Legion 283 Hosts National Commander & USO Show

Thomas Cadmus, national commander of the 2.7 million-member American Legion, addressed Palisades Post 283 during an evening of festivities last Saturday at the Legion Hall on La Cruz. Cadmus, a United States Army veteran, was elected to his position on September 2 in Nashville, Tennessee, during the 86th National Convention of the nation’s largest veterans organization. ‘He gave us background on what he’s done so far and what he’s going to do,’ said Emil Wroblicky, 2002 Legionnaire of the Year. ‘He’s representing all of the veterans of America. He travels to wherever American soldiers are based.’ In his year as national commander, Cadmus has traveled to Korea (where he helped serve food to American troops during Thanksgiving) and plans to visit Japan and Panama.’He also has a lot of states to cover,’ Wroblicky said. ‘I’m not sure if he’ll make it to Iraq.’ Cadmus has also traveled to Washington, D.C., where he promoted funding and assistance for veterans in military hospitals. While in Los Angeles, he was hosted by Post 283 at the Bel-Air Bay Club and played golf at the Riviera Country Club. ‘He’s a great lover of golf,’ Wroblicky noted. Saturday evening, local commander Bill Branch handed Cadmus a $10,000 donation to the federal emergency fund and donated $10,000 to Department Commander Fred Walton for the state’s emergency fund. Cadmus, who joined the Legion in 1967, is retired from the Ford Motor Company where he worked on a variety of automotive projects during his 38-year career.