The American Legion Department of Colorado Blog

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected the Frazier International History Museum in Louisville, Ky., as the new home of the Bloedner Monument, the nation’s oldest Civil War memorial. 

The Bloedner Monument was removed from Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville in December 2008 and taken to a temporary facility where it was professionally conserved by Conservation Solutions Inc. to arrest further damage.

“The removal of an important monument from a national cemetery is rare and was not undertaken without great deliberation,” said Secretary Shinseki.  “However, the overwhelming significance of the Bloedner Monument and its failing condition warranted this unusual step.”

The monument was carved in January 1862 by Pvt. August Bloedner to commemorate his fellow soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Infantry, all of them German immigrants who fell in the Battle of Rowlett’s Station near Munfordville, Ky.  The monument’s original location was on the battlefield, marking the graves of 13 soldiers who perished there.  When most of these remains were removed to Cave Hill National Cemetery in 1867, the Bloedner Monument was moved there as well.

VA historians, in collaboration with the Kentucky Heritage Council and Heritage Preservation Inc., selected the Frazier International Museum as the new home from three interested facilities based on Civil War exhibit plans, controlled environment and security, financial stability, annual visitation and proximity to Cave Hill National Cemetery.

The monument was fabricated from St. Genevieve limestone, with a base of Bedford limestone added in 1867.  It measures approximately 5 feet long, 1 foot deep and 3 ½ feet high.  The monument is carved on one side with a relief of an eagle and an inscription in German in a rustic script.  The text was approximately 300 words and 2,500 characters long at the time it was carved.  Because of the poor quality of the limestone and effects of the environment, the monument has lost a significant amount of material.  Only about 50 percent of the original carving and inscription remains.

The monument was temporarily relocated to a University of Louisville facility for treatment while VA conducted a thorough evaluation of potential sites.  The evaluation process included written proposals and site visits.  VA posted information on the Internet, mailed information to Veterans and Civil War heritage groups and held a public information meeting to solicit suggestions.

A new monument, with an interpretive sign explaining the significance of the original Bloedner Monument and indicating its location, will be placed at Cave Hill National Cemetery in 2010. 

The American Legion – January 4, 2010

Another batch of items purchased for the soldiers of the U.S. Army’s Bravo Troop 3-61 Cavalry arrived in Afghanistan recently.

Christmas was a great time for the soldiers of Black Knight Troop. After a day of relaxing and playing football myself, 1SG Burton and the Troop Commander placed all the items in a gathering area and then I took the center of the troop giving them a Christmas Speech, I told them how fortunate we were to have the folks back home that “Gave a Shit” that this was an overwhelming amount of support and that we have a great family and team not just here in country but back in the great USA.

I was, needless to say, nearly in tears while I was talking and looking at the amount of “gifts” there were in the stack. It was knowing that the time, effort, and care that was taken to put all this together. I also asked the troop for a moment of silence for the men lost on October 3rd, the silence was hauntingly quiet and you could tell that the fallen soldiers were in the minds of us all name by name.

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By Louis J. Celli Jr. – December 26, 2009

Business, all business, must adhere to a fundamental basic formula: money in – money out = profit. When it comes to generating revenue, you have to have something to sell, someone has to be willing to buy it, you have to locate the people willing to buy your product or service, and finally, you have to ask them to give you their money. That’s more difficult than it sounds.

• Most of the clients I work with have identified what they want to sell, but assigning a strategy market value to their offering is much more of a challenge. Figuring out just how much money, time (translated into money) and effort (translated into money) goes into getting your widget into the hands of the customer requires a lot of thought.

• Identify your target customer. Knowing you’ll have customers and understanding exactly who they are going to be are two completely different things. You must know everything about your perfect customer and who they are giving your money to (yes, your money). Your job is to convince then to shop with you.

• Once you have identified your customer with distinctive intimacy, you have to let them know you exist.

• Depending on the price point of your offering, you will have to be able to sell, and close sales. This is usually the biggest emotional challenge for new entrepreneurs. Many of us feel uncomfortable or even dishonest asking others to turn over their money to us.

If you start your business planning understanding these basic principles, you will soon be able to set realistic goals and a solid revenue forecast.

Louis J. Celli Jr. is a retired Army master sergeant who has started and developed businesses, and has counseled hundreds of veteran entrepreneurs. Readers can send questions for “On Point” to lcelli@nevbrc.org.

The American Legion – December 29, 2009

She was no Pershing, Truman or Teddy Roosevelt Jr. She did not rank alongside Patton or Ike.

But she was well educated, determined and dedicated to the causes of Americanism just like them. Although not a warrior on a battlefield or an eventual president, Verna B. Grimm chronicled their battles and causes.

During her 34 years at the helm of The American Legion Library, she was probably best known for growing and cataloging hundreds of war posters.

Messages like “America needs your scrap rubber,” “On the job for victory” and “The Army is counting on you for more metal” are all depicted with artwork on the posters that Grimm constantly sought for the library she ran from its founding in 1923 until her retirement in 1957.

In a guide to the exhibit that has been viewed by the public since 1937, Grimm wrote: “The students and children will be interested in learning of these phases of the World War (I) not found in history text books. They will learn that the war was not just a series of battles, but that with it life had to be lived as gallantly as possible and these personal associations helped make the ordeal endurable.”

Since then, she looked everywhere for posters from World War II and beyond, all while managing a library that later soared to more than 12,000 books and pamphlets.

Before moving to Indianapolis to start up the Legion Library, Grimm’s life mirrored the tragic turns met by other war-time widows. But for this widow, the battlefield was the streets of Centralia, Wash., not a European war zone.

Grimm’s marriage to Army Lt. Warren O. Grimm on April 15, 1918, ended just 19 months later when he and four other Legionnaires were gunned down during an Armistice Day parade on Nov. 11, 1919. Her husband, the Legion post commander, led the parade in honor of Centralia’s veterans.

The Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) already had a troubled relationship with the town dating back to 1914. Some of the union members, including some unemployed lumber workers, had been kicked out of town after conflicts with local authorities. A few returned to loot stores, adding to the friction.

A Centralia union hall opened in 1917, but was looted in 1918, so the Wobblies were ready for revenge. When the 1919 parade passed in front of the union hall, the Wobblies feared for another attack. The armed Wobblies accused some of the parade participants of storming the hall first. But others recapping the events note that Grimm and fellow Legionnaire Arthur McElfresh were gunned down in the middle of the street, not approaching the hall. Two other Legionnaires also lost their lives in the battle that ensued.

The assassinated post commander left behind his 6-month-old daughter, Shirley Ann, and his widow, Verna, to determine the family’s fate.

Verna persevered and earned a master’s degree in library science from Columbia University. She rejected a reference librarian offer from the New York Public Library, instead opting to move to Indianapolis to launch the Legion’s library.

Outside of her library work, Verna raised Shirley Ann and authored “A Bibliography of Book Plate Literature.” In her travels, Verna collected matchbook covers and wine corks as souvenirs.

Her reputation as a collector – don’t forget all those war posters – earned her this distinction in a post on the Internet that she never lived to experience: “God bless you Verna B. Grimm. I heartily propose her canonization as St. Verna, patron saint of compulsive collectors.”

A more serious honor came her way in 1958, just a few months after her death.

In October 1958, the Legion’s National Executive Committee paid posthumous tribute to their grand collector by renaming “her” library as “The Verna B. Grimm Memorial Book Collection.”

While husband Warren earned his honors as part of the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia, his bride earned recognition in her own right by chronicling the lives of thousands of other Legionnaires.

The American Legion – December 28, 2009

Michael Peterson isn’t in Iraq performing for U.S. servicemembers over the holidays to promote a message. The country music star and American Legion Legacy Scholarship fund spokesman is there to entertain and provide a respite for the men and women thousands of miles away from their families.

“My feeling is that during the holidays especially, a lot of people are going over (to Iraq) and giving these guys a lot of messages,” Peterson said. “I want to just go over there and give them a good time. If I can bring a smile and a laugh, that’s enough.”

Peterson boarded a plane from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 22 to take a long ride to Kuwait. Retired U.S. Army Col. Jill Chambers, Peterson’s managing partner, said in an email to The American Legion this morning that Peterson will be traveling to six forward-operating bases in the next two days. Chambers said the Peterson also has been encouraging servicemembers to seek out their local American Legion posts when they return home.

It’s the second such trip Peterson has made to Iraq; he’s also traveled to Afghanistan twice on similar troop-support efforts.

“I just want to share my music and share a touch of home with the men and women who are so far from home,” Peterson said. “I am so in awe of the importance of what these men and women are doing, and I think that a lot of people really don’t think about that. This is my chance to serve, and it’s a privilege for me. It just feels good to me.”

Peterson was the 2008 recipient of the Bob Hope “Spirit Of Hope” award for his service to the United States and its military. He also raises funds for the Legacy Scholarship fund through the sale of DVDs.

National Commander Clarence Hill – The American Legion – December 23, 2009

As children, there is nothing quite like the thrill of opening presents on Christmas morning. The anticipation, being unable to sleep the night before, then the joy as your hands rip at the paper that soon becomes a blur in the air as you tear into each package.

But as we get older, we begin to realize that while opening presents are nice, watching someone open a gift you have taken the time to pick out feels even better. That sense of receiving is replaced by a greater sense of giving.

Today, we will share that feeling with friends and family. We’re the lucky ones. For others, Christmas may not be as joyful a time, and it won’t be celebrated at home. Instead, they may be hundreds, even thousands of miles away from home, recovering in a military hospital. If they’re lucky, their family has been able to travel to visit them. But for some, Christmas will be spent with fellow patients and the hospital staff.

With those patients in mind, The American Legion started Operation Comfort Warriors one year ago. The program raises funds to purchase comfort items for recovering servicemembers: items such as sweat suits, phone cards, DVDs, CDs, iPods, puzzles, books, video games and other items for men and women at military hospitals and warrior transition units.

When I was sworn in as national commander last August, I asked my fellow Legionnaires to help me keep the fund going strong. I set a goal of raising an additional $100,000 by the end of 2009. I knew it was ambitious at the time, but I also know how generous Legionnaires can be.

My optimism was proven to be correct last week. On Dec. 18, National Headquarters received a call from a Legionnaire who had read my request for OCW donations in the December issue of The American Legion Magazine. The Legionnaire, an Army veteran, liked what he read.

“When I found out that all of the money donated goes right into the program, I thought, ‘This is great,’” said the Legionnaire, who requested to remain anonymous. “I called National Headquarters and asked how short the fund was of the goal the commander had set ($100,000) to be raised by the end of the year.”

The Legionnaire was told the fund was approximately $52,000 short. That day, the Legionnaire – who I called to personally thank – sent a cashier’s check to National Headquarters for $50,000. It already has been received, along with another few thousand dollars in donations that brought the total to more than $100,000 raised since I took office and more than $291,000 since we began raising funds in December 2008.

“My father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was a POW,” the Legionnaire said. “He was a member of The American Legion, and when he died he left me some money. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the money than to donate it to this fund. In some way, this donation is coming from two Legionnaires.”

Though for years I have seen the good work this organization is capable of, I still cannot help but be amazed sometimes at the results we can get. But we’re not done. The need for Operation Comfort Warriors is going to be around as long as our men and women are deployed throughout the world in hostile environments. Your donations are still needed. And it’s easy to donate online or by sending a check to Operation Comfort Warriors, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206.  The American Legion, allowing 100 percent of the donations to be spent directly on the troops, pays administrative and promotional costs for Operation Comfort Warriors.

The American Legion called reports that soldiers are being sent to combat with deficient gear and lack of training “completely unacceptable.”

“The American Legion supports our troops’ missions in Iraq and Afghanistan but they must have the best equipment and training that we can possibly give them,” National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “Representatives Ike Skelton and Solomon Ortiz should be commended for bringing these serious concerns to the attention of the Pentagon leadership.”

The two House members wrote in a December 10 letter that they are “greatly troubled” by what they have been told by soldiers.

For instance, a military historian found that the M4 carbine failed at critical moments during a July 2008 firefight in Afghanistan, in which nine U.S. soldiers were killed.

“Even though these weapons routinely rank lower than other military weapons in testing, they are still being issued as the Army’s weapon of choice,” the lawmakers wrote.

“I am also concerned that troops are reportedly being taken from boot camp and being sent to combat, with little or no additional training.  Soldiers are also saying that their rucksacks are poorly designed and make it difficult to fire their weapons,” Hill said.  “My question to military leadership is ‘Who has the backs of our troops?’

The American Legion would like some answers. Training and equipment should be factored in as essential costs of war, just like VA health care. We will take this issue up with the Secretary of Defense and even the president of the United States if it is not addressed quickly.”