Stories you may have missed: Alex Palou wins Sonsio Grand Prix in Legion car, next Training Tuesday is about Diamond Dallas Page Yoga, dog tags returned of late World War II veteran and more.
1. “Be the One” pulls in to Victory Lane
Driving the No. 10 American Legion Honda, Alex Palou with Chip Ganassi Racing won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America on June 18. Palou overcame a bad wreck just before qualifications on Saturday to take the lead from Josef Newgarden on lap 49 Sunday and pull away, winning the 55-lap road course race by 4.5610 seconds.
“It’s been an amazing weekend, great comeback, and another win for The American Legion ‘Be the One,’” Palou said in Victory Lane. “I cannot thank the team and the sponsors enough.”
With the win, Palou picked up a $10,000 bonus that is split with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, The American Legion, as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.
Stay tuned: The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 2. And learn more about the Legion’s Be the One suicide prevention initiative here.
2. See your department Legacy Run in Legion media
Several American Legion departments conduct their own Legacy Runs leading up to the national American Legion Legacy Run. We want to hear about how your department’s state Legacy Run.
Email sbrooks@legion.org and let us know how your ride went: the number of participants, miles traveled, number of days and how much was raised. We'll be posting stories on legion.org and sharing them on the National American Legion Riders Facebook page as your info becomes available to us.
Register for the Legacy Run: The 2023 American Legion Legacy Run will depart Kokomo, Ind., on Aug. 20 and arrive in Charlotte, N.C., on Aug. 24. The 1,100-mile ride will travel through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee before the final stop in North Carolina. Registration is open until Aug. 9.
3. Dog tags of late World War II veteran repatriated
The dog tags of the late Jackson E. McGill, an Army Air Force radio operator and mechanic in the European Theater of World War II, were returned home more than two decades after his death.
McGill’s dog tag, discovered in a garden in northern France some 30 years ago, was presented to the family June 19 in a ceremony near his grave at Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Ind.
The journey of McGill’s dog tag from Monchy-Cayeux in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France began on Aug. 31, 2021. That’s when American Legion Department of France Vice Commander Valerie Prehoda, a resident of that area, was surprised at a barbecue when a chateau owner and neighbor said her gardener wished to speak with her. “He said he had something to give me. He pulls out this little old dog tag. He said that for 30 years he had it in his wallet, waiting to find an American to give it to who might be able to find the family to bring it back.”
Read another repatriation story: After nearly 80 years, the remains of 2nd Lt. Pharis E. Weekley were identified and brought home to his family in Florida. Weekley was a navigator in the nose of a B-24 Liberator nicknamed “Lady Jane” that set out on one of the largest air raids of World War II named Operation Tidal Wave. His plane was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft, and his remains went unaccounted for.
4. Get connected with trucking, security jobs
Task Force Movement (TFM) Vice Chairman Dan Kunze is this week’s special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. Kunze is a leading voice in developing enterprise strategy and policy, enterprise technology, talent management, and policy efforts that support workforce development and warfighting demands.
Supported by the White House since its inception in April 2022, TFM works to connect veterans and the military community with jobs in the trucking sector and cybersecurity industry. TFM was formed to combat the supply-chain issues brought on by the pandemic. More than 500 veterans have been awarded free scholarships, and more than 130 employers participate in the program’s apprenticeship program.
Listen to the podcast episode here and the advice Kunze offers for military-connected personnel and careers.
Find more employment opportunities: The American Legion provides a list of career and job fairs exclusive to veterans, active-duty military and their families. Visit this web page to learn more.
5. Save the date: Tuesday, June 27
The American Legion Training Tuesday session June 27 will welcome Scott French, a veteran who found a unique path to healing through Diamond Dallas Page Yoga (DDPY).
French will share his journey and insights on how physical fitness can be used to support mental health resilience. After suffering from a blown lumbar, fused spine and impending knee replacement, French was left physically and mentally broken. However, with the help of DDPY, he was able to regain control of his life and establish the DDPY Tiger Battalion, which encourages regular workouts to improve mental health.
Join the virtual training at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, June 27 at this link.
Have an idea? The Internal Affairs Division wants to hear your Training Tuesday idea or interests in presenting. Please send an email to legiontraining@legion.org.
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