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• Saturday, July 20, 2019

  Mike McDermott Leads State American Legion for Next Year

  

  Mike McDermott, center, is sworn in as Department of New York commander. Photo by Doug Malin.

  BUFFALO — Elected with full acclamation of the delegate body, Mike McDermott took over the reins of leadership from outgoing Department Commander Gary Schacher on Saturday, the last day of the 101st Annual Convention.

  A Vietnam War combat vet, McDermott hails from Homer and is the first person from Cortland County to become state commander in the Legion’s 100-year history.

  McDermott served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1967, including a year in Vietnam where he worked in communication and intelligence with a Marine support battalion. On base he also served as a rifleman and assistant M60 machine gunner. While in Vietnam, he was promoted to petty officer 2nd class (E-5). Prior to deploying to South Vietnam, he attended jungle warfare school for weapons and survival training, and before that, he served in Germany as a cryptologic technician.

  

  Commander Mike McDermott

  He joined The American Legion in 1980, he noted, after missing the camaraderie with fellow veterans. He has served in leadership roles at various levels of The American Legion, including 13 years as commander of Burns-McCauliffe Post 465 in Homer and four years as commander of Cortland County American Legion. He also served as commander and vice commander of the Legion’s Sixth District. In 2010 he was the Sixth District Legionnaire of the Year. He is a former member of the Department Membership Task Force and is a member of the Legion’s National Security Council. He also is a graduate of American Legion College, and a member of the National and New York State American Legion Press Associations.

  

  TV Chan. 4 News interviews Commander Mike McDermott

  His military medals include the Purple Heart, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, various South Vietnamese awards, and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross and Service Star.

  After retiring from the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, McDermott got involved in local politics, serving three terms as village trustee and three terms as village mayor.

  Born in Binghamton, he was raised in Cortland where he graduated with honors from St. Mary’s High School. Over the years he also attended Onondaga Community College, University of Maryland, SUNY Cortland, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.

  His family includes his significant other, Diana Moreland, plus three children and six grandchildren.

  The Department of New York encompasses over 800 Legion Posts spread across the state’s 62 counties. During his one-year tenure, McDermott will visit every county to meet with members of the local Legion Family. His focus will be on building membership and getting the word out about what the Legion does, such as advocating for veterans and working with youth through such programs as Girls State, Boys State and American Legion Baseball.

  McDermott also wants to emphasize that The American Legion is about families – something he experienced as a kid.

  “It was for families,” he said. “You brought your kids in, they had clam bakes, games for kids.”

  He is excited about his year as state commander, calling it “probably one of the greatest accomplishments I’m ever going to have in my life.”

  That is, “besides my kids, and grandkids.”