THE AMERICAN LEGION department of alaska
31st Annual Convention ■ September 2-3-4-5-6-1950
GREETINGS TO THE
CONVENTION FROM
MAYOR OF JUNEAU
On behalf of the citizens of Ju
neau, I extend greetings and a cor
dial welcome to all members of the
American Legion, the American Le
gion Auxiliary and their distinguish
ed guests. We offer our best wishes
for the success of your organization
and your 31st annual Department
Convention.
We feel honored in having Ju
neau chosen as your host city and
trust that your visit will be both
beneficial and enjoyable.
Yours in Comradeship
WAINO HENDRICKSON
Mayor of Juneau
MESSAGE FROM
NATIONAL FIELD
REPRESENTATIVE
Comrades of The American Legion:
I am' happy on this occasion of
my annual visit to the Territory
of Alaska in the interest of vet
erans to be afforded the oppor
tunity of addressing you on the
subject of rehabilitation. Being Na
tional Field Representative of the
American Legion, the subject is
close to my heart, fifty per cent
of my work being in that field.
Rehabilitation is an all-embrac
ing word and covers a large field
of activity. It deals with the sick,
the injured, the crippled, the blind:
the mentally handicapped and tht
well individual who is maladjusted
Medical rehabilitation deals with
the doctor and hospital efforts tc
correct the disabilities of the body
to enable the individual to resume
his or her normal efforts to make
a liviliehood.
Occupational rehabilitation ot
therapy, as it is more often referred
to, are the efforts to instruct the
patient in one of a variety of arts
and crafts which will afford at
least a means of partial support.
Physical rehabilitation or ther
apy and also correctional medicine,
are the assists to the medical along
certain prescribed lines by experts
in that field.
Shock therapy is a form of re
habilitation efforts now greatly in
use in connection with the men
tally ill. One form is the electric
shock and another is the Insulin
shock treatment, this latter re
quiring more prolonged supervision.
Still another in less general use is
lobotomy surgery which is the sev
ering of a certain nerve in the
head. All of these treatments are
dorie in the American Lake, Wn.
and Roseburg, Oregon Neuropsy
chiatric hospitals and with varying
success. No such treatments are
given without the consent of the
relatives or guardian.
Educational rehabilitation is that
which deals with the patient who
seeks or feels the need of additional
knowledge. Various courses may
be taken to complete a high school
education leading to a diploma or
for college preparatory work. This
is being done in many Veterans
hospitals and with excellent re
sults.
Lately, though not the least in
need is the compensation or pen
sion field embracing certain pay
ments for disabilities held to be
due to war service. There is also
the pension of $60 or $72 monthly
for non-service disability according
to well founded determination. The
larger amount is for those aged 65
or over.
Mental Hygiene is another form
of rehabilitation where efforts are
made to aid the veteran in prob
lems of readjustment, whether they
be economical" family or social.
This latter treatment is given only
to the veteran with service dis
(Continued on Page Seven)
ETHEL B. LINDLEY
Adjutant
The American Legion
Department of Alaska
- . --
LADY FROM TEXAS
RIDES HERD OK
ALASKA MAVERICKS
Any Legionnaire or member of the
Auxiliary in attendance at a Depart
ment of Alaska convention takes
home the memory of the “Lady
j from Texas,” Ethel B. Lndley, form
erly of Uvalde (home of "Cactus”
John Nance Garner), and now serv
ing The American Legion of Alaska
as its first full-time Adjutant.
As Department Service Officer,
Ethel has made the welfare of dis
abled veterans a primary objective,
attending the Rehabilitation Con
ference held in Washington, D. C„
during her first term of office in
that capacity. Also she was pre
sent in Indianapolis at the confer
ence held at national headquarters
for adjutants and commanders. Add
to these arduous assignments, her
’ work as chairman of Education of
War, and one can visualize a stren
uous regime. A final task is that
of serving as Editor of the Alaska
Legionnaire.
With a penchant for building
Legion membership, and a year of
winning membership contests with
other departments, maverick vet
erans, be they of the World War
I or II vintage, the Department Ad
jutant is always ready to “brand”
the newcomer as a Legionnaire.
Ajutant Lindley has a career that
dates back to the U. S. Army Nurs
ing Corps, service at a base hospi
tal in the deep South, and duty over
seas.
One who meets the Department
Adjutant never doubts her sincerity
or the enthusiasm she holds for the
welfare of a veteran.
Past National Commander John
Stelle of Illinois, has been appointed
chairman of the Publications Com
mission of The American Legion.
He succeeded James F. O’Neil of
Manchester, N. H., who resigned
to become director of publications.
PERRY S. McLAIN
Commander
The American Legion
Department of Alaska
SPARK - PLUG OF
THE ARCTIC WINS
1 VARIOUS CONTESTS
Energetic and resourceiui Le
gionnaire, Perry McLain, Depart
ment Commander, will probably be
known as the "go getter” (with
apologies to Peter B, Kynei who
went out and "got” top spot in
several of the membership con
tests that were floating around.
According to C. M. “Chuck” Wil
son of National Headquarters, the
General John J. Pershing Honor
Award banner in miniature goes
to the Department of Alaska Com
mander for his personal perman
ent possession.
When this achievement was an
nounced, Perry was the first to
point out that it was the team
work of posts throughout the de
partment that made this recognition
of Alaska a possibility.
The goal is to take 2,000 paid up
memberships for 1951 to the Los
Angeles convention in October.
Then there was the contest that
Perry "cooked up” between Alaska
and Hawaii. The wager was a
prize of 50 pounds of Alaska squaw
candy against a large box of Ha
waii orchids. Alaska again won
with a percentage of the 1950 quota
of 106.67% in contrast with the
Hawaii results in membership of
28.97%. So, the Department Ad
jutant of Hawaii was advised the
orchids come to Alaska. And Ha
waii’s Department Commander, Ar
liegh J. Fonner, has acknowledged
(Continued on Page Severn
AMERICA'S FIRST
LINOTYPE OPERATOR
IS LEGION MEMBER
Martin Good, first commercial op
erator of a linotype machine for the
setting of type, is a member of The
American Legion. A World War I
veteran, he is a member of Tiger
Post No. 23, and is still employed
by The Herald-Tribune in New
York. The first linotype was install
ed in the composing room of the
Tribune on an experimental basis,
and Good became the operator. Both
the linotype for type-setting and
Good have been with the same paper
since, states The Guidon, publica
tion of the Horace Greely-Herald
Tribune Post No. 1632 of The Amer
ican Legion.
Convention Program
☆
SATURDAY — September 2nd
2:00 to 6:00 p. m.—-Registration .<. Legion Dugout
8:00 p. m.—Mixer-Reception. .Legion Dugout
☆
SUNDAY — September 3rd
Legion Dugout
MORNING: Registration of late arrivals: 9:30 to 10:30 a. m.
12:00 Noon to 1:00 p. m.
Morning period free for attendance at
the Church of your choice.
AFTERNOON: 1:00 to 3:00 ...Elks’ Hall
Joint Assembly of The American Legion and
The American Legion Auxiliary
Addresses of Welcome:
Robert N. Druxman, Commander, Juneau Post
No. 4
Waino E. Hendrickson, P.D.C., Mayor of the City
of Juneau
Introduction of Visiting Speakers:
Harold B. Gronroos, Alaska Representative, Vet
erans Employment Service, U. S. Department
of Labor •
Ernest E. Lincoln, Regional Manager, U. S. Vet
erans Administration
Floyd Guertin, Commissioner of Veterans Affairs,
Territory of Alaska
Colonel Joseph D. Alexander, Acting Adjutant
General, The Alaska National Guard
Rear Admiral Joseph Greenspun, Commander, 17th
District, U. S. Coast Guard
Lieutenant General W. E. Kepner, Commander-in
Chief, Alaskan Command
Hon. Ernest Gruening, Governor or Alaska
Mrs. Ethyl West, National Chaplain, The American
Legion Auxiliary
J. E. Martie, National Vice-Commander, The Am
erican Legion
3:00 p. m. Picnic and Sightseeing trip to Mendenhall Glacier
A
MONDAY — September 4th
Auxiliary meets in Odd Fellows Hall <
Legion dieets in lElks Hall
9:00 a. m. to 11:30.iCall to Order by Perry S. McLain,
Department Commander
Business Session and Committee Reports
11:30 a. m. to 12:30 p m. American Legion Parade
1:00 to 2:30 p. m.—Luncheon Past Department Presidents
The American Legion Auxiliary
Baranof Hotel
2:30 p. m.Business for Auxiliary
2:30 p. m.Grande Promenade and Wreck
La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux
Grande Voiture of Alaska
8:30 p. m.Annual Banquet of La Societe
at Irving’s Whing Ding in Douglas. Separate tickets
may be obtained and Ladies and Guests of Legion
naires and Voyageurs may attend the Banquet.
☆
TUESDAY — September 5th
9:00 a. m. to 12:00 Noon .Business Session
12:00 Noon to 2:00 p. m.Child Welfare Luncheon
Address by Henry Harmon, Director of
Department of Public Welfare
2:00 p. m. to 5:00 p. m.Business Session
7:00 p. m.Entertainment Program
To be announced by committee
☆
WEDNESDAY, September 6th
9:00 a. m.Business Session
Election of Department Officers
12:00 Noon to 2 p. jp.Americanism No Host Luncheon
2:00 p. m.Installation of New Officers
7:00 p. m.Banquet (Baranof Hotel)
10:-00 p. m.Convention Ball Finale
Juneau Moose Hall
JOHN EDWARD MARTIE
National Vice Commander
The American Legion
WALTER B. KING TO
GIVE AMERICANISM
ADDRESS ON SEPT. 6
National Executive Committee
nan, Walter B. King, ol' Ketchikan,
vill deliver the principal address at
he annual noon-day Americanism
lo-host luncheon to be held Wed
nesday, September 6th in the Gold
Room of the Baranof Hotel.
King is a Past Department Com
mander and has served The Ameri
can Legion for many years through
many local and department offices
of responsibility.
Currently he is concluding a two
year term as National Executive
Committeeman, a post in which he
has served with ability and distinc
tion. Ketchikan Post Number Three
has presented Walter King as can
didate for the Department's Execu
tive Committeeman for another two
year term.
Widely known as an after dinner
speaker, the speaker may be expect
ed to have a message that will inter
pret the policies of the organization
and reflect its position in the ser
ious problems with which the Re
public is faced.
The American Legion Auxiliary
will be represented on the Ameri
canism program by its National
(Continued on Page Five!
PARADE MONDAY
FORENOON AT
ELEVEN THIRTY
The parade to be held Monday,
September 4, in connection with
the convention currently in session,
will form in front of the Elks Hall
facing south, and the line of march
will move promptly at 11:30 a.m.
Parade route will be south to
Front Street, along Front Street to
Main, up Main Street to Second, to
Seward Street, up Seward Street to
Fourth. There, a left turn will be
made past the Federal Building,
where the front steps will serve as
the reviewing stand, and where
public officials will constitute the
reviewing party.
After passing in review the con
tingents will turn left into Main
Street, and proceed to the vicinity
of The Daily Alaska Empire at
Second and Main Street, where tVie
procession will disband.
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — Mid
shipman Thomas Anthony Julian of
Hollywood, California, a member of
the Class of 1952, was the 1950 win
ner of the annual American Legion
award at the academy for the top
student in the course on U. S. for
eign relations. He was awarded an
engraved wrist watch.
National Officer of The
American Legion to Deliver
Principal Convention Address
Principal address of The Amer
ican Legion, Department of Alaska,
31st Annual Convention currently
in session in the Capital City, will
be delivered by an outstanding lead
er of the national body, John Ed
ward Martie, National Vice Com
mander.
His address will highlight the clos
ing banquet of the conclave on Wed
nesday evening, September 6, in the
WALTER B. KING
National Executive
Committeeman
Past Commander
Department of Alaska
The American Legion
OFFICIAL CALL FOR
GRAND VOITURE OF
ALASKA PROMENADE
Preparatory to convocation of
The Grand Voiture of Alaska, La
3ocie‘e des Quarante Hommea et
Huit Chevaux, by Carrol A. Cook,
Grand Chef de Gave, the official
call reached Alaska's several local
voltUres recently.
S. C. Raynor of Cordova and
Anchorage Is the Grand Corres
pondante, and will be present lor
the sessions, as will the other offi
j cers of the Grand Voiture.
Advance enrollment, will be made
on Saturday and Sunday. At 2:30
o'clock Monday afternoon the 40
and 8 will be called to order for
Its annual Promenade.
Initiation of new members will
take place and business of the or
ganization, including election of
officers for the coming year.
Various committees will be ap
pointed by the Grand Chet de Gare
at the opening session. Sessions of
the Forty and Eight generally oc
cupy the afternoon and evening of
the opening day of the Department
convention.
Following the election and 'in
stallation of newly elected officers
the official business sessions are
recessed.
Committee arrangements for the
1950 Promenade and Wreck include
a banquet to be held at Irving’s
“Whing Ding” across the Douglas
Bridge. Although the official
Promenade sessions are exclusively
for members of the P’orty and
Eight, the Monday night banquet
may be attended by the ladies and
guests of Legionnaires. Separate
tickets for the banquet may be
obtained from members of the local
Voiture,
BarAfjof Hotel Gold Room, and
will offer a fitting climax to a
strenuous series of Legion and Forty
and Eight sessions.
Commander Martie comes to Ju
neau as personal representative, Na
tional Commander George N. Craig,
and his long term service to The
American Legion and untiring ef
forts in its behalf has brought well
, deserved recognition and the honors
of high office. J
John Edward Martie of Reno,
j Nevada, was elected National Vice
Commander of The American Lc
j gion for 1049-50 by the 31st Na
j tional convention at Philadelphia,
| Pa., September 1, as the climax of
many years of distinguished service
op the post and department levels.
Martie is in private life professor
j of PhyjufaC'Educ^titfti 'at tie Uni-I
ver.slty off Nevada and also 'depart
ment adjutant of The - American
Legion;r it
' Born in California* Missouri, De
efnvber 2t, 1892, 'the 'stnijiuf John and
Mllixih' A. Mar tie, he i/%s educated
in the public and high schools of his
native city. i
He was graduated from Central
Missouri Business College and won
a B.S. degree from Central Mis
souri Teachers College. He earned
a Master's Degree in physical edu
cation at Springfield College in
Massachusetts. He has taken post
graduate work at the University of
Kansas and of Paris, France.
He is a member of Phi Kappa
Phi and Phi Sigma Pi, scholastic
honor societies.
In addition to teaching, he has
coached basketball and track for
25 years. In 1949 he served as a
member of the executive committee
of the Southwest District Associa
tion of Health. Physical Education
and Recreation, and was elected
President of thuUH.'oup.for.ja&Q,
Martie attended the first officer’s
training camp at Riley, Kansas,
where he was commissioned a first
lieutenant. Ordered to France, he
attended the first British officer’s
school and was assigned to the 16th
Infantry, First Division. He was pro
moted to captain after the first ma
jor engagements and was wounded
during the Meuse-Argonne offen
sive on October 5, 1918. He received
j the Distinguished Service Cross, the
j Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clus
j ters for subsquent awards of the
j medal, and the Purple Heart medal,
i He was awarded the Legion de Hon
! neur, the Fourragere and the Croix
de Guerre with three palms by the
! French government. He was dis
(Continued on Page Five)
RUSSIAN YOUTHS
GET INVITATION
TO BOYS' STATE
1 ....
The more than 1,000 youths who
attended the Illinois Boys’ State of
1950 at Springfield last summer in
vited Russia to send five Communist
boys to the 1951 session of The Am
erican Legion citizenship training
program.
Premier Boys’ State "Governor"
Richard J. Muraski, 17, of Rock
ford, announced that he had cabled
Joseph Stalin personally in Moscow
! extending the invitation for the
Russian youths to take a lesson in
1 democracy.
“Governor” Muraski, at latest re
port, stated no reply had been re
I ceived.
— ..
BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL CONVENTION
Ideal Paint Store
Irving’s Whing Ding
Jay’s Super Service
Jorgenson’s Motor
Juneau Bakery
Juneau Clinic
Juneau Dairies, Inc.
Jpneau Florists
Juno Dollar Store
Juneau Drug Co.
Juneau Motor Co.
Juneau Transit System
Juneau Welding Co.
Juneau Water Co.
Juneau-Young Hardware Co.
McKinley Electric, Inc.
Metcalfe Sheet Metal Works
Mount Juneau Sales & Service
Mernicc Murphy
Nance 5 and 10
National Grocery
Ludwig Nelson
Nugget Shop
Nygards Market
North Transfer
Occidental Bar
Orme Transfer
Pan American World Airways
Parsons Electric Co.
Percy’s Cafe
Pioneer Liquor—W. K. Burford
Vic Power
Harry Race, Druggist
Reliable Transfer
Rurity Bakery
Sanitary Meat Co.
Shattuck Agency
(ieorge Simpkins Co.
Spruce Delicatessen and Lockers
Sturm Lockers
Swanson Brothers
Thibodeau’s Grocery
Thomas Hardware Co.
Thorpe Construction Co.
Tot-to-Teen
Triangle Cocktail Club 1
United Food Co.
Victory Bar
Warfield Drugs
Warner Machine Shop
T. C. Whiteside
Keith Wildes
William Winn
Yellow Cabs