Latest News
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Wednesday, October 28, 2020
New Temporary Financial Assistance Application
The American Legion’s Committee on Children and Youth has announced a new Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA) application to help children in need.
Read this Children and Youth eBulletin for details.
Here is the new TFA Application.
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Read the Autumn Issue of ‘Legion New York ‘
The latest issue of Legion New York magazine is now available online.
In addition to features and news, this autumn 2020 issue features the “can do” attitude of the Legion Family across the state in the face of the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The highlights:• How a post’s Boys State choice helps an army medical unit.
• A post commander’s farmer’s market for veterans.
• Some of the state law-and-order awards are presented despite the pandemic.
• “Cowboy” Morris is the new state director of the Legion Riders.
• Oneonta Riders stages Legacy Run, promotes safety.
• Altamont Riders open new door during pandemic.
• Oratorical champ shares words of gratitude.
• A number of posts organize birthday drive-bys for older vets.
• Med student benefits from “life-changing” Legacy scholarship.
• The last WWII vet of the Seneca Nation’s Allegany Territory receives honors.
• 4,000 masks for Rensselaer County first responders.
• Bronx Post helps neighborhood cleanup.
• Canada legionnaires observe anniversary of Korean Armistice.
• Sag Harbor legionnaire honored.
• “9/11 memories” by the Department Adjutant.
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Monday, October 05, 2020
Get the Training Newsletter
The latest issue of The Legion’s Training Newsletter features tips and resources for post leaders and other legionnaires, especially those involved in recruiting and retention.
Among the topics:
• Engagement efforts must adapt and overcome
• Powerpoints and audio presentations from the national virtual membership workshop.
• Introducing Training Tuesdays
• National American Legion College postponed
•Taking the online basic training
Click to download the Sept-Oct Issue of the Training Newsletter.
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Thursday, October 01, 2020
‘Cowboy’ Morris Leads New York’s Legion Riders
Edward “Cowboy” Morris of Oneida County is the new state director for the American Legion Riders.
Edward “Cowboy” Morris
Department Commander Michael McDermott appointed Morris “to serve until the Department Convention in 2021,” after Director Robert Wallace resigned for personal reasons, Department Adjutant James Casey announced.
Morris said his vision is to grow the American Legion Riders, promote the Legion Family, advocate for veterans, educate the public, and promote patriotism. He said he wants “to bring a real sense of brother- and sisterhood to all our chapters.”
A U.S. Army veteran who served during the Lebanon/Grenada era, he is a member of the Meeker O’Rourke 1309 in Taberg.
As a member of the Sons of the American Legion, Ed honors his late father, Air Force Veteran Edward R. Morris, who served in the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict.
As an American Legion Rider, Ed was the 5th & 6th District vice director, a road captain, chapter vice director, and chapter director.He has participated in a number of ALR activities such as, Feed The Vets, Clear Path, events for Injured riders, rides to support the Disabled American Veterans, Legacy Rides, Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C., Patriot Guard for fallen veterans.
Ed is a member of the Oneida County Department Visitation Committee, and the Committee to Elect Dave Reily Sr. for Department Commander.
As department vice director, he has given reports and updates at many chapter meetings. He said he encourages networking and the importance of the Chapters Consolidated Reporting to the department.
A graduate of Rome Free Academy and the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School, Ed is a diesel mechanic for Bliss Environmental, Camden, N.Y., and is married to Past Department President Deborah Kryczkowski. They share three children and eight grandchildren.
Director Morris may be contacted at director@nylegion.org.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Oratorical Champ Shares Thoughts
Victor Gelfuso, the Department of New York’s 2020 oratorical champion, could not address the Department Convention this year when it was cancelled due to the pandemic. But it didn’t stop him from penning words of “Pride and Gratitude” to share in written form. In a written message to Legionnaires, New York’s oratorical champion, Victor Gelfuso, says The American Legion’s speech contest fostered in him a greater appreciation for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“Exercising my rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press,” he writes, “has shown me how much the United States values one of the paramount rights in human life: the freedom of thought and the pursuit of truth.”
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Saturday, September 12, 2020
9/11 Memories and Department Update
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEPARTMENT ADJUTANT
By James W. Casey
Adjutant, Department of New YorkRemembering 9/11
I attended a small ceremony Friday in Cohoes to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. It brought back some memories that I don’t think will ever leave me and I want to briefly share them with you.
James Casey
On the morning of 09-11-01, I was home on Long Island making last minute adjustments for our Department Commander’s visit to Queens County. It was newly elected Department Commander Gibby Mitras’s first official visit on his 62-County journey through his year. We had planned a visit to the local VA Hospital at St. Albans and the State Veterans Nursing Home next door. Lunch at a local post and a tour of some war memorials in the area would round out the day’s events. A dinner and installation of the Queens County officers at Antuns Catering Hall would culminate the evening nicely.
