National Commander Clancy, National Vice Commander Casey among Legion Family leadership who laid wreaths around D.C. on Veterans Day.
For Christopher Casey, his grandfather’s military service is why he joined the Sons of The American Legion.
His grandfather, David Harvey, recently passed away, lending deeper emotions when Casey, a National Vice Commander of the SAL, joined other Legion Family leadership at the Vietnam Wall on Veterans Day.
“When we were laying the wreath, to hear ‘Amazing Grace’ on the bagpipers, kind of gets the hair standing up on your back,” Casey said. “Certainly thinking about my grandfather, but just the impact of the almost 60,000 names. …
“What would their lives have been like? What would they have been able to accomplish?”
Casey said it was “a huge honor” to represent the 400,000-plus members of the SAL for Tuesday’s wreath-laying at the Wall.
“I’ve felt the weight of that out there,” Casey said. “I remember standing at that wall when I was 15 years old for the first time and just stared into it. You can see your reflection in it, which it's kind of an eerie thing as a 15-year-old. But I understood the magnitude of all those names today. I understand the magnitude of representing all of those names, all of our members and what we were doing out there.”
‘A greater significance’
SAL National Commander Bill Clancy joined American Legion National Commander Dan Wiley and American Legion Auxiliary President Pam Ray in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery.
“The Washington Conference ceremony is very nice,” Clancy said, referencing the annual wreath-laying the SAL does in conjunction with the legislative conference. “But today takes on a much greater significance. You have the President of the United States laying a wreath. You have a 21-gun salute of cannons in the background, along with ‘Taps’ being played. You have so many veterans from every branch of service, every state. It’s really moving.”
Clancy said the time was “a perfect time to reflect upon who we are and what we do and all the great things that the Sons of the American Legion does. I’m honored and I’m proud to be in a position this year honoring not only my own family, but serving all families and veterans across our country.”
- Sons