'Just my time'

The following are excerpts from Past National Adjutant and Honorary Past National Commander Robert W. Spanogle's remarks to the National Executive Committee, following his retirement on Oct. 16.

You honor me, but frankly, I honor you for the great opportunity to serve for and with you in this great endeavor called The American Legion. (Past National Commander) John Geiger provided that opportunity to me in 1971-1972, to come on board in The American Legion. He said it better than I could, for those of us in that generation who did our duty and came back. There is a little myth about how we were treated, but we were ... a little bit disrespected. But this organization was like a rock to many of us.

To my good friend (Past National Commander) Jake Comer ... and to all the past national commanders here and in Post Everlasting, they'll forever live in my heart, as will each of you.

There are just so many people to thank ... Certainly to my wife Ruth, always (giving me) the opportunity to serve. My sons John, Steve, and Amy, the first daughter – at least in my five minutes of fame. The staff.

Somebody asked me why I'm retiring. I want to make it very clear: I'm not upset with anybody or anything. It just is my time.

You honor me beyond my belief. There are two overused words that people use today. You see it on TV. One's diversity; the other's transparency. What an honor to work for an organization that for 90 years has had both: diverse membership and transparency in their dealings with each other, with their resolutions, with Congress, up front. I guess we call those values, handed down to us, taught by our mothers and fathers, our coaches and our teachers. Values. And we have to teach those.

If I had one thing ... that has yet to be accomplished by this organization ... that Boys State delegates are down. There's one good reason for that. When I came here 30-some years ago we had 16,500 posts. Today we have a little less than 15,000. So if there's one crying need ... We need to vastly increase the number of posts to afford that opportunity to people who don't have a post. National can't do it.

But we can help. We need to get that up to 21,000 posts. You wouldn't have to worry about all the kids that go to Boys State, (American Legion) Baseball teams and all that. We know it in our heart of hearts.

Thank you so much.

The American Legion Dispatch