Two Boys Nation senators place wreath at Arlington

Two Boys Nation senators placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns during a July 21 ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The young men, Connor Knudsen of North Dakota and Jeremy Price of Maryland, were accompanied by American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger and American Legion National Chaplain Dr. Daniel McClure.

The senators also viewed two changing-of-the-guard ceremonies at the Tomb. Later, they paid a visit to the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Washington, D.C. The memorial is a sculpture based on the famous photo of five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raising the U.S. Flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945.

The previous evening, on July 20, Boys Nation senators toured the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Monument, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. They also attended a dinner hosted by American Legion Post 136 in Greenbelt, Md. They ate in a hall named after veteran and Legionnaire Samuel M. Hofberg.

Hofberg, who served in the Marine Corps during World War II and in the Navy during the Korean War, was there at the post to greet the young men and staff as they came through the door.

Dellinger and Richard W. Anderson, chairman of the Legion’s National Americanism Commission, were guest speakers for the dinner. Two past national commanders also attended, Bob Turner of Georgia (also director of activities for Boys Nation) and Clarence Bacon of Maryland, as well as McClure.

Noting that The American Legion Auxiliary’s Girls Nation program was posting “selfies” on Facebook, Dellinger asked the senators to pose with him after dinner for a Boys Nation “selfie.” The photo was soon taken outside the post building.

Anderson said the Americanism Commission was “extremely proud” of the Boys Nation program, and he wished the 98 senators well not only during their week in Washington, but “in your journey through life. I believe that I speak on behalf of every American Legionnaire across our great nation.”

On July 22, the Boys Nation will head to The American Legion’s Washington Office for a briefing by several national staff members. In the afternoon, they will conduct a candidates debate at 3 p.m. and elections at 6:30 p.m.; both events will be webcast live on www.legiontv.org.

Visit www.legion.org/legiontv/boysnation for more videos and www.legion.org/photos/boysnation for more photo galleries of 2014 Boys Nation.