American Legion Nat. CDR Mike Helm On Cutbacks to US Army

Sons of the American Legion Radio:

Talk with the National Commander of the American Legion, Michael D. Helm, 

Jack McGuirk, John Chuhran, and Ken Kraetzer conduct interview on WVOX 1460 AM New Rochelle, NY  

re:

Announced cuts of 40,000 soldiers and 15,000 civilian employees from the US ARMY.

Michael D. Helm of Norcatur, Kansas, was elected national commander of the 2.4 million member American Legion on Aug. 28, 2014, in Charlotte, N.C., during the 96th national convention of America's largest veterans organization.

A U.S. Army veteran during the Vietnam War, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C., and earned his Ranger tab in 1972. He has been a member of Jack Helt American Legion Post 313 at Lebanon, Neb., since 1972. Born in McCook, Neb., he grew up in Norcatur, Kansas. 

Helm served as commander of the Department of Nebraska from 1987 to 1988 and as a national vice commander from 2003 to 2004. He was Nebraska's first Vietnam-era veteran elected as department commander. Helm takes great pride in having been selected to serve as Nebraska's official American Legion representative at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982.

Helm's wife, Debbie, is active in The American Legion Auxiliary. They are the parents of five Legion Family members. Aaron and his wife, Robie, both graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; Rebecca and her husband, Jaron Cox, both graduates of Kansas State University; Jacob, a senior cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy; Matthew, an Army ROTC cadet at Kansas State University and Timothy, a student at Decatur Community HS in Oberlin, Kansas.