American Legion National Commander Dan Wiley and Legionnaires enjoy the spirit, symbols, camaraderie and passion surrounding ‘America’s Game.’
American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley compared success in the military to victory on the gridiron as part of the 126th annual Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Dec. 13 at M&T Stadium in Baltimore.
“These guys are defending their turf, trying to keep the other side from getting in the end zone,” said Wiley, an Air Force veteran. “When their service academy time is up, they’ll be officers serving this great country and they’ll be defending America’s turf. And when you think about the things that you learn through sports, you learn teamwork, discipline, leadership and grit. And all those things that not only serve you well in life, but in the military too.”
This is the second year of The American Legion being an associate sponsor of “America’s Game.”
“It is very special for me to see ‘America’s Game’ with all the patriotic symbols, camaraderie, pageantry, all the college spirit that goes along with that,” Wiley said. “It is a great incentive for people who have a desire to come to the game, and it’s a fitting reward for them to attend the game.”
The American Legion rewarded around a dozen members who excelled in driving membership with tickets to the game. Among them was Joseph Bares, the director of membership for the Department of Minnesota.
After his Navy service, Bares joined the Legion as a way to give back to veterans and his small community. Now he is fully invested in not only membership, but Be the One, the Legion’s mission to reduce the number of veterans and servicemembers lost to suicide.
“It’s our way of stepping up to prevent suicide,” he said. “It used to be that it was always somebody else’s family. Now everybody’s family can be affected. Mental health is up to everybody to step up and try to help prevent. Do a Buddy Check once a month. Just try to be that person to step up support everybody.”
Department of Virginia Commander Scott Maddrea was attending his second Army-Navy Game, 15 years after the first. The Army veteran was struck by all the activities around the on-field action.
“You can't beat the pageantry and the pregame,” he said. “The game itself is almost secondary to everything leading up to it. Here, you get to see so much that you miss on TV. We were talking with a gentleman at the ticket gate about those young men and women who are getting to take their enlistment oath on field. What an incredible experience that must be for them.”
Maddrea also mentioned interviews he heard during Friday’s Media Row at the Baltimore Convention Center.
“It was great hearing about the Legion on some of the pregame broadcasts,” he said. “I was listening yesterday on SiriusXM. They had the pregame show and had American Legion representatives on there. It was great hearing about the good work the Legion is doing.”
Navy veteran John Hargis, a member of Post 174 in Morgantown, W.Va., also received tickets for his membership achievements. When it comes to pitching membership, he focuses on the core mission.
“All the benefits that The American Legion does for all veterans,” said Hargis, who was attending his first Army-Navy Game. “It’s bigger than a post. It’s bigger than a department. We want to be able to support veterans worldwide.”
“It's amazing,” he said. “This is a large-scale event they rewarded us with. We try to do some things similar in our local posts on a much smaller scale. It's very much appreciated and very exciting to be here. It’s a bucket list trip for me.”
Amid the fierce rivalry, Wiley pointed out that the game is unifying.
“We’re all part of America’s team,” he concluded. “At the end of the day, we all come together. That’s exactly what we do as veterans. We come together and take care of one another. That’s exactly what we’re doing today with The American Legion and our mission with Be the One. Taking care of one another, helping out one another. It’s exactly what we do.”
- Commander