The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-23
ANNUAL REPORT OF
 DIVISION PRESENTED

sion of the second annual state can- vention of the Connecticut Depart ment of the American Legion, the fol- lowing report of the Service division was read by Department Adjutant Thomas J. Bannigan. It was ap- proved by the delegates.
 The Service division of the depart ment came into active existence on May 4. 1920. when, at a meeting of the Department Executive Committee, it was
 VOTED, That the Department Adjutant's office be instructed to take up this service work temporarily.
 Previous to this time part of this work was handled by Merritt E. Learned and Eric Mutt, as War Risk Insurance and Vocational Training of- ficers, respectively. Owing to other duties they found i. necessary to send in their resignations on April 27th, important offices were taken over by the Service Division.
 The Department Adjutant was made Chief of the Service Division. and the assistant Adjutant and the Field Sec retary were made assistants iA the work. The department was fortunate in securing the services of Miss Mary Walsh, whose experience with the Bureau of War Risk Insurance dated practically from the inception of the Bureau until the resignation of Direc- tor Henry D. Lindsley to become Ma tional Chairman of the American Le gion.. P. F. Fox, the Field Secretary entered into the work of the Service Division with such a determination that in less than a month it was neces- sary for him to give up active work, because of ill-health and enter filling town hospital for. treatment, where he is still confined; but to the grati- fication of all he will soon be able to resume the duties he so well discharg- ed in the past.
 It was at first the thought that the Service division should be an/ office septrate from the department head quasters at an added expense of $5,O0O, as it was fully realized that it would be almost an impossibility- to handle these additional problems to- gether with the daily increasing work at department headquarters. How ever this added expense was el1mln- ated and department headquarters took over the work with no additional expense and wonderful results have been achieved. So t-oad and exten- sive are the functions of the service division that it is actually a Service for Service Men'. The following are a few of the matters which have come under it's jurisdictions
 Allotments (War Risk and others), Compensation War Risk Insurance, Liberty bonds, Travel pay. Arrears of pay, Lost discharges, Vo- cational Training. State aid. Govern
 # fnc Clothing and Equipment, Public No- tary, Lost Baggage, Personal Efects' Naturalization, Employment.
 War Risk Insurance-COmpen
 The most important of these, and the one which entails the mass or correspondence which can he found in the files of the Service Division, is that of ompensation-Com ton not only to thed isabled men, but compensation to dependents of men who died in service.
 Although it is felt that the Bureau of War Risk Insurance is willing to accept all constructive criticism re- garding the injustice to eX-serVlce men, we have proof that there is further room for decided improve ment within the Bureau. Dozens o1 cases are called to our attention 
 minimum, apparently without cause and where in the majority of cases not even a medical examination was given which would warrant such ? decrease, and the mans condition and disability is just as great, if not greater, than at the time the orig1na award was made. It takes greater amount of correspondence and evl- dence to have the original award made, and the Service. Division i: bringing every pressure to bear te have the Bureau of War Risk In surance see the injustice of their ac' ton.
 Those personally acquainted witt the work of the Service Division al
 Department Headquarters well know
 the long and tedious hours that are
 spent on the work of the Service Division but it is gratifying to Set
 the harvest of results that is reapeo
 as can be seen from the cases in the files that are completed and the case: that are pending. That wonderful results are being attained is also evi dent from the betters of commenda tion received from National Head quarters of the American Legion from the Chief, of the Federal Boart for Vocational Education and by let | ters of appreciation of our co-opera 1 ton from the Bureau of War Risl :, Insurance.>
 | Vocational Training.
 | The Federal Board for Vocationa 1 Education assigned a special groul of men to meet every disabled soldier
 sailor and marine in Connection 1 whose case had not been settled t 1 date This. campaign was conducte' | at New Haven June 7th to 18th; a 1 Hartford June 21st to 30th; a Bridgeport July 1st to 7th; and a | Norwich July Sth to 10th.
 {; While the campaign was in pro gress the Department Adjutant a
 various times visited these differen cities and interceded in every wa possible for the ex-service mer Every consideration was shown tn Service Division in the handling C the many cases, and the America Legion was always recognized whe the final disposition of a case wa made.
 During this campaign 6S0 case were approved for training. Many ( these men are now in training. Hart ford leads in the number of men az proved for training with 256; Ne
 Haven with 236: Bridgeport with 12'
 and Norwich with 60.
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