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George A. Whiteman Memorial Post 642 elects first woman commander

Sedalia Democrat - 7/11/2017

July 10--Jane Stewart will assume the position of commander of the George A. Whiteman Memorial Post 642, The American LegionSunday, July 23. She will be the Post's first female commander.

Stewart, a U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War, ran for the position along with current Post Cmdr. Joe Cochran and George Hill, who dropped out of the race. Stewart won the vote for the position. Cochran will leave the Post to assume the position of commander of The American Legion District 7.

Stewart noted that when she decided to run she had several objectives in mind.

"I kind of campaigned," Stewart said. "Before I even decided I was going to do it, I wrote up a little thing that says what I wanted to do as commander, and I posted it up on the bulletin board. Then I laid it out on a few tables, that's where some of my support came from. I'm there all the time, I'm always involved with all the activities."

Stewart has been a member of The American Legion since 2003. She has been a local member since 2014 and is also a member of Post 642's Ladies Auxiliary and a member of the 2016 American Legion Post 642 Color Guard champions. She served as a Navy Radioman Third Class in Norfolk, Virginia, during the Vietnam War.

"I talked from shore to ship sending messages back and forth," she said. "Then I went to Pensacola, Florida, and taught the helicopter pilots Morse Code."

During her term she hopes the Post, which has 396 members, will become more involved in community activities.

"I also think that everything should be out front, no more hidden agendas," she noted. "... I'm in it for the Post, I'm in it for the members. That's who I look out for."

She also plans address homelessness in the area.

"I'm trying to get with some other organizations, churches and community, because it's needed," she said. "I'm hoping to get something started and get planning in the works. That's one of my real goals."

Another goal for Stewart is to involve young people with the Post.

"I want to get more young people involved in our organization," she added. "I have a really good team behind me right now. We have some new younger members on our executive board and I know they are going to be a great help in getting some of our programs started."

Stewart noted that the Post sponsors Boys State, oratorical contests and the Sedalia Travelers baseball team.

"The Legion itself gives a $10,000 a year scholarship to the Eagle Scout of the year," she added. "We have four pillars for the Legion and they are veterans' affairs and rehabilitation. We help the service men find out how they can get their benefits ... at no cost to them.

"Our second one is national security, where we make ourselves available for any national disaster," she added. "Then we have Americanism, which is Boys' State, oratorical contests, American Legion baseball. Then we have our children and youth. We've helped a lot of families that have dads or moms are deployed."

She noted that each Christmas the Post Ladies Auxiliary also adopt four to five families from Washington Elementary School that are connected to the military.

Stewart said becoming the first woman commander for the Post is scary, but she is excited to assume the position.

"It's scary because, you know, I have to do everything right or there might not be another opportunity, for another woman down the line," she said. "Right now we only have maybe four women servicemen that are active in our Post.

"I like being involved, doing things for others," she added.

Stewart has three children, Joey McIlroy, of Warrensburg, and twins Dustin and Christina McIlroy, of Sedalia; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Jane Stewart will be inducted as Post commander at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 23 at George A. Whiteman Memorial Post 642, The American Legion, 2016 W. Main St.

Faith Bemiss can be reached at 660-530-0289 or on Twitter @flbemiss.

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