New Ulm review., 1922-02-01
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Thrills That Come Once in Life
t. time. .

kept one leg gnoving past the other was
your pride in your country, the rAmeifl
can Army, the A. E. F., and parti-
cularly in yoar diYision? How, eiY3
the early days, you always had to ask
What outfit, Buddy?" when you met
a fellow -doughboy on the highway,
but after each organization adopted
its special insignia, all you had to do
was lamp his left shoulder blade to
learn whether he was one Of your gang
or belonged to some other A. E. F..
outfit?
Well, Buddy, if YOU happened to be
one of the boys who attended the
American Legion national convention
in. Kansas City last November, you
probably felt the same sensation and
the same pride in your outfit when
you saw stalwart buddy come march
ing down the street with the Gopher
badge on his shoulder. For, when
you're far from home, and even when
you know you're among hundreds of
thousands of fellow Legionaires from
all over the nation, you can't keep that
lump fro Soas aisir ID in your stiiroatsand
the tears,.ef pride from spriinging to
your eyes waeh YOU stand On the sidee4
lines of the big parade and see 1900
Minnesotans come marching along
with that little Gopher emblem on each
shoulder, and miles and miles of packed
humanity cheering them to the echo.
Oh, boy! It's grand and glorious
feeling to have state you can be as
proud Of as Minnesota. And, if any
citizens of the Gopher state have the
right to be proud of it, they are the
men and women who fought in its de-
fense. Are they proud Of it? You
tell 'em, Buddy! For the honor of the
North Star State every mothers son
Of them would lay down his life.
That's how Gopher Legionaires feel
about their home state. That's why
they have adopted a distinctive
Gopher Legion insignia for the Mime
sofa Department of the American
Legion. 1t will appear on their letter.
heads and envelopes, and down in
New Orleans next October, when the
streets will ring with the tramp of
Gopher feet as our Minnesota: contin7
gent swings proudly into the great
parade, every buddy, will wear it. !.
When the. divisions of the A.FE. F.
adopted their insignia, one outfit
started It, And when 'the divisions Of
the A. E. F. folded their tents and
sailed away, their spirit did not die.
1t still liyes-in the American, Legion.
So, tomorrow, when the Legion de-
partnents of the nation come to, es-
tablish their individual insignias and
slogans. Gopher .Legionaires will have
the pleasure Of knowing that Mime
sofa started the ball rolling For
Minnesota is the first state to design
and unoficially adopt such an insignia.
The next state convention at Virginia
will officially confirm this design. In
the meantime, remember the Gopher
slogan: "Get out the Gopher Gang!
Let's go!'
Minncsota Leads the Way.
The Circulation Manager of The
American Legion Weekly wires that
Legion mem berships for 1922 are
reaching national headquarters at the
rate of $4,000 daily, and that Mime
sofa Legionaires are beating all others
in the matter of speed in getting 1921
membership paid up for 1922. Let's
reach ourll921 Minnesota membership
total of $4,000 without delay ther
hitch up our TROUSERS and bit the trai
for so, OOOs members. ? After that, ths
sky will beIaur limit. If every, rbudd5
puts his heart; in the JOB Iand hi:
shoulder to, theqwheel, it will be, done
before we realize it. Let's go: - -.
What Legi ion National Conference
Outlined.
Boiled down to a few words, tn
gathering of state officers from tn
SO or more Legion departments of tn
country at Indianapolis, January 2
and Fl, which was attended by Com
mander Van Dyke, Adjutant King
and National Committeeman Rossber
from Minnesota, made the followin
decisions:
To take nationwide census of a
former service men; to esta blish
rotating loan fund; to de-centraliz
the United States Veterans Burea
and establish a Legion organizatio
which will cooperate closely with th
Bureau; to inrne diately adjust Ions
pending claims of ex-soldiers; to max
compulsory the immediate ad1nissio
to hospitals of any supposed verteal
regardless of his ability to show dii
charge papers; to discharge from ho
pitals any official who IS not renderir