Oh, I've been around for over 37 years. My old comrade and friend kept me in the closet for years. No fault of his own, he made a career in transportation; just wasn't around for the post meetings, etc. Then a few years back his old buddy Max said "Hey, it's Tuesday. How about going to a Post #19 meeting tonight?" Well my old friend dug through the closet and found me all dusty and wrinkled. I looked pretty sorry. He got the steam iron out and cleaned me up right pretty. Hey, I still fit.

This started me off in the real world of The American Legion. We made all the meetings and special events. After the meetings, my comrade would hang me on the wall with about thirty of my blue cap friends. Right next to me is a foxy looking ladies cap. There's WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans. When the lights are turned out and all is quiet, we talk about our Comrades. We have all branches of the services represented. We talk about departed Comrades, the world travels and battles our members survived. We are proud to be The American Legion.

One day I felt a pain in my side. Something was happening to me. My Comrade put me on and looked in the mirror and there was a 2nd Vice Commander. Then I moved up to 1st Vice Commander and then the big one, Post Commander. I was happy.

One day a package arrived. It was a blue and white cap. I had seen them before. I was sick. I knew it was back in the closet again. But no! We got to be friends and traveled the chairs in District together, all the way to Commander.

Then again, another package arrived, a white cap. Now I knew that I'd had it. Lo and behold, we got along great. We traveled the state together. Of course, I get to sit in the front seat with my Comrade. When we proudly stand and say The Pledge of Allegiance, it's me, The Old Blue Cap that he holds over his heart.

"The Old Blue Cap" I'll always be there.
For God and Country

Pat Burch
Commander, Department of Nevada 1998/1991
January 1991