American Legion members elected to state positions

Several members of the local American Legion post are stepping up to take on state-wide roles for the first time in the history of Green River’s involvement with the Wyoming American Legion. 

At the end of June, American Legion Tom Whitmore Post 28 in Green River hosted the 103rd American Legion Department of Wyoming State Convention and the 101st American Legion Auxiliary Department of Wyoming Convention. 

This is the first time Green River has hosted these events since the forming of the American Legion in 1919 and the Auxiliary. 

In another series of firsts for Green River, several post members were elected to state-wide department positions for the American Legion. 

These elections include Shane and Tammy Harris, a husband and wife duo who have been actively involved with Post 28 since it opened in its current location about eight years ago.

Tammy was elected Department of Wyoming President of the Department of Wyoming Auxiliary, while Shane, the current Commander of Tom Whitmore Post 28, was elected Director of the Wyoming American Legion Riders of the United States (WALRUS).

“It’s a little daunting but a lot exciting,” Tammy said of her new position. 

Tammy is part of the American Legion Auxiliary, which is made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, spouses, and granddaughters of legionnaires. Auxiliary members work with and support the Legion through various programs and activities. Tammy was eligible for membership both through her husband Shane and her grandfather who fought in World War II.

“I have served in different roles in different committees at the department level and decided a couple of years ago that I wanted to run for department office,” Tammy explained. “Two years later, here I am.”

Tammy is currently the treasurer of the local unit, and some of the programs she has been involved with include projects providing things like cookies and quilts to the Veterans Administrations (VAs) in Sheridan and Cheyenne, teaching programs on Americanism, and being involved in the legislative process regarding bills that impact veterans and their families.

In her new position as president, Tammy will have a lot of traveling to do. She will be visiting American Legion units around the state, helping with their activities, and offering support and encouragement.

“It’s really, really cool to go to the different units and see the way they work their programs, the way they support their veterans, the way they support their community,” Tammy said. “I’m really excited to get to go around and meet people to see how they’re doing their programs.”

One of her main goals as president is to increase Wyoming’s membership. The state currently has 2,400 to 2,500 members, according to Tammy, which makes it a relatively small department. She hopes by the end of the year to not only see more members but be able to show the national organization all the great things Wyoming’s units are doing.

Tammy’s husband Shane is also looking to bring in more members and participation in his newly elected position as the state-wide WALRUS director.

WALRUS acts as an “executive branch” connecting Legion riders, Shane explained, adding the riders are not a motorcycle club, but are a riding club directly connected to and supporting the Legion in their programs and activities.

“The riders have a huge face in the community,” Shane said.

As director, Shane will be in touch with the 14 American Legion posts with rider groups throughout Wyoming, helping with their rides and fundraisers and organizing a state-wide ride for all the units.

Many of the Legion’s rides are only a few hours, but some can be overnight trips. Shane’s goal for the state-wide ride is to organize it so riders don’t have to go to every post but instead choose five different posts around the state to visit.

One of Shane’s main motivations in running for the position was because he’s noticed a decrease in involvement through the state, and he hopes to encourage posts individually and collectively in order to get back to a place where everyone is participating.

Shane’s goal, and what he’s looking forward to, is “getting the involvement back, getting us back to everybody communicating and everybody participating, and making events big again.”

In their new positions, both Shane and Tammy hope to continue supporting Tom Whitmore Post 28 and other posts around the state in order to help the American Legion members continue their goal of serving veterans, active duty military, their families, and the community.

Tammy explained the American Legion participates in community events in order to share information about what the Legion has to offer and help point those who need help in the right direction.

“Sometimes veterans don’t always know what’s out there for them,” Tammy said. “So it’s nice to be out in the community to give them a little bit of information.”

In addition to Shane and Tammy, other Post 28 members who were elected to state-wide positions include Michael Hobbs who was elected as the Department of Wyoming Commander leading the State of Wyoming American Legion, Greg Bushman who was elected Junior Vice of the Sons of American Legion Detachment of Wyoming and Summer Havens who was elected Vice Director of WALRUS.

 

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