- Adam Harr- Post 635, District 1
- Trenton McCann- Post 633, District 7
- Cody Carr- Post 217, District 2
- Melanie Clark- Post 196, District 13
- Lydia Ackerman- Post 405, District 5
- Siara Eggleton- Post 25, District 7
- Benjamin Saunders- Post 373, District 1
- Will Clouse- Post 354, District 5
- James Kelley- Post 681, District 4
- Brianna Fitzgerald- Post 493, District 2
- Sophie Lin- Post 614, District 12
- Mia Hilkowitz- Post 681, District 4
- Thomas Sibert- Post 217, District 2
- Garret Ault- Post 357, District 10
- Jeremy Reynolds- Post 287, District 1
- Caitlyn Hopple- Post 357, District 10
- Ellyana Zeller- Post 441, District 1
- Athena Souder- Post 354, District 5
The American Legion trip is not like the typical 8th-grade trip most Ohio teens experience. We have a smaller group of students and focus on history, Americanism, and respect for the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom.
Day 1 of the A&G Trip is in the books, and we are WHOOPED! The Gettysburg Cyclorama was so amazing to see, and the battlefield never disappoints. There is so much history to learn, and of course… you can’t have too much Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg. The young leaders have just made it to their home away from home so they can rest and recharge for tomorrow.
Good Morning Legionnaires, ladies, and gentlemen! Today is the day, Arlington National Cemetery! There will be no mistake which group is representing The American Legion Department of Ohio today, we are always the best dressed!
Day 2 consists of our favorite, Arlington National Cemetery. This year may look different, but we plan on making the best of it. Although The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers is closed, we will still pay our respects at the cemetery… with our Plan B.
Day 2 of our A&G Trip has come to a close. Today was a pretty busy day for our young leaders.
First stop was Arlington National Cemetery. We visited JFK’s grave, as well as Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
One of our students had mentioned that his grandparents were buried in section 32. So Jeremy kindly invited us to pay our respects to his grandparents with him. We were so grateful to share that moment with him.
Since The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers was closed to the public, we wanted to keep up the 85 year tradition of a wreath laying. So we decided on paying our respects to an Ohio native.
Forest E. Everhart Sergeant, United States Army: born in Bainbridge Ohio on August 28, 1921. Forest earned the Medal of Honor in World War II while serving with Company H, 359th Infantry, 90th Infantry Division near Kerling, France on November 12, 1944. The Medal was awarded on September 10, 1945.
Forest E. Everhart, Thomas M. Barford, and every single Veteran resting in Arlington, we humbly thank you for your service.
The afternoon consisted of visiting the Iwo Jima Memorial, National Basilica, Albert Einstein, National Cathedral, Capitol (as close as we could get), Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial, and Korean Memorial.
Tomorrow, we will be visiting Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello along with many other monuments and memorials.
Day 3 of our A&G Trip is complete. Today was an AMAZING day!
We started our day by visiting Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Before we left, we got to meet Thomas Jefferson himself!
We had lunch at Michies, visited the WWII Memorial, and then went to go visit the replica of “TJ’s House”, aka the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
This evening, dinner was a special one. Post 2 in Washington DC offered to feed us, and Post 8 in Washington DC offered to let us use their space to eat. They rolled out the red carpet for us and made us feel so special! The Commander of Post 2, Commander of Post 8, Department Commander, Department Auxiliary President, and Detachment Sons of the American Legion Commander all served us dinner. The Commander of Post 2, Post 8, and their Department Commander are all female veterans! We also tried to make some magic happen when we heard the National Commander and President were in town as well. Unfortunately, the National Commander was unable to attend because he was preparing for testimony tomorrow. However, the National Commander sent his Aide Larry to meet with us, and National Auxiliary President Nicole Clapp snuck away to spend some time with our young leaders as well.
This evening was the definition of “Legion Family”! So many people came together to welcome and congratulate our young leaders! It was a beautiful thing to see.
They are now tucked safely in bed with full bellies and happy hearts.
Tomorrow morning we will be visiting Mt. Vernon, and then seeing where the day will take us.
That is a wrap for Day 4 of our A&G Trip.
We started the Day at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon. We had a quick chit chat with Martha Washington as soon as we walked in, and she gave us permission to tour the mansion she owned with her husband and 1st President of the United States, George Washington. The property was HUGE and the scenery was beautiful. We definitely enjoyed sitting in the sun on the back porch.
After constantly checking the news and seeing that there was no threat in the Capitol, we ventured in the city.
The International Spy Museum was a hit and taught all the students a thing or two about the history of spying.
The FDR Memorial, MLK Memorial, Eisenhower Memorial, and Law Enforcement Memorial were the last stops before dinner.
Tomorrow we make the trip home, but not before stopping at Flight 93.
The final stop on our 2021 Americanism and Government Trip was the Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown, PA.
Thousands of people died on 9/11, but thousands more would have died if it weren’t for the actions of those 40 passengers aboard Flight 93.
This stop was a good reminder to be grateful.
A common field one day. A field of honor forever.
Now, on our way home to Columbus.
Well…. the 2021 Americanism And Government Trip has come to an end. All of our young leaders have been returned to their parents in one piece.
Every year I say that we have a great group of students, and this year I can say the same. These are once again the definition of young leaders!
Ellyana, Thomas, Athena, Garret, Mia, Jeremy, Sophie, Will, Brianna, Ben, Melanie, James, Lydia, Adam, Siara, Trenton and Cody…. you all will do great things and I am so glad I got to know you! Thank you for listening to “my great ideas” and having fun with it.
I’m sure I can speak on behalf of all the chaperones when I say, thanks for making the 2021 trip amazing! You are all very appreciated!
Until next year.
-Christie
I would like to take a moment of personal privilege….
I feel like I started to get to know these students before I even met them. Looking at their tests, reading their bios, etc.
Their tests, do not do them justice. Their bios do not do them justice. They are so much more than words on paper. They are smart, so so smart. They are funny, confident, empathetic, caring, and overall amazing individuals. When I say young leaders, I mean that whole heartedly. They are the future, and they WILL make a difference in this world. I promise you that.
My advice for you young leaders…. always be kind, be confident in your response even if your response is wrong (the worst thing that can happen is that someone says no. But every no is a learning opportunity) and believe in yourselves.
Keep an eye on these young leaders, they are going places.
John Glenn once said, “The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds.” So please go inspire the future generations. I know you have inspired me.
Thank you!
Also, thank you to Department 1st Vice Commander Jean Wilson and Auxiliary President Kristen McLaughlin for being this year’s chaperones.
Christie White
Americanism and Children & Youth Coordinator
The American Legion Department of Ohio