ADDRESS, DEDICATION OF HARRY WILMER POST 82,
AMERICAN LEGION

LA PLATA

August 18, 1962

It is a delight to be here today among my friends of Charles County.
And you have honored me greatly by inviting me to take part in
these ceremonies in which we dedicate this handsome and useful
addition to the hall of this American Legion post.

The Harry White Wilmer Post No. 82 of the American Legion has
played a significant role in the social, cultural and civic life of this
southern Maryland community. We all hope and expect that this
improvement will add to the effectiveness of your effort in this field.

As a patriotic American citizen, with a deeply rooted reverence
and affection for the great nation in which I was fortunate enough
to be born, I have an understanding and a sincere appreciation of the
tremendous contributions the American Legion and the other veterans'
organizations have made to strengthen and perpetuate our American
ideals and our American aims. The one main purpose of the Legion,
since it was founded nearly a half century ago immediately after the
First World War, has been to sustain and better this United States
of America which has offered us a place in which we can live in
freedom, in dignity and in self-respect

I am dedicated, as I know all of you are, to the American creed,
which was written by William Tyler Page and adopted by the House
of Representatives of the United States in 1918 I like to recite these
great principles of Americanism:

"I believe, " it goes—"I believe in the United States of America as
a government of the people, by the people and for the people; whose
just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy
in a republic, a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect
Union, one and inseparable; established upon these principles of
freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots
sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty
to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws,
to respect its flag and to defend it against all enemies. "

This is the creed of the American Legion; this is my creed; this
is the creed of all good Americans.

During all the years of its existence, the American. Legion has

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