The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-01-02
Amcr iCan
Corner

National Commander James A..
Drain of the American Legion
sends the following message TO
Minnesota Legionaires:
"The holiday season is here once
more. With it comes all the Joiiity
and meriment, happiness and re-
joicing which have marked II
through the years.
"The American Legion has real
cause for rejoicing. Five years
from it's organization it is estab-
lished as one of the great forces
for good in the nation. 1t has a
right to erjoiee in the record 1t has
made. And more than all, it may
rejoice that it finds itself today an
imated by the same desire for SER
vice as gave it birth.
Born of service in the greatest
war of all time, the Legion In the
very act of organization consecrat-
ed itself to continuation of I'M
selfish service. And it has kept
the faith. 1t remains for us in the
years which are to come to con-
tinue to keep the faith--with our
selves, with humanity, with the
country which gave US birth, with
our comrades who died, with those
who were torn and shattered In
mind and body, with the children
who mourn father dead in battle.
"We must, we will, keep that
faith as we have kept it. We will
go on in service to the utmost of
our power. We are now setting
forth on a great undertaking for
the disabled and the orphan. In
the campaign for $5,000,000 en-
dowment for rehabilitation and
child welfare we have an oppor-
tunity for service unrivaled in our
history. 1 know that we will rise
to that opportunity. know that
the spirit of the New Year will an
innate US as we go forward to that
task. 1t is the greatest opportunity
for unselfish service the Legion
ever has had. We must carry on.
God speed you all in 1925"
To the disabled and sick in the
hospitals, Commander Drain sent
this message:
& my comrade-I wish / could be
with you today. / mean that l
wish / could sit down beside your
bed and talk with you about the
hospital and the kind of treatment
you are getting-how the wife and
family are, of you who have them,
and just how things are coming
along with you.
81 know how hard it is to lie in
a hospital bed, racked With pain and
tired with hospital sounds and
sights and smells. / know how
hard it is to fight against the feel
ing that it is not worth while to
keep on fighting it is worth
while. The biggest thing in life is
to put up the best fight you can un-
til you win. The harder the fight,
the more credit.
II have asked and they have told
me that you are going to have
something especially good to eat to-
day, and other Christmas favors.
l hope you enjoy these things, as
much as a man can enjoy anything
in hospital. After all, Christmas
is Christmas, and we ought to get
all the good we can out of it.
81 wish / could wave magic
wand and make you all well.
cannot do that but with the backing
of almost a million members of
The American Legion can see to
it that you get the treatment that
viii do most to make you well and
help you get on your feet once you
put the hospital behind you.
81 wish l could shake every one
CT you by the hand and wish you
good luck. Will you take these
words in place of that handshake?
Hundreds of thousands of men and
women in and out the The American
Legion are thinking of you and pull
ing for you today. May the New
Year be the best of your life. God
bless you.