LEGION REPORTS
Department Membership Summary
Post Membership Summary
Weekly Reports for June 27, 2024
Weekly Reports for June 20, 2024
Weekly Reports for June 6, 2024
Donald G. Murphy
With deep sorrow, we inform you of the passing of Past 8th District Commander Donald G. Murphy of Sarasota, Florida. Donald passed away on Thursday, May 30, 2024, at the age of 92. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Murphy, and is survived by his daughter, Shawn White, and son, David Murphy.
The viewing will be held on Sunday, June 9th, from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Toale Brothers Funeral Home, 40 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, FL. Interment will take place at Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Rd., Sarasota, FL 34241, on Monday, June 10th, at 2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will follow at the VFW Post 3233, 124 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237.
Donald, a Korean War Era Veteran, proudly served in the U.S. Air Force. He was a dedicated member of the American Legion for 37 continuous years and a member of Sarasota Post 30. He held various leadership positions throughout his membership, including Post Commander from 1996-1997, District Vice Commander from 1998-1999, and District Commander from 2001-2002.
Please keep Donald’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Joseph Alan Mitchell
Joseph Alan Mitchell passed away April 12th 2024.
Celebration of life will be held at Post 242 on June 22nd 2024 at 2pm.
Joe has been a member of Post 242 since 2011, and very much enjoyed time spent there.
Weekly Reports for May 30, 2024
Weekly Reports for May 23, 2024
Renton, Wash. Homeschooled Student Wins American Legion Oratoricals Earns $25K Scholarship, National Championship
HILLSDALE. Mich. (May 19, 2024) – A home-schooled high school sophomore from Renton, Wash., capped a busy weekend of competition by earning a $25,000 college scholarship and first place in The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program – “A Constitutional Speech Contest.” Aubrey Jane Moore’s winning prepared oration was titled “Why Freedom of Speech is in Danger.”
Moore started the weekend as one of 52 state or department champions in the 85th annual contest. She advanced to the championship through three rounds of intense competition. She was sponsored by American Legion Post 186 in Seattle.
Knox Andrew Boyd, a senior from Lafayette, Ind., earned a $22,500 college scholarship with a second-place finish, while David Eugene Daniel a 12th grader from Owensboro, Ky., earned $20,000 and third place in the competition. The scholarships account for a small portion of post-secondary scholarships that The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans organization, awards annually.
In her prepared oration, Moore opened with a series of statements from gun policy to immigration that can be considered controversial. “Throughout American history, all kinds of opinions, thoughts and beliefs have been voiced no matter the sentiment because whether or not you approve or hate what I say, you must support my right to say it,” she explained. “This is the power of free speech. And yet in recent years, we have seen a pushback on this fundamental right.”
In each round of the weekend competition, orators delivered a rehearsed 8- to 10-minute address and a randomly assigned 3- to 5-minute oration on a constitutional topic, each without the benefit of notes and in front of a live audience, including the judges. The nearly 1.6-million-member American Legion developed the contest to encourage young people to improve their communications skills and to study the U.S. Constitution. More than $3 million in scholarships have been awarded over the history of the contest.
Weekly Reports May 16, 2024
Robert “Porky” Verrastro
Robert “Bob” Andrew Verrastro, 71, of Boynton Beach, FL (and formerly of Wilton, CT and Stamford, CT), passed away on May 13, 2024. He was predeceased by his father Vito Verrastro and sister Maryann Verrastro. He is survived by his mother Rose Verrastro, sister Donna Gallo, wife Barbara Verrastro, son Alan Verrastro and his wife Suzanne and their children (Chevy, Corbin, and Cruze), son Scott Verrastro, and daughter Krista Verrastro.
Bob was a member of the Patriot Guard Riders and the Sons of American Legion as well as a parishioner of St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach. He loved nature, hiking, walking on the beach, kayaking, spelunking, motorcycles, traveling, having adventures, lending a hand to both those he loved and those he didn’t know who were in need, and watching Leave It to Beaver morning reruns. He was a good example of “dad humor”, was the kind of guy who had many childhood friends ’til the day he died, and the kind of guy who continued to do taxes for his loved ones long after he retired from being a professional accountant.
Friends may call on Friday, May 17, 2024 from 4:00PM to 6:00PM at the Lorne & Sons Funeral Home, 745 NE 6th Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33483. A funeral Mass and burial will be held in Connecticut.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to VetsVille, which was a place very important to Bob. Click here to make a contribution to VetsVille.
Richard Boss
We regret to inform you, Richard Boss, former commander of Post 64 in Okeechobee, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024. We do not have any further details at this time.
Verna Y. Joyce
With deep sorrow, we inform you of the passing of Past Western Area Commander Verna Y. Joyce of Navarre, Florida. Verna passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the age of 79. Verna was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Jesse Edwin Joyce. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Roberts, son James Joyce; two grandchildren, Stephanie Swisher and Samual Joyce; and three great-grandchildren, Jessamyn, Jackson, and June Swisher.
Verna will be laid to rest alongside Jesse at Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be announced. Any updates regarding arrangements will be communicated via email and posted on the Department’s website.
Verna, a Vietnam War Era Veteran, proudly served in the U.S. Army for 14 years. She also served as a dedicated member of the American Legion for 18 continuous years and was a member of Milton Post 78. She held various leadership positions throughout her membership, including Post Commander from 2009-2011, District Commander from 2012-2013, and Western Area Commander from 2013-2015. On a National level, Verna served on the Conventional Armed Forces Committee from 2013-2019.
If you wish to extend your condolences, you may do so through her daughter, Lisa Roberts, at 517 SW South Carolina Drive, Stuart, FL 34994.
Please keep Verna’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
The American Legion Announces Recipients of 4th Estate Journalism Awards
INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2024) – A Minneapolis television station and a Kentucky newspaper will receive American Legion Fourth Estate Awards during the 105th National Convention of the nation’s largest veterans organization in New Orleans on August 29.
The Fourth Estate Award has been presented annually by The American Legion since 1958 for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism. Nominations in 2024 were considered in broadcast and print categories. They were selected by the organization’s Media & Communications Commission during its meeting in Indianapolis last week.
Taking top honor in the broadcast category is KARE. In its series, “Broken Promises,” the NBC affiliate examined the high rate of denials veterans received when applying for benefits after examinations from one particular neurologist at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisc. Investigative reporter A.J. Lagoe exposed a system in which 649 claims denied by Dr. Mary Jo Lanska were later reversed. Some of the claims included veterans diagnosed with serious illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. The denials led to an apology to the veterans by Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis McDonough. Lanska was also removed as an examiner. KARE and Lagoe were previously recognized with a Fourth Estate Award in 2018.
The Courier Journal of Louisville, Ky. is being recognized for its 2023 series “Safer Sidelines, which explored the many ways high schools, athletic associations and lawmakers have failed to prepare for worst-case scenarios of sudden deaths on athletic fields. Lead reporter Stephanie Kuzydym built a searchable “deadly games” database, which includes more than 100 years of such incidents.
“I am looking forward to presenting KARE and the Courier Journal with their well-deserved Fourth Estate Awards,’ said Daniel J. Seehafer, national commander of The American Legion. “The American Legion is extremely appreciative of the importance of a free and independent media. As veterans, we defended the freedoms guaranteed by our nation’s Constitution. Our Fourth Estate winners represent the best in their field. These award winners are being recognized for outstanding works of journalism that not only stand far above normal media reporting but have had a positive impact on society.”
Previous winners of the award include CNN, CBS, USA Today, ABC News, C-SPAN, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Life Magazine, among others.
Weekly Reports May 9, 2024
Phil Reynolds
Commander 242 Phil Reynolds passed.
Burial May 25,2024 Cape Canaveral National Cemetery at 10:00 am Celebration of Life at 2:00 pm American Legion Post 242 East Colonial Dr., East Orlando
For information contact:
Dr. Telka difate
President American Legion Auxiliary 242
Weekly Reports May 2, 2024
Weekly Reports April 25, 2024
Raymond “Chuck” Olsen
With deep sorrow, we inform you of the passing of Department National Security Chair Raymond “Chuck” Olsen of Gulf Breeze, Florida. Chuck passed away on Friday, April 19, 2024, at the age of 65. He is survived by his longtime partner, Missi Dyess, and his sons, Brian and Sean Olsen.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Post 382, located at 1850 Luneta St., Navarre, FL 32566. The exact time will be determined later. Any updates on the arrangements will be shared via email and on the Department’s website.
Chuck was a U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Panama-Lebanon-Grenada War Era and was a member of Navarre Post 382. Over 17 continuous years with the American Legion, he held numerous leadership positions, including Post Commander from 2011-2013 and 2014-2017, Post Judge Advocate from 2022-2024, 1st District Vice Commander from 2014-2016, 1st District Commander from 2016-2018, Department Americanism Chair from 2018-2019, Western Area Commander from 2018-2019, and Department National Security Chair since 2022. On a National level, Chuck served on the National Legislative Council from 2016-2021 and the National Security Council from 2017-2024.
Condolences can be sent to the Olsen Family C/O Post 382, at 1850 Luneta St., Navarre, FL 32566.
A funeral service and Post Everlasting Ceremony honoring Chuck Olsen will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Post 382, located at 1850 Luneta St., Navarre, FL 32566
Please keep Chuck’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.