August 2007 Greetings from Marty Conatser the Leading Candidate for National Commander of the American Legion and TEAM ILLINOIS This reporter recently had a conversation with Martin "Marty" Conatser the leading candidate for National Commander of the American Legion. On August 30, Marty will stand for election as National Commander in Reno, NV. We discussed the campaign, travel, goals, programs and his family as he prepares to wind down a seven year quest. Chuck Zelinsky: When you joined the American Legion Did you ever think you would be a candidate for National Commander? Marty Conatser: No, think about the possibility of a person from Deland, Illinois who graduated from a class of 32, went into the military. I got my college education, and I am still the man who came out of a little town situation with a post of 105 members and rising to become the elected head of 2.6 million members of the American Legion. CZ: Will being National Commander be different than being a State Commander? MC: As National Commander I will be a spokesman for the American Legion and our programs as I travel. As National Commander I will be able to tell the public just how good the Legion is. CZ: How Much traveling have you done? MC: Well to date I have visited 44 states. You think you know about the Legion, but as you visit other Departments you realize what a strong organization the Legion Family is. I am so much better prepared by traveling as I did for the past two years. CZ: How much will the campaign cost? MC: As you go into the campaign process, you have to raise your own money. There is no funding line for this. As I started to travel, they told me it would be about $185,000. With the increase in fuel and airline tickets the actual cost will probably be around $210,000. CZ: How do you manage to raise that amount? MC: We have a support group called TEAM ILLINOIS that is made up of the Legion family. They helped organize events and raise funds from all over the state. Then Legion organizations in other states also helped. CZ: What appointments will the National Commander be able to make? Can you tell us who you will be appointing? MC: The National Commander can appoint his Personal Aide and the National Sargent-at-Arms. If I am elected William "Bill" Flanagan from the 5th Division (New Baden) will be my Aide. Denver Phelps from the 4th Division (Ogden) will wear the red hat of National Sargent -at -Arms. CZ: What is the schedule like for the National Commander? MC: As National Commander I will visit every state in the nation. Plus two Major Foreign trips. I am going to try to get a trip in to Iraq. We have active duty soldiers there and the commander of the largest veterans organization in the world should be there too. Most National Commanders get to sleep in their own beds between 16 and 30 days the year they are commander. It is a major commitment. CZ: What goals have you set for yourself? MC: Probably the biggest goal for the National Organization is Veterans Administration funding and taking care of our troops. That means funding them, equipping them and then taking care of their needs when they return home. Traumatic Brain Injuries is a concern and trying to identify this new injury and who might have it is a concern to the American Legion. Those are some goals of the organization at this time. My personal goals is to reach out to every veteran and make them understand they have a friend in the American Legion. The Legion isn’t just a building where you go it is an organization that is working for veterans and their benefits. CZ: Anything you would like to add? MC: There are so many people that step up to make the campaign happen. I need to offer a special thank you to Past National Commander John Geiger for guiding me through the process these past years. Of course I need to thank my family. This was a family decision and I am fortunate to have their support. As many of you know my mother-in-law Irene Lofton is a past Department Auxiliary President, my father-in-law Clay Lofton is a past Department Commander. My wife Sharon is also a Past Department Auxiliary President. Our sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren are also active. Without their support this would not have happened. I need to thank the members of TEAM ILLINOIS. Any support we needed from hosting hospitality rooms to raising funds, organizing events, you name it and they were there. I am proud of the way the Legion Family members from Illinois stepped up to support the campaign. It took a great deal of money to support this effort. The "family" here in Illinois really came through. Thank you. Of course, when you start thanking people there always is a chance to miss someone, so I will simply say "Thank you, Everyone". CZ: How do you feel right now? MC: Scared and excited. But I am ready to take on the challenge. CZ: Marty, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be part of the campaign. I know you will represent the Department of Illinois well as National Commander. Good Luck from us all. MC: Thank You. Submitted By Chuck Zelinsky TEAM ILLINOIS The above is a report on the activities of Marty Conatser and "TEAM ILLINOIS". It also appears in the August 2007 issue of the Department News newsletter.