AMERICAN LEGION
POST # 155 WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF TWO CRYSTAL RIVER,
FLORIDA
SERVICEMEN OF WORLD WAR II.
CHARLES SIDNEY BLANTON &
R.R (BUDDY) THOMPSON
CHARLES SIDNEY BLANTON
FIRST SERGEANT
6TH DEFENSE
BATTALION
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
First Sergeant Blanton was killed in action on Okinawa, June 24th
(no year available)
First Sergeant Blanton, born, raised
and graduated from high school in Crystal River, Florida in
1933.
He enlisted in the Marines August 1933, going through
boot camp at Paris Island, South Carolina.
He served seven
years with the Pacific Fleet aboard the U.S.S. West
Virginia.
He survived the Japanese surprise attack on
Midway Island, December 7, 1943.
He returned stateside for
more schooling in Artillery training, then to 1st Sergeant School
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Returning to the Pacific
area, He was engaged in all
major campaigns until his
death.
R.R (BUDDY) THOMPSON
AIR CADET
MAXWELL FIELD,
ALABAMA
Air Cadet Thompson was a 21 year old Crystal River native killed
on his second solo flight at Avon Park
Airbase. R.R (Buddy)
Thompson the sixth Citrus County Service Man to be killed in
the
Armed Forces after Pearl Harbor Day. The crash site was
12 miles from the airfield.
The cause of the accident was
not determined. "Buddy" volunteered for the Army Air Corps and
was
assigned to Maxwell Field, Alabama for flight training.
He was last seen in Citrus County on Monday
June 28th, (no year
available) on a visit to his father Roy Thompson, Crystal River City
Clerk.
His second visit was to be the day, his father learned of
his death.
Mr. Thompson was buried in Crystal River
Cemetery.
No other information is available.
American
Legion History
The American Legion was chartered by Congress
in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization.
A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million
members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts
worldwide. These posts are organized into 55 departments -- one each
for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France,
Mexico, and the Philippines.
The American Legion's national headquarters is in
Indianapolis,Indiana, with additional offices in Washington, DC. In
addition to thousands of volunteers serving in leadership and
program implementation capacities in local communities to the
Legion's standing national commissions and committees, the national
organization has a regular full-time staff of about 300
employees.
Preamble to the Constitution of The American
Legion
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES
TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United
States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and
perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the
memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to
inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state
and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the
masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and
goodwill on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the
principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and
sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.
Over the years, The American Legion has supported many causes
directed at disadvantaged children, including theSpecial Olympics.
In 1979 Eunice Kennedy Shriver presented a Special Olympics banner
to The American Legion.
Significant Dates in American Legion History
1919 to 1931
March 15-17, 1919
The American
Legion is founded in Paris at the first caucus by members of the
American Expeditionary Force.
May 9, 1919
Caucus meeting in
St. Louis adopts "The American Legion" as the organization's
official name. The Legion's draft constitution is approved, and so
is its preamble, which begins: "For God and Country, we associate
ourselves together. . ." The preamble, with its heartfelt dedication
to freedom and democracy, is still recited today at official
gatherings of The American Legion.
June 9, 1919
The National
Executive Committee of The American Legion adopts the Legion Emblem.
Sept. 16, 1919
The U.S. Congress
charters The American Legion.
Nov. 10-12, 1919
The
American Legion convenes its first annual convention in Minneapolis.
Nov. 10-12, 1919
The American
Legion's Constitution and Preamble are adopted at the convention in
Minneapolis.
Nov. 10-12, 1919
The American
Legion passes resolution supporting the Boy Scouts of America.
Today, the Legion is the chartering agency for more than 1,700
Scouting units that involve 64,000 youths.
Nov. 11, 1919
Delegates to The
American Legion's first annual convention in Minneapolis vote
361-323 to locate the Legion's National Headquarters in
Indianapolis, Ind., rather than Washington, D.C.
Aug. 9, 1921
The U.S. Veterans
Bureau, forerunner of the Veterans Administration, is created as a
result of efforts by The American Legion. Today, the Legion
continues to lobby for adequate funding of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
June 15, 1923
The first "Flag
Code" is drafted during a conference called by The American Legion
in Washington, D.C. The code eventually was adopted by Congress in
1942. Today, the Legion is at the forefront of efforts to gain a
constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from physical
desecration.
July 17, 1925
American Legion
Baseball program is created. Today, more than 60 percent of
professional baseball players are graduates of The American Legion
Baseball program. About 89,000 high-school-age youths play on
Legion-sponsored teams each year.
1931
Membership in The American
Legion increases to more than one million veterans.
1935 to 1954
June 23, 1935
The first American
Legion Boys State is convened in Springfield, Ill., to help youths
gain an understanding of the structure and operation of American
government. The first Boys Nation was organized in 1946.
June 1, 1938
The final round of
The American Legion's first annual National High School Oratorical
Contest is held in Norman, Okla. Today, more than 25,000 high school
students from around the country compete annually in the contest
designed to develop a greater understanding of the U.S.
Constitution. Winners are awarded thousands of dollars in college
scholarships.
Sept. 19-21, 1942
The Preamble
to the Constitution of The American Legion is changed for the first
and only time since its creation in 1919 -- the word "War" is
changed to "Wars."
Oct. 29, 1942
The American
Legion's charter is amended to allow veterans of World War II to
join the organization.
Dec. 15, 1943
Harry W. Colmery,
past national commander of The American Legion, writes in longhand
on hotel stationery the first draft of what will later become the
"GI Bill of Rights," the Legion's greatest single legislative
achievement. Today, the Legion is at the forefront of efforts to
improve benefits for this nation's newest veterans, those who've
served during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and are serving today in a
variety of peacekeeping roles.
June 22, 1944
The GI Bill is
signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.
May 29, 1946
A $50,000 grant
from The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary is
presented to a small, struggling organization, the American Heart
Association, to inaugurate a nationwide program for the study,
prevention and treatment of rheumatic heart disease.
Aug. 28, 1946
Legion membership
surpasses three million.
Sept. 1, 1949
The first World
War II veteran is elected national commander of The American Legion.
May 4, 1950
The American Legion
votes to contribute funds to the field of mental health with the
provision that the three major mental health organizations then in
existence be amalgamated into one. They accepted this provision, and
the National Association for Mental Health was born.
Dec. 28, 1950
Korean War
veterans are approved for membership in the Legion.
July 9, 1954
The American Legion
Child Welfare Foundation is formed. Since that time, the foundation
has awarded $4 million to youth-oriented organizations and projects
designed to help America's children.
1966 to 1990
Sept. 1, 1966
Vietnam War
veterans are approved for membership in the Legion.
Sept. 1, 1966
The American
Legion voices great concern over the fate of POWs in Vietnam. Today,
the Legion continues to press for a full accounting of POW/MIAs and
has formed a special group from among the nation's major veterans
organizations to take the lead on this issue.
May 1, 1972
The American Legion
implements the Halloween safety program for children. Today, it
remains the only national program of its kind.
Aug. 26, 1982
The American
Legion presents a $1 million check to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Fund toward the construction of "The Wall" in Washington, D.C. The
Legion, which had solicited donations from its members, eventually
became the largest single contributor to the project.
Aug. 25, 1983
The first Korean
War veteran is elected national commander of The American Legion.
July 21, 1983
The American
Legion announces its sponsorship of an independent study on the
effects of exposure to Agent Orange on Vietnam veterans. The results
of "The American Legion-Columbia University Study of Vietnam-era
Veterans" were presented to Congress in 1989.
Sept. 8, 1988
The first national
commander of The American Legion to have been a Vietnam War veteran
is elected.
Jan. 1, 1989
The new Department
of Veterans Affairs, elevated to cabinet- level status, begins
operations. The American Legion had fought hard for the Veterans
Administration to become a cabinet-level department, arguing that
veterans -- as an important segment of society -- deserved
representation in the highest councils of government.
Oct. 16, 1989
The longstanding
objectives of The American Legion to improve adjudication procedures
for veterans' claims are achieved as the U.S. Court of Veterans
Appeals begins operations. Most of the provisions contained in the
law creating the court originally were included in the Veterans
Reassurance Act, which was written by the Legion and introduced in
Congress in 1988.
Aug. 2, 1990
The American Legion
files suit against the federal government for failure to conduct a
study, mandated by Congress, of the effects of Agent Orange on the
health of Vietnam veterans.
Oct. 11, 1990
The "Family
Support Network" is formed by The American Legion to assist the
families of military personnel deployed during Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm in the Middle East. The Network stepped in to
help in a myriad of ways, from offering financial assistance to
mowing lawns to baby- sitting, or simply providing a sympathetic
ear. Today, the Legion's Family Support Network continues in
existence to assist America's newest veterans, particularly with
employment, as they return to civilian life.
Oct. 30, 1990
Veterans of
Lebanon, Grenada and Panama hostilities are approved for membership
in the Legion.
1991 to 1995
June 15, 1991
The American
Legion's first annual Junior Shooting Sports National Air Rifle
Championships are conducted at the Olympic Training Center at
Colorado Springs, Colo. Each year, more than 600 high school
students enter the contest, which is designed to teach gun safety
and marksmanship.
Dec. 3, 1991
Veterans of Desert
Shield/Desert Storm are approved for membership in The American
Legion. Today, the Legion continues to press for improved
educational and medical benefits for Gulf War veterans.
April 5, 1993
The first class of
recently discharged veterans begins training in Sterling, Va., for
eventual placement in well-paying jobs in the construction industry.
The landmark training and job-placement program is a joint effort by
The American Legion and the Laborers' International Union of North
America to assist veterans returning to an uncertain job market.
Aug. 24, 1994
The American
Legion announces creation of the Citizens Flag Alliance, a coalition
of organizations and individual citizens, to work for a
constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from physical
desecration.
Sept. 24, 1994
The American
Legion announces partnership with the Air and Space Museum to
develop an exhibit for the bomber Enola Gay, which dropped an atomic
bomb on Hiroshima. Previous museum plans had drawn intense criticism
from veterans, scholars and the public.
Jan. 30, 1995
The American
Legion announces Legion's acceptance of a scaled-down exhibit
"without political commentary" for the Enola Gay, ending the
greatest controversy in the Smithsonian Institute's 149-year
history.
March 21, 1995
Senators Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) and Howell Heflin (D-AL) introduce Senate Joint
Resolution 31, calling for an amendment to the US Constitution to
protect the American flag from physical desecration; Representatives
Gerald Soloman (R-NY) and G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery (D-MS) introduce
a similar bill, House Joint Resolution 79, in their chamber.
June 28, 1995
HJR 79 clears
House 312-120; 290 votes were needed for the two-thirds majority
required for passage of a constitutional amendment.
July 20, 1995
SJR 31 passes
Senate Judiciary Committee in a 12-6 vote.
Oct. 1, 1995
The American Legion
forms its Persian Gulf Task Force to enhance TAL's service to
America's newest generation of wartime veterans, thousands of whom
suffer from illnesses linked to their service in the region.
Dec. 12, 1995
Senate rejects SJR
31 by a vote of 63-36, three votes short of required two-thirds; The
American Legion pledges to continue the fight for the amendment.
1996 to 2001
Feb. 13, 1996
Reps. Gerald
Solomon (R-NY) and William Lipinski (D-IL) introduce HJR 54, a
flag-protection constitutional amendment.
Sept. 16, 1996
The American
Legion awards a $20,000 postsecondary scholarship to each of the 10
inaugural Samsung American Legion high school scholars.
June 11, 1997
The American
Legion National Emergency Fund surpasses the $1 million mark in cash
grants given in 1997 to flood victims who belonged to The American
Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of The American
Legion. Most of the grant recipients reside in the Ohio River flood
plains of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana as well as in Red River flooded
areas of Minnesota and North Dakota.
June 12, 1997
US House passes
HJR 54, a flag-protection constitutional amendment, by a vote of
310-114.
Sept. 3, 1997
The American
Legion presents its first ever National Law Enforcement Officer of
the Year award to Cpl. William T. Rhodes of Huntington, Pa., during
its 79th National Convention in Orlando, Fla.
Sept. 23, 1997
National
Commander Anthony G. Jordan testifies before members of the US House
and US Senate Veterans Affairs Committees. US Rep. Robert Stump
(R-AZ) promises congressional hearings would be held on the GI Bill
of Health, TAL's plan to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs
health care system.
Feb. 4, 1998
Senators Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) and Max Cleland (D-GA) introduce S.J. Res. 40. The
amendment has 61 co-sponsors to date.
Oct. 7, 1998
Sen. Majority
Leader Trent Lott brings SJR 40 to the floor of the U.S. Senate
asking for unanimous consent to proceed to debate and vote. Sens.
Robert Kerrey (D-NE) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) objected to
consideration of the resolution, citing lack of time to sufficiently
debate the amendment. With that the measure was lost in the 105th
Congress.
Feb. 24, 1999
Reps. Randy "Duke"
Cunningham (R-CA) and John Murtha (D-PA) introduce H.J. Res. 33, a
constitutional amendment which would return to the American people
the right to protect their flag. Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY), who
replaced retired Congressman Gerald Solomon, is also leading the co-
sponsor drive by shoring up support among newly elected members of
Congress.
Mar. 17, 1999
Senators Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) and Max Cleland (D-GA)introduce S.J. Res. 14. The
amendment has 54 cosponsors. In all sixty-four Senators have pledged
their support of the amendment.
June 24, 1999
The U.S. House of
Representatives, by an overwhelming majority, passes H.J. Res. 33 by
a 305-124 margin, 15 votes more than was needed for the two-thirds
majority required for passage of a constitutional amendment.
March 29, 2000
Senate Joint
Resolution 14, the Flag Protection Constitutional Amendment, falling
four short of the necessary 67 votes, is lost 63-37 in the United
States Senate. Once again a clear, but insufficient, majority
supported it. Once again, a small number of US Senators made it
clear they place no trust in the American people and have a mere
spoken regard for the importance the people place on the Flag of the
United States.
For the remainder of the year, the Citizens
Flag Alliance focuses in two broad areas: recognizing supporters in
the 106th Congress and determining the position of every candidate
seeking a seat in the 107th. Three hundred sixty-eight members of
Congress (305 Representatives and 63 Senators) receive a formal,
personal thank-you and a small memento from the CFA groups in their
state. More than 1,000 candidates for federal office are queried on
their support for a flag protection amendment. When election returns
are finalized, more than 300 Representatives and 60 Senators are
seated and on the record as flag amendment supporters.
March 2001
The CFA produces
another in a continuing line of video pieces that depict the
importance of the flag and call to action, during the 107th
Congress, the 141 Organizations that make up the Citizens Flag
Alliance.
March 13, 2001
A press
conference is called in Washington, DC, to announce the introduction
of the flag protection amendment in both chambers of the 107th
Congress. Senators Max Cleland (D-GA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) become
the Chief Cosponsors in the US Senate, while Representatives Randy
"Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) and John Murtha (D-PA) champion the cause
in the US House of Representatives. The House resolution, HJR 36,
enjoys official cosponsorship from more than 100 members. In the
Senate, SJR 7 counts 40 official cosponsors. Efforts toward a
cosponsor drive in both chambers continue.
2002 to Present
January 10, 2002
Vermont
lawmakers pass a resolution calling on for the protection of the
U.S. Flag from desecration. It becomes the 50th state to pass such a
resolution.
November 2002
The American Legion launches national “I
Am Not A Number” campaign to identify and document the delays
veterans face in obtaining earned medical care benefits from the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
April 2003
The American Legion
turns up the effort to eliminate the Disabled Veterans Tax, known as
‘concurrent receipt’ in political circles. As the last quarter of
the year begins lawmakers continue to search for a solution as they
feel the pressure from their constituents.
August 2005
Delegates at the
87th National Convention unanimously voice their support for the War
on Terrorism by passing Resolution 169.
