Latest News
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Merry Christmas to All Our Armed Forces
The American Legion Department of New York wishes a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our brothers and sisters in arms, wherever they are serving – from the chilly air of Alaska to the warmer clime of the Mid-East.
The spirit of the season follows wherever the U.S. military serves – including making sure Santa and his elves visit as many places as possible, bringing joy to the troops and especially children.
Santa and his elves visit Old Harbor, Alaska, with an air crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and give presents to children as part of the Santa to the Villages program, Dec. 8, 2023. This program has been an annual event since 1974. The presents were courtesy of the Coast Guard’s Kodiak Spouses Association. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Shannon Kearney)
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Tuesday, December 05, 2023
Passing of PDC Doug Malin
Past Department Commander and long-time Department Photographer Doug Malin passed away on Dec. 3, 2023, at the age of 82.
“Doug served the New York American Legion in many ways over the years and is best known for his tireless work as Department Photographer,” notes Department Adjutant James Casey. “He was a friend and mentor to everyone who met him. Losing Doug is devasting to us all.”
Doug Malin
Doug served in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years and was active in The American Legion for much of his life, especially after retiring as a detective with the NYPD.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ann, his three sons, five grandchildren, and sister, Donna McNamara.
Visitation is on on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the T.J. McGowan Funeral Home, 71 Central Highway, Garnerville, NY 10923. Funeral Mass is at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, 25 Cinder Road, Garnerville, NY 10923. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Legion, Dept. of NY, 1304 Park Blvd,. Troy, NY 12180, with notation for BE THE ONE, or the Multiple Myeloma Foundation.
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Sunday, November 26, 2023
Autumn issue of Legion New York is available
Autumn 2023Check out the latest edition of Legion New York Magazine. This Autumn 2023 issue features, among other things:
• Coverage of the Department Convention, especially awards and recognition.
• VA S.A.V.E. Training complements “Be the One”.
• Post in Saratoga Springs walks a mile in “Be the One” shoes.
• Post hosts highway-naming ceremony in honor of KIA.
• Legion Family helps build house for vet.
• Highland Falls Post steps up after flooding hits community.
• Oneida County honors 100-year-old Legionnaire.
• Buffalo community day celebrates diversity.
• Greece, Rockland are state baseball champions.
• Limestone Post donates to preserve. -
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
NYS American Legion Calls It ‘Outrageous’
Commander Tim Collmer
“It appears to be an outrageous case of neglect,” New York State American Legion Commander Timothy Collmer said in reaction to a New York Post report about the COVID-related deaths of more than 100 veterans at a State Veterans Home in Queens.
“Our veterans deserved better. They had sacrificed and put their lives on the line for their country. In return they faced neglect. To call it shameful is an understatement.”
The Post reported that families of the veterans were suing the state-run facility for negligence, citing, among other things, lack of following infection control protocols.
Collmer added: “Those families had sacrificed when their loved ones were deployed. The hearts and prayers of our members go out to them for having had to sacrifice and suffer loss again.”
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Thursday, November 09, 2023
Honor a Vet: Be the One
A message from Department Commander Timothy Collmer and The American Legion
Commander Tim Comller
“To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving the peace.”
You know who said that? None other than George Washington.
That’s a sentiment that most military veterans bear, whether they knew it was voiced by a founder of our country.
But it’s more than just a sentiment, or a good soundbite. Veterans take an oath to put their lives on the line to protect our country and its freedoms.
That’s why most Americans profess to love our veterans, especially on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
It is important to remember that veterans are defending us 365 days a year. The heroism that has been demonstrated time and again by veterans from the American Revolution to the Global War on Terrorism is sometimes unnoticed by many who enjoy the security that their sacrifice has provided.
Not all veterans have seen combat, but all have at one time made the solemn promise to sacrifice their lives if called upon.
For many veterans, our nation was important enough to endure long separations from their families, miss the births of their children, freeze in sub-zero temperatures, roast in faraway deserts, lose limbs, and, far too often, lose their lives.
Their families serve and sacrifice as well.
Veterans and their families need advocates, and that is why The American Legion exists. We are here to serve veterans, their families and our communities. Veterans need each other, but, more importantly, our country and our communities need them.
In times of peace and in times of war, our veterans have exemplified the values of honor, courage and commitment. They have displayed unwavering dedication to their fellow servicemembers, their brothers- and sisters-in-arms.
But Veterans Day is not just a day of celebration and remembrance. It is a day of action. It is a day when we must recommit ourselves to the well-being of veterans and their families.
And while the American Legion advocates for healthcare, education and employment opportunities for those who have served and sacrificed, we must keep in mind that more than 6,000 veterans a year take their own lives.
Our action then is clear. We should all commit to “Be the One” to save one. The 9-8-8 crisis line is available to assist anyone who is contemplating suicide.
On this Veterans Day, help your troubled brother-or-sister-in-arms.
Be the One.
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Thursday, November 02, 2023
National Commander Visits Western New York
Photos by Lauren Petracca/The American LegionDuring his visit to western New York in October, American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer participated in ceremonies honoring the service of African American and Hispanic American veterans at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park.
In his comments to the assembled members there, Seehafer said “the whole Legion Family thanks you” for serving and continuing to serve. He recounted that more than 1 in 5 Medal of Honor recipients through U.S. history have been immigrants and spoke of the Legion’s support for immigrant veterans.
Seehafer toured the park’s structures and ships, but not before stopping at a pair of monuments to pay respects and lay wreaths.The Hispanic veterans monument features both a male and a female figure – said to be rarely combined in one design – and small inset enamel flags from the United States and the 21 Western Hemisphere countries from where most Hispanic American veterans trace their heritage.
The African American Veterans Monument was dedicated in September 2022. The design stands out from its companion memorials in the park: 12 black concrete pillars 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide, in a chronological sequence of the dates of each of the nation’s military conflicts.
Commander Seehafer also visited another historical military site – the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo – and got to sit in the cockpit of a World War II C-47 transport, cargo and paratrooper plane. “This is more than history,” Seehafer said. “…it brings real moments to life.”
During his western New York swing, Seehafer said he had a three-fold mission:
• to continue the national “Be the One” message to raise awareness about veterans’ suicide;
• to promote the Legion’s mission of serving veterans and their families;
• to learn more about the local Legion presence.
(Excerpted from reports by Laura Edwards for The American Legion and Ben Beagle of Livingston County News)
Photo by Ben Ben Beagle/Livingston County News
