting just prior to voting.

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1st Vice Commander We, the wife and I, recently attended a Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day program held at the Utah State Capitol Rotunda. Utah is the home to approximately 46,000 Vietnam Veterans. The program, which is a national initiative titled, “The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration”, was conducted by the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs. It was a good program with several speakers and musical numbers, and was well attended. In attendance was Jay Hess, a Vietnam POW and a member of our Post, and he was appropriately recognized. At the conclusion of the program, they conducted a “Pinning Ceremony” and gave each veteran in attendance a “Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin” and had each spouse pin it on their partner. Then, and this is significant, they had a special pin “My Husband Served in Vietnam” and had the Veteran, in turn, pin it on his wife. This was a fitting and well deserved tribute to our wives. They also presented those Vietnam Veterans in attendance an excellent hardbound book “A Time to Honor - Vietnam War 50th Commemoration” and a documentary DVD “The Journey Home – Vietnam War 50th Commemoration”.

According to the VA, to be eligible to receive the pin, book and CD the Veteran had to serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location. They are free gifts to all Utah’s Vietnam veterans. For more information about these gifts as well as ceremonies taking place throughout the state in 2016, please visit vietnam50gift.com and click on Utah on the interactive map. If you are a Vietnam veteran and are unable to attend any of the events, please call 801-326-2372 or email veterans@utah.gov and these gifts will be delivered to your home by a Questar volunteer or other partner.

Reminder, the American Legion is only as strong as its membership base. The more devoted members it has, the better the organization can advocate for veterans and serve the military community which has given much to our country. Invite a potential member to our meetings.

2nd Vice Commander

I have gone to several caucus meetings and at the first one I attended many years ago there were only about 10 people there. This last one there were about 110 people. It was good to see such a good turnout. There were even high school students. In this meeting the party platform was read and the lady next to me was really impressed and asked me where she could get a copy of it. If you don’t know what you’re party stands for you can google it by typing in “Utah (Democrat or GOP) platform.” It’s a good read and I encourage you to read what both parties stand for.

The Constitution of the United States and any Socialist ideas cannot coexist. It has to be the rights of the individual under the Constitution or the collective rights of the people under the socialist government. It is when the individual is inspired that great things happen; it is hard to inspire a class of people because no one wants to do more than the next person when no recognition is given to the achiever.

The Republic under the Constitution, where there are check and balances in every level, is the greatest experiment in government that has ever existed. Other governments have failed over and over again. The Davis County School District has invited Carson Robb, who was our Post Oratorical contest winner, to give his talk to their

Board Meeting on May 3 and they have invited our Post members to attend. It starts at 6:00pm in the auditorium of the Administration Building at 45 East State Street Farmington. I hope this will spark an interest in all the high schools in Davis County. Let’s have a good attendance to support the Oratorical contest.

Frank Ferrante

Frank Ferrante

Kenneth Hadley

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Adjutant/ Eagle Scout Courts of Honor Membership is Our Lifeblood

Membership. Statistics are membership numbers through 1 Apr 2016.

Thank you so much for your dues because membership is our lifeblood. Every member is entitled to a subscription to The American Legion Magazine for each year’s paid membership. I really enjoy reading the articles and getting info on my benefits. I hope you enjoy it too. There are also some interesting service publications out there that are easy to get to on the internet. I enjoy reading the Army Echoes online.

For all you Army Vets that do not get it, here is the address: Soldierforlife.army.mil/retirement/echoes.

For you Navy folks the address for your service publication of Navy Shift colors is: navy.mil/ then click Links/shift colors.

For Air Force Afterburner: Retirees.af.mil/afterburner/. For the Coast Guard Evening Colors: uscg.mil/ppc/retnew/.

For the Marine Corps Semper Fi: usmc.mil/ then click career/retired Marines, then Semper Fidelis News Letter. I have made some use of the Army pub and I am sure there is good info in the other service pubs.

Also the American Legion’s 2016 Legislative Agenda, an online digital magazine, is now available to view or download online at www.legion .org/publications under Legislative. As always our web site has great info at www.post27.org.

If I can do anything for you to make your membership renewal easier or more convenient, or answer any questions you may have regarding membership, please let me know. I can be reached at H (801) 4561-9493 / C (801) 560-2186 or email dalescrockett@yahoo.com.

Financial Officer/Military Funeral Honors

Let me share a special story with you.

Leadership and the Janitor by James Moschgat, USAF (Ret.)

William “Bill” Crawford was an unimpressive figure, one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Crawford, as most of us referred to him back in the late 1970s, was our squadron janitor. While we cadets busied ourselves preparing for academic exams, athletic events, Saturday morning parades, and room inspections -- or never -- ending leadership classes—Bill quietly moved about the squadron mopping and buffing floors, emptying trash cans, cleaning toilets, or just tidying up the mess 100 college-age kids can leave in a dormitory. Sadly, and for many years, few of us gave him much notice, rendering little more than a passing nod or throwing a curt, “G’morning!” in his direction as we hurried off to our daily duties. Why? Perhaps it was because of the way he did his job – he always kept the squadron area spotlessly clean, even the toilets and showers gleamed. Frankly, he did his job so well, none of us had to notice or get involved. After all, cleaning toilets was his job, not ours. Maybe it was his physical appearance that made him disappear into the background. Bill didn’t move very quickly, and in fact, you could say he even shuffled a bit, as if he suffered from some sort of injury. His gray hair and wrinkled face made him appear ancient to a group of young cadets. And his crooked smile, well, it looked a little funny. Face it, Bill was an old man working in a young person’s world. What did he have to offer us on a personal level?

Maybe it was Mr. Crawford’s personality that rendered him almost invisible to the young people around him. Bill was shy, almost painfully so. He seldom spoke to a cadet unless they addressed him first, and that didn’t happen very often. Our janitor always buried himself in his work, moving about with stooped shoulders, a quiet gait, and an averted gaze. If he noticed the hustle and bustle of cadet life around him, it was hard to tell. For whatever reason, Bill blended into the woodwork and became just another fixture around the squadron. The Academy, one of our nation’s premier leadership laboratories, kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford... well, he was just a janitor.

2016

GOAL PUFL REGULAR ONLINE NEW TRANSFERS

2015

TOTAL

PERCENT

OF GOAL

106 7 47 35 6 1 96 91%

Dale Crockett

John Sheets

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That changed one fall Saturday afternoon in 1976. I was reading a book about World War II and the tough Allied ground campaign in Italy, when I stumbled across an incredible story.

On September 13, 1943, a Private William Crawford from Colorado, assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, had been involved in some bloody fighting on Hill 424 near Altavilla, Italy. William Crawford's Medal of Honor Citation. The words on the page leapt out at me, “in the face of intense and overwhelming hostile fire... with no regard for personal safety... on his own initiative, Private Crawford single-handedly attacked fortified enemy positions.” It continued, “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, the President of the United States...”

“Holy cow,” I said to my roommate, “you’re not going to believe this, but I think our janitor is a Medal of Honor recipient.” We all knew Mr. Crawford was a World War II Army vet, but that didn’t keep my friend from looking at me as if I was some sort of alien being. Nonetheless, we couldn’t wait to ask Bill about the story. We met Mr. Crawford bright and early Monday and showed him the page in question from the book, anticipation and doubt on our faces. He stared at it for a few silent moments and then quietly uttered something like, “Yep, that’s me.” Mouths agape, my roommate and I looked at one another, then at the book, and quickly back at our janitor. Almost at once, we both stuttered, “Why didn’t you ever tell us about it?” He slowly replied after some thought, “That was one day in my life and it happened a long time ago.” I guess we were all at a loss for words after that. We had to hurry off to class and Bill, well, he had chores to attend to.

After that brief exchange, things were never again the same around our squadron. Word spread like wildfire among the cadets that we had a hero in our midst -- Mr. Crawford, our janitor, had been bestowed The Medal! Cadets who had once passed by Bill with hardly a glance, now greeted him with a smile and a respectful, “Good morning, Mr. Crawford.” Those who had before left a mess for the “janitor” to clean up, started taking it upon themselves to put things in order. Cadets routinely stopped to talk to Bill throughout the day and we even began inviting him to our formal squadron functions. He’d show up dressed in a conservative dark suit and quietly talk to those who approached him, the only sign of his heroics being a simple blue, star-spangled lapel pin. Almost overnight, Bill went from being a simple fixture in our squadron to one of our teammates. Mr. Crawford changed too, but you had to look closely to notice the difference. After that fall day in 1976, he seemed to move with more purpose, his shoulders didn’t seem to be as stooped, he met our greetings with a direct gaze and a stronger “good morning” in return, and he flashed his crooked smile more often. The squadron gleamed as always, but everyone now seemed to notice it more. Bill even got to know most of us by our first names, something that didn’t happen often at the Academy. While no one ever formally acknowledged the change, I think we became Bill’s cadets and his squadron.

As often happens in life, events sweep us away from those in our past. The last time I saw Bill was on graduation day in June 1977. As I walked out of the squadron for the last time, he shook my hand and simply said, “Good luck, young man.” With that, I embarked on a career that has been truly lucky and blessed. Mr. Crawford continued to work at the Academy and eventually retired in his native Colorado, one of four Medal of Honor recipients who lived in the small town of Pueblo. Next month: Leadership and the Janitor, Part 2.

Past Department Commander/Training Officer UTAH VETERANS BUSINESS CONFERENCE 2016:

May 13, 2016 at Salt Lake Community College, Sandy, UT. This conference connects Veteran

entrepreneurs and Business Owners with resources

they need to succeed in the marketplace.

To register go to :

http://business.slchamber.com/events/details/utah-veteran-business-conference-2016-5895

or for further information.

Paula Stephenson

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VETERANS VOICE: The March edition of the Utah Department of Veteran and Military Affairs publication, Veterans

Voice, is available in the magazine racks outside of Room 116, Davis County Memorial Courthouse

(Post 27) or by electronic means through our Post 27 website: www.post27.org. The south door of

the Post 27 home is open during business hours, Monday through Friday. Several back issues are

available also.

UTAH HONOR FLIGHT: Utah Honor Flights to Washington, D.C. are starting up again on April 21.

If you would like to apply for this life-time experience, go to www.utahhonorflight.org to obtain

information, an application, or a guardian application. Please don’t pass up this opportunity. It costs you nothing -- just

great memories.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for June 27-July 2, 2016 for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Salt Lake City. Go to the

Utah American Legion website at www.utlegion.org and scroll down on the first page to “Volunteers Needed” and click

on National Veterans Wheelchair Games. It tells you events, times, venues, etc.

Another experience of a lifetime you should not pass up.

“A SYSTEM WORTH SAVING”: Our national American Legion staff will be in Salt Lake City looking at VA operations

through “A System Worth Saving” project. An important event to put on your calendar if you are a recipient of VA

healthcare, is a town hall meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 5:30 P.M. at American Legion Post 112, 320 East 3900

South, Salt Lake City. See the attached flyer “What do you think about your VA health care?”

Jake Garn Sea Cadet Squadron March drill was a busy weekend. It was our first annual unit inspection by National Headquarters, which was conducted by LCDR Jeff Marsh. The inspection is very thorough and covers everything from record administration to recruiting and retention. According to the inspector, our unit did very well; especially considering we are a first-year unit. We learned a lot from the inspection that we will incorporate into our second year of being a commissioned unit. The cadets did very well in their uniform inspection and we had several promotions; one of which was our very first, First Class Petty Officer

Emalee Hughes. Because this was an inspection weekend, the majority of drill was taken up with uniform and record preparation. Physical training was conducted on both days and some cadets made progress on their correspondence courses. I couldn’t be more proud of our dedicated staff and cadets.

LCDR March inspects the Jake Garn Squadron. Sea Cadets work on physical training.

Courtney Putnam

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Take advantage of our Veterans Outreach Program Every first and third Wednesday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, a representative of the Veterans Administration will be at the Post (Davis County Memorial Courthouse, Room 116) to assist you with your questions. Call for an appointment with the Veterans Service Office at 801-326-2370 or 801-326-2372.

Be sure to bring a DD-214 or Discharge Certificate with you.

Legion Laffs Check us out on Facebook at

“American Legion Post 27 Farmington

Utah”

or the link from our

Post website at www.post27.org.

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