Commander Rohan talks ‘Family First’ at ALWS

American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan talked about her term during Tuesday night’s American Legion World Series championship game in Shelby, N.C.

Rohan’s theme as national commander has been “Family First.” That was a point of emphasis in her conversation during the broadcast on ESPNU.

“When you go off to join the military, you get a new family. Every place you go, you get new families. And as I’ve been watching these players play and come in this week … you can see that they’re family there in their teams as well,” Rohan said.

She also talked about the importance of the color purple, which many Legion staff and volunteers have worn throughout the week in Shelby.

“Purple becomes such an important color because after Sept. 11, our military personnel started working together, all the branches of the service … you mix all the military colors of our branches together, you get purple. (Our Legion Family wants) to work close together with our military personnel and so military and The American Legion are both purpled up this year, and it just so happens the color of the military kids is also purple,” she said.

Rohan also threw out the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday night along with Miss America Cara Mund, herself a lifelong member of the American Legion Auxiliary and a former Girls Nation delegate.