The History Of Your Father's Service
Thank you so much for sharing the history of your father’s service and involvement with his community and The American Legion. As I work for the national organization, I am including the Department Commander and the Department Adjutant on my reply to you, as I am sure they will enjoy hearing your story as well.
Semper Fi,
Timothy Lankford
Assistant Director - Education, Americanism Division
Phone 317.630.1209 :: Fax 317.630.1369
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Message sent from LINDA WELD at linda.ncountry@gci.net
My dad, Robert Clayton Wysong, died recently. He was from Marion, Indiana. When he was a boy in Marion, at least 75 years ago, he was singled out by the American Legion there, and awarded their leadership medal.
I live in rural Alaska, in an even smaller community than Marion.
And, sometimes we who live in small towns and settlements wonder if our communities can possibly recognize and foster excellence. I can tell you that we can.
But, how do we know?
It's hard to follow through: Will a simple award or recognition given today, in 2015, to a young person in Marion or any other little town, help that child follow through into life?
The people who gave my Dad the award way back in time were veterans of World War I. They are long-dead now themselves.
They will never know that they found, predicted and fostered stunning success in one of their own.
When my father left Marion, and went into the U.S. Army, and became a diplomat overseas, serving our country -- and learned multiple foreign languages -- they never knew it.
They didn't know that the big copper-colored medal they gave him steadied him through the years of the war, and really did help give him the courage to succeed. Or that one reason he did do so well was not just his natural and considerable abilities. It was because the people of Marion nourished and believed in him.
Those legionnaires from 75 years ago are now gone -- as is my father, who was young then, and lived to be 92. But the children and grandchildren of those generous-spirited American Legionnaires live on in the Marion community,
I believe it is important for you to know that -- yes, you can literally help an ambitious young person in your town by encouraging them. Not just through the American Legion, but in many other organizations and in many other ways.
Thank you,
Linda (Wysong) Weld
Gakona, Alaska
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