Legionnaires awarded for service, support
Michael Peterson addresses Legionnaires during American Legion National Convention on Wed., Aug. 31, 2011.

Legionnaires awarded for service, support

In addition to several political leaders appearing in person at the national convention on Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton provided a taped address to Legion delegates."It is my great honor to thank our soldiers and our Legionnaires, in the field and in this room, for your dedicated and ongoing service to our country," Clinton said.

It was a busy awards day on the convention floor. Michael Peterson, who serves as The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund spokesman, received the Legion's National Education Award. Peterson was cited for his work on behalf of the Legacy Fund, his troop-support efforts and his "Tag, You're It" program, which takes Peterson from community to community working with young adults to choose the right path in their lives.

"In spite of the challenges that I faced (as a child), somehow I found opportunity in spite of the difficulties," Peterson said. "And that is the message we have carried to hundreds of thousands of high school students and middle school students over the last five years, and to veterans in transition. Education, to me, isn't just about our grades in science and math. For me, the most important part of education was the hope that it engendered in my life as a young man and continues to do so today.

"Without the help of The American Legion, we wouldn't have the ability to build a future, to build bridges between schools, the Legion and communities across this nation."

The Department of California was presented the Frank N. Belgrano Jr. Trophy for providing outstanding service to Scouting, while Maryland received the Ralph T. O'Neil Education Trophy for best administering the Legion's School Award Medal Program.

The Department of Ohio received both the Garland R. Murphy, Jr. Award for receiving the highest number of Child Welfare Foundation donations, and the U.S. "Udie" Grant Legacy Award for receiving the highest combined CWF donations from its entire Legion family. And the Department of Virginia received the Daniel J. O'Connor Americanism Trophy for conducting the best all-around Americanism activities.

The Department of Michigan was presented the William F. Lenker National Service Trophy for excelling in welfare work for veterans and their dependents.

In membership, Legionnaire Nathaniel King won the National Recruiter of the Year award for the second-consecutive year and third time since 2004. A member of Post 267 in Columbus, Ga., King recruited 531 new members this year.

Michigan Legionnaire Al Ford was honored for developing or revitalizing more than 100 posts during his Legion career, while the Department of Texas was recognized for starting up seven new posts this year.

The Department of Kentucky received the O.L. Bodenhamer Trophy for leading the Legion in traditional membership on June 14, the General Henri Gourad Trophy for being the first department to exceed its national membership goal, and the Market Penetration Award for improving its market penetration the most. The department also was honored for meeting each target date goal and for achieving 100 percent of its membership goal by the May target date.

Mike Phelps, Kentucky's department commander for 2010-2011, was honored as Department Commander of the Year.

The Race to the Top winners, in each category, were: Category I - Nolen Wayne Jackson, Department of Utah; Category II - Bernard L. Remoaldo, Department of California; and Category III - Jay Conti Sr., Department of Florida.

Honored for their departments submitting 95 percent or more of their Consolidated Post Reports were Albert Porter, Department of Florida; David Driver, Department of Montana; Ronald Corbett, Department of Nebraska; Jacqulene Collison, Department of Oregon; Michael Mitrione, Department of Virginia; Robert Batty, Department of Wisconsin; and Hugo Lenz, Department of Wyoming. The departments of California, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Mexico were honored for submitting 75 percent or more of their reports.

Honored for their departments raising the most for the National Emergency Fund were Vincent Troiola, Department of New York; Michael Mooney Jr., Department of Maryland; Daniel Leonard, Department of Louisiana; Edward Feeley, Department of Delaware; and Hugo Lenz, Department of Wyoming.

More than $114,000 was raised on the convention floor for the National Emergency Fund; another $38,000 was donated to the Child Welfare Foundation and $3,000 more to Operation Comfort Warriors.