Helm harkens back to Four Pillars

During his address to the first session of the Fall NEC Meetings, National Commander Michael Helm began with a reminder that The American Legion is a "God and country" organization, and ended with a challenge to the department officials present to return home and "stoke the fires" of the Legion presence in their communities.

In between, Helm used his remarks to discuss the Four Pillars that the Legion stands on, and how each of them remains highly relevant today.

On the subject of Americanism, Helm invoked the sentiments of his closing call-to-action, asking those present to remind their departments' posts and Legionnaires of the importance of legal immigration. It is important, Helm said, that posts and Legionnaires everywhere help foster a 100 percent Americanism through working with local government entities to assist immigrants in attaining citizenship.

"Legal immigration is an important building block of this country," Helm said. "We need to reach out to those immigrants who are here and bring them to a path of full citizenship. I want those posts near them to help them accomplish this."

The pillar of National Security, Helm said, grows more crucial as operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) become more serious.

"There is no settling down with people like that who would lop off heads and strap explosives onto their children," Helm said. "We support the president on what he is doing with this war."

As the conflict against ISIS ramps up, Helm said it is imperative to remember that the U.S. military, which has been hit by sequestration cuts, lacks the funds to wage a successful campaign. It is of the utmost importance to the world and our country, Helm said, that the United States does not lose its status as a first-rate world power.

"We don't have the money to wage this war," he said. "We can't allow those people in D.C. to convince people that we are better as a second-rate power. We must remain a first-rate world power, and The American Legion will fight for that."

As evidenced by the administrative scandal that ravaged the Department of Veterans Affairs this summer, Helm said the pillar of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation should always be at the front of the Legion's collective conscience. It was the Legion's willingness to call for change at VA, and the Legion's ability to pierce the administrative bureaucracy there, that ultimately brought proper resolution to one of this nation's worst administrative scandals affecting veterans.

"When (the scandal) first came out, we were concerned with what was going on in Phoenix," Helm said. "It turned out there was an entrenchment in VA that said it was all right for them to make whatever administrative changes were necessary to make them look good.... It was up to us to tell them to stop, and that's what we did."

Finally, Helm harkened back to his opening message of remembering "God and country" when he addressed the Legion's Children & Youth pillar. He told those present to take an interest in the youth of their communities, and remind them of what their country stands for and the heroes who fought to enable that.

"It is so important for us to remember we are a God and country organization," Helm said. "No matter where we are or what we do, we always set ourselves off in the right direction by remembering that."

Helm closed by reminding those present of the responsibilities they owe to those who they were there representing, likening local posts, Sons of the American Legion squadrons and Auxiliary units to "lights" that can be brightened to illuminate the communities in which they sit.

"Those posts, squadrons and units are the individual lights of their communities," Helm said. "They are little campfires of freedom, campfires of communities, and campfires of reaching out. We need those campfires to burn a little brighter. It's up to you to go out there and engage them."

Hedrick remembered

Former National Executive Committeeman and Legion dignitary, Jerry L. Hedrick, who tragically passed away in August during the 96th national convention in Charlotte, N.C., was honored following the commander's opening remarks. The longtime Legionnaire out of North Carolina and pillar of the organization was memorialized with a ceremony, remarks from Past National Commanders Jake Comer and Clarence Bacon, and playing of Taps in his honor.

Hedrick's wife, Marie, and sister were in attendance to receive a commemoratory plaque containing the text of the Congressional testimony that paid tribute to Hedrick following his death. Last month, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., honored Hedrick by giving a speech on the Senate floor that outlined Hedrick's achievements as a military member, a patriot and a devoted Legionnaire.

Hedrick, an Army veteran, served the Legion and America's veterans for more than four decades as a department commander, NECman and a staunch advocate for this nation's military and children and youth.