Tuesday, October 27, 2015
AUSTINTOWN
The students were clamoring with their hands raised and some saying, “Pick me!”
Sam Swoger III, first vice commander of the American Legion Post 301 here, picked second-grade students at random to wear different military branch hats for a salute exercise Tuesday at Austintown Elementary School.
It was the second day of teaching the second-graders about the Pledge of Allegiance, branches of the military and patriotism.
Swoger worked with Linda Milne and Carol Vaughn, both auxiliary members of the American Legion Post 301, for quick 30-minute classroom visits.
American Legion is “not just to help vets, but one of our main functions within the American Legion is to educate the youth. That’s why we have Boys State for the juniors and seniors” in high school “... and that’s why we do this program,” Swoger said.
“You’d be surprised what [the kids] know already. A lot of people say they don’t, but they’re well aware of how many states” there are.
Read more about the program in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.