The American Legion’s Department of Vermont Partners with the U.S. Army

Governor Douglas and other State Officials to Honor Veterans

Montpelier, VT, 8 May 2008—Governor Jim Douglas and Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie are among 17 recipients who will be honored with Commendations from the U.S. Army’s Freedom Team Salute program. Douglas and the others will be recognized this Friday in a special ceremony at the state house that will signal a new partnership with Vermont’s Department of American Legion and the Army to identify Army Veterans to receive the Commendations. Stephen and Marion Gray of Montpelier, VT, parents of Sergeant Jamie Gray who was killed in action in Iraq in 2004, will also receive commendations.

“The American Legion is a premier strategic partner of the Army’s Freedom Team Salute program and to date has participated with 15 American Legion Departments recognizing nearly 200,000 Army Veterans,” said Martin Conaster, National Commander of the American Legion. “Veterans have all answered the call of duty to serve and defend our nation. Over 2,500 of our members across the state are Army Veterans and we will recognize their sacrifices with a U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Commendation. The American Legion is proud to be associated with this program and to help reach out to all Army Veterans here in Vermont and across our nation to thank them for their service.”

Governor Douglas, Lieutenant Governor Dubie, and Clayton Clark, the Administrator with the Vermont Department of Veteran Affairs will be honored and will receive their U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Commendations as employers who support Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers actively serving. State representatives Richard Howrigan, Steve Adams, Leo Valliere, William Canfield, Joseph Acinapura and Joseph Krawczyk are all being honored as Veterans. Other Veterans that will be honored include Monroe Mayer, Barbara Bushaw, Milton Willis Sr., Robert Perham, and Gary Degasta, a retired U.S. Army Reservist.

Vermont’s State House

“Once a Soldier… always a Soldier and that’s why it is important we honor our Veterans and the Families and supporters of our Soldiers,” said Colonel David Griffith, Director of the Army’s Freedom Team Salute Program. “The Army is grateful for the continued support from the American Legion and for assisting us in reaching hundreds of thousands of individuals across our nation who answered the call to serve.”

The Commendation package received by all honorees contains an official certificate and personalized letter signed by the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff, lapel pins, and decals.

Freedom Team Salute is an Army program that was created in May 2005 to give the public the opportunity to thank U.S. Army Veterans for their service by recognizing them with Commendations. The program also honors and recognizes the Parents, Spouses, and Employers of Active Duty, Army Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers. Freedom Team Salute has honored 1.2 million Army Veterans, Spouses, Parents, and Employers since its launch 3 years ago.