As the national organization of the American Legion celebrates its 80th birthday this year, the Garden City chapter is looking to further define its role in the community by finding ways to reach out, educate, and help improve life for all.

In addition to regular visits to the VA hospital to visit local GIs who truly enjoy the gift packages brought to them and the company, the Legion also recently attended a change-over ceremony at the Marine Barracks as Lt. Col. Thomas Brandl turned over his command. The Legion also recently visited the third grade classes in the Garden City Schools through their Children and Youth Committee. The Legion has also appointed Fred Camp to serve as its historian who will produce past history albums of photos and news clippings from over the years, preserving the Legion's memories.

Commander Dr. Joseph P. Frey has also led the Legion to examine the issue of school safety in the Village. On Memorial Day he delivered a speech questioning the security measures in place for the district's facilities. He urged the School Board and the Garden City Police Department to recognize that the tragedy in Littleton, Colorado this spring can happen anywhere. He pointed out that the communities of Littleton and Garden City share striking similarities economically and culturally, which could indicate that Garden City too could foster hostility by one or a minority who feel in exile within the school. He urged the community to prepare for such a crisis in order to prevent it.

At the last meeting of Post 265, Commander Frey reported that he recieved a letter from Police Commissioner Cipullo in response to his letter expressing these concerns. In the commissioner's letter, Frey stated, it was noted that the GCPD is in touch with the county and federal governments in relation to such crisis management and Cipullo reported that all was in order in Garden City. Frey argued that based on his observations this was not entirely true.

Frey reported that when he went to each of the schools in the district to present certificates from the American Legion, he was able to walk directly into the building and wander through the corridors while looking for his destination within the building without an adult stopping him or questioning his presence. At Garden City Middle School, he noted, there was "not a person in sight" as he proceeded from one end of the building to the other to find the auditorium where he was to bring the certificate. He argued that as no one would have any way to know that he actually belonged there without questioning him, he felt that the security was severely lacking in the building.

Congratulations went to St. Joseph's School in the Village from the Legion as it was noted that when Frey went to deliver the certificates there all of the doors were locked from the inside, preventing any unauthorized access from outside. He noted that when he knocked on a classroom window and requested access in order to make his presentation the students denied him said access and went to get a teacher who not only questioned him through the window, but then took the certificates, but still denied him entry to their tightly secured facility.

In other concerns of the Legion, the Red White and Blue program initiated in the last few years to honor those residents and merchants who regularly fly the American Flag, has been postponed with a tentative plan for late August or September. The Legion is considering tying the program to a possible celebration of the 80th birthday of the American Legion.

Residents of the Village who are veterans of the armed forces are all welcome to join the William Bradford Turner Post 265. To join, one can write to the Post at P.O. Box 8 in Garden City, NY 11530. The Legion will be installing its new executive members and officers in September at a special installation ceremony and all members are encouraged to attend. More information on this and all other events will be available in the Post 265's newsletter, The Bugle, and Garden City Life.