by larryw | Sep 18, 2021 | Recognitions
You Are Not Forgotten – that’s the central phrase behind the POW/MIA remembrance movement which honors America’s prisoners of war, those who are still missing in action and their families. Many of our service members suffered as prisoners of war during several decades of varying conflicts. While some of them made it home, tens of thousands more never did.
POW/MIA Recognition Day is commemorated on the third Friday of every September, a date that is not associated with any particular war. In 1979, Congress and the president passed resolutions making it official after the families of the more than 2,500 Vietnam War POW/MIAs pushed for full accountability.
The point of POW/MIA Recognition Day is to ensure that American remembers to stand behind those who serve and to make sure we do everything we can to account for those who have never returned
To comprehend the importance of this movement, all one needs to do is look at the sheer number of Americans who have been listed as POW/MIAs.
Prisoners of War:
- 130,201 World War II service members were imprisoned; 14,072 them died
- 7,140 Korean War service members were imprisoned; 2,701 of them died
- 725 Vietnam War service members were imprisoned; 64 of them died
- 37 service members were imprisoned during conflicts since 1991, including both Gulf wars; none are still in captivity
Missing in Action (83,114):
- 73,515 from World War II
- 7,841 from the Korean War
- 1,626 from Vietnam
- 126 from the Cold War
- 6 from conflicts since 1991
About 75 percent of those missing Americans are somewhere in the Asia-Pacific. More than 41,000 have been presumed lost at sea. Efforts to find those men, identify them, and bring them home are constant.
by larryw | Sep 17, 2021 | Recognitions
On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution. For the past 225 years, the Constitution has served as the supreme law of the land. The Constitution, along with the Bill of Rights and other amendments, define our government and guarantee our rights.
Each year, on September 17, Americans celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. In addition, September 17-23 is also recognized as Constitution Week. During this time, Americans are encouraged to reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and what it means to be a U.S. citizen.
by larryw | Aug 19, 2021 | Boys and Girls State, Press Release, Recognitions
American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178 2021 Texas Boys Statesmen Accepting Frisco City Council Proclamation. Photo by Jeanie Beal.
The 2021 Post 178 Texas Boy Statesmen were honored at the Frisco City Council meeting on August 17, 2021. Larry Wilhelm, the Program Committee Chairman, presented the seventeen statesmen to Mayor Jeff Chaney and council members. Mayor Cheney proclaimed the day as “Frisco Boys Statesmen Day”. He further recognized the vital role high school principals, counselors, and teachers play in the nomination process of prospective delegates.
The group of seventeen incoming seniors who attended the 2021 Texas Boys State virtual program from June 27 through July 2, 2021, received a proclamation. Thomas Davies, who attended a week-long program in Washington, D.C., received an individual proclamation for being selected a Boys Nation Senator.
The American Legion Boys State program began 85 years ago and is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instructions for high school students. It is a participatory program where each delegate becomes part of the process of his local, county, and state government. The American Legion Boys Nation is a weeklong educational program held in Washington, D.C. on the structure and function of federal government.
Since June 2014, including the 2021 selected young men, Post 178 has sponsored 141 Texas Boys State delegates. The highly competitive Texas Boys State and Boys Nation programs support mentoring youth, which is one of the Four Pillars of The American Legion.
by larryw | Aug 17, 2021 | American Legion Post 178, Boys and Girls State, Recognitions
2021 Post 178 Boys State Statesmen and parents honored at the Post 178 August Membership Meeting. Photo by Jeanie Beal.
The 2021 Texas Boy State Statesmen were honored at the Post 178 August membership meeting. Larry Wilhelm, the Program Committee Chairman, said, “We had a very strong group of nineteen young men from Frisco ISD and private high schools complete the program this year. High school principals, counselors, and teachers played a key role in nominating these young men from each of their respective schools.”
Seventeen high school juniors who attended the 2021 Texas Boys State virtual program from June 27 through July 2, 2021, were recognized. Each received a Certificate of Recognition from U. S. Congressman Taylor or Burgess. Thomas Davies, who was also selected a Boys Nation Senator and attended a week-long program in Washington, D.C., received certificates from both U. S. Senators Cruz and Cornyn.
The American Legion Boys State, an 85 years-old program, is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instructions for high school students. It is a participatory program where each delegate became part of the process of his local, county, and state government. The American Legion Boys Nation is a weeklong educational program held in Washington, D.C. on the structure and function of federal government.
Since June 2014, including the 2021 selected young men, Post 178 has sponsored 141 Texas Boys State delegates. The highly competitive Texas Boys State and Boys Nation programs support mentoring youth, which is one of the Four Pillars of The American Legion.
by larryw | Aug 4, 2021 | Boys and Girls State, Press Release, Recognitions
Thomas Davies, a 2021 Boys Nation Senator, attended the event in Washington, D. C.
Thomas Davies, an incoming senior at Wakeland High School, was recently selected, along with eighteen other delegates from Frisco ISD high schools and private schools, by American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178 to attend Texas Boys State. All actively participated virtually and completed the week-long educational program of local and state government instruction to graduate as Texas Boys Statesmen.
Thomas was also selected as a senator from more than six hundred Texas Boys State delegates to attend the 2021 American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C. He was one of one hundred Boys Nation senators selected from more than 20,000 Boys State Statesmen from across the nation.
In Washington, Senators received an education on the structure and function of federal government, introduced legislation, organized party platforms and conventions, and participated in the election of officers. Senators were exposed to the proper method of handling bills according to U.S. Senate rules. The week of government training combined lectures and forums with visits to federal agencies, institutions, memorials, and historical spots in and around Washington. During a visit to Capitol Hill, Boys Nation Senators also met with elected officials from their home states.
by larryw | Jul 27, 2021 | American Legion Post 178, Recognitions
Presidential Proclamation 2019:
“In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement ended more than 3 years of brutal fighting against communist expansionism and tyranny on the Korean Peninsula. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we honor the brave patriots who secured freedom and democracy in the Republic of Korea, and we pay tribute to the more than 23,600 Americans who were killed in action and the more than 103,000 who were wounded in that conflict.
“The dedication stone at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., bears the inscription: ‘Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.’ The memorial includes an honor roll of Americans killed in action and those missing in action, and its unique design features statues of a patrol crossing a Korean rice paddy. These figures represent the heroes of our Armed Forces who valiantly served in the Land of the Morning Calm and fought on battlefields such as Inchon, the Pusan Perimeter, and the Chosin Reservoir. Today, this hauntingly beautiful memorial stands as an enduring reminder of what it costs to defend and preserve the democratic principles, we hold dear.”
