m AMERICAN LEGION
DEPARTMENT OF ALASKA
32 nd ANNUAL CONVENTION
Aug. 31 - Sept. 1-2-3, 1951
essage From The
itional President
gion Auxiliary
....I..
reetings to you who are at
ding the Department Conven
or Alaska. My visit thus far
given me every reason to be
ud of the American Legion
biliary members who are
rying on the work in this
ritory.
I have been impressed b y
well the units are organ
and astonished to see the
ievements of our worthwhile
Is.
The accomplishments of the
ciliary of Alaska are praise
thy indeed, and make me
proud to be your National
sident.
The warm hospitality ex
ied tc me in Ketchikan,
ersburg and here in Juneau
the Lcgionaires and Auxili
members, coupie^d with the
deur of the scenery has
le my stay in Alaska one to
ong remembered with much
sure. My only regret is that
annot be with you in your
mention. I will journey on to
horage and Fairbanks and
t with the members there.
My b;st wishes to you all for
easant and constructive con
:ion.”
National President
Hope Reed
ild E. Stringer, Commander
epnrimnni of Alaska Arr.eri
Legion, has Ihe distinction
eing the first World War II
ran to head this Department,
has traveled many miles to
y Alaska oul-posts oa Legion
ness. Being an attorney of
esteem, he has the iraining
background necessary io
credit to his position. He is
inating his year at the helm
•epartmeni cf Alaska when
,rops the gavel to close the
Annual Department Con
ion.
Van Horn Is Sitka
Cmdr. Candidate
John H. Van Horn was born
July 13, 1923 (Friday the Thir
teenth) in Hood River Oregon.
He graduated from Beaverton
Oregon, High School, in 1941,
where he is remembered as an
outstanding member of the de
bate team. Johnnie left Sitka in
the winter of 1941, to enlist in
the Army Air Force. lie served
in Australia and New Guinea
from February 1942 to October
1944, being a member of the
475th Fighter Group, 5th Fight
er Command. His membership
in The American Legion, dates
from the first day of his eligi
bility, as his application was al
ready on file with Sitka Post
No. 13.
Van Horn's service to the De
partment of Alaska, dates from
the 1947 Anchorage convention,
where he was chosen Depart
ment Chaplain. Two years later
at Mt. McKinley, he was elected
Department Sergeant-at-Arms,
and last year at Juneau, was
elevated to Department 1st Vice
Commander. On a National level
he has attended the last two
National conventions, at Phila
delphia, and Los Angeles, and
last year served on the Legis
lative Committee. He will be at
the coming convention at Miami
Florida.
Johnnies principal ‘Legion
service, has of course, been to
his home Post, Sitka 13. He is
a Past Commander (19 ±8; and
has a continous record of hard,
conscientious work in the field
of Finance and Budget. The very
satisfactory financial condition
of Sitka Post is a monument to
his efforts in this field. He has
mad: a study of veterans legis
lation and his familiarity with
veterans claims has saved many
a comrade valuable time in pre
senting his case.
Sitka Post is proud of its can
didate for t'ne Commandcrship,
and confident of his ability to
deliver an outstanding job if
given the assignment.
VFW SERVICE OFFICER
ATTENDING CONVENTION
Members of the American
Legion or any other veterans
organization may call on the ser
vice of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars in processing veterans
claims with the Federal or Ter
ritorial Governments.
J. C. Dodd. VFW Department
Service Officer will be in
Seward during the Annual De
partment of Alaska, American
Legion Convention from Au
gust 31 to September 3 in order
to offer his services to all vet
erans.
As VFW Service Officer, Dodd
maintains his Headquarters in
Juneau near the central offices
of the Veterans Administration
and the Territorial office of Vet
erans Affairs in order to assist
veterans in presenting claims
pertaining to veterans rights.
Delivers Keynote Address
LIEUTENANT GENERAL W. E. KEPNEE
Commander-in-Chief, Alaskan Command
Message From
Auxiliary President
The Twenty-eighth Annual
Convention of the American Le
gion Auxiliary of the Depart
ment ox Alaska will bring to a
close my administration as your
Department President; therefore
I wish to tell all oi you how
deeply grateful I am for your
cooperation, loyalty and friend
ship, as well as sincere devotion
to service, which have lightened
my responsibility and brought
the fruit of accomplishments
your reports have shown.
The work you have done in
your organization and your com
munities, yes, even in other de
partments, is all the more praise
worthy when I Iook back and re
member that the past year has
not been easy. Polio and Influ
enza epidemics caused communi
ty quarantines and personal suf
fering or sorrow. Iv'ational and
local conditions brought many
changes of residence, and caused
our sons or husbands to be call
ed back into the Armed Forces
and often to Asia, adding a bur
den of worry and even great
sorrow to heavier family respon
sibilities.. Most of you work or
have large families of children!
But these duties and hardships
se med to spur you on to great
er service, especially to the less
fortunate among the veterans
and children where ever help
was needed, and in building bet
t r communities, safer, cleaner,
more pleasant.
The priceless experience of
working with you has been aug
mented by your letters, cards
and kind expressions of encour
agement, which did much to sus
tain me when the way was nol
easy. You have indeed made the
thought expressed in the Auxil
iary Preamble a pari of your
lives: “To consecrate and sancti
fy our association by our devo
tion to mutual helpfulness.”
At this time I also wish to
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Grace Merri!!, Dept.
Convention Chairman
Does Excellent Job
Grace Merrill. Department
C<. !•;••• ••.Yen lias had a
big job and has done it well this
year. S' e works with Depart
ment officials end sub-ehairmen
from ‘ .e homo unit to conduct
t’1' on -vertion in all its myriad
d ta'i's.
Grace loudly proclaims the
a??:1?! nc o' d cooperation given
hf r by the ome unit commit
tees, the local radio station, and
the newspaper “T could not have
done It without those who have
worked so faithfully to lighten
my job as chairman”, Mrs. Mer
rill states.
Grace is the wife of O. A.
Merrill. Post Commander of
Airur'ean Peg ion Seward Post
No. 3. Besides the many hours
of work, planning and travel
between Seward and Anchorage,
Grace found 4 'me to serve the
Seward unit on nine different
committees. She was chairman
of the poppy and radio commit
t os, and Sunshine Girl, visiting
the sick in their homes and at
the hospital and sanatorium.
Report From
Delia Sarff,
Dept. President
To have served as President
of the Department of Alaska is
an honor and a privilege, for
which I thank every member. I
hereby submit the following re
port of this past year's activities:
As your Deparment President,
I attended every session of the
Thirtieth Annual Convention of
the American Legion Auxiliary,
at Los Angeles, California, held
between October 9th and 12th,
1950, with Mrs. Norman L.
Seehe, the National President,
presiding. I also attended the
Convention Committee Meetings
on Community Service and Re
habilitation, on October 8. and
the Caucus of the Western Divi
sion, as well as several general
sessions of the American Legion
Convention, and the various so
cial affairs given in our honor.
It was my pleasure to be in
vited to ride in the official car
for Alaska, with Nema Ellis, our
National Executive Committee
woman and several Past Depart
ment Commanders, in the great
Legion Parade. The privilege of
witnessing the perfect order oi.
those throngs that lined the par
ade route, and the deep respect
young and old of all races show
ed for our veterans and the Na
tion’s Colors as they passed
made that experience one of the
greatest in my life.
dhe memorial services conduc
ted by our own Ethyl West, the
National Chaplain, were most
beautiful: the States Dinner in
the glamorous Coconut Grove,
was enjoyable; and the grand
affair Oklahoma put on for the
new National President, Hope
Reed, climaxed the National
Convention.
November 29 and 30. I attend
ed the Presidents' and Secre
taries Conference, at National
Headquarters, Indianapolis, In
diana. We had the pleasure to b •
tiie guests of the National Presi
dent and other National Auxili
ary officers at the r.-cep don that
celebrated the opening of the
new National Headquarters, ou
the evening before the sessions
began. There were also several
other lovely affairs given for
our enjoyment. But the days
were spent in serious work and
lectures, for the ominous shad
ow of world affairs and set backs
in Korea with our heavy losses,
made the hour grave indeed.
While going to the States for
these affairs, I was able to call
on the President of the Wrangell
Unit, Viola Erickson, as well as
several others, including Mr. and
Mrs. Fisk, who asked me to con
vey their appreciation for the
financial assistance given them
the past few years, to the mem
bers of the Department. Unfor
tunately I was unable to con
tact any of the Ketchikan mem
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