l to r: Arlon Kristenson, Stephen Boyce, Ed Allderdice, Darin Ray, Conrad Heimbigner, Lindsay Boyce, George Rice, and scholarship winner, Layton Bahnmiller.
Memorial Day, A time honored tradition to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America. Every Year the American Legion Post 50 organizes a guest speaker to talk about the importance of this day, this year was nothing short of another exceptional remembrance of the many fallen soldiers in our nation's history and within our community. We had the incredible opportunity to honor Sergeant Edward Tessier, a courageous man who lost his life during a training mission along with the rest of the crew flying the B-17 that crashed just outside Big Sandy on October 3, 1943. Madonna Adams, the great-niece of Sgt. Tessier told stories of him and what her family had known about the accident that took his life that day. Ms. Adams recalled, "There always seemed to be such a void, the fact that his mother Annie received a telegram from the war department, and all she was told was that he was killed in a plane accident outside of Big Sandy, Montana." A special thank you went out to Robert Boettcher of Big Sandy, A Korean War veteran who sent her a copy of the report to help shed some light on that tragic day.
This year, The American Legion Post 50 started a couple new traditions; we hope to continue on for many years to come. The First Annual American Legion Coyote Derby was a tremendous success. While we had participants from all over the state of Montana, the outpour of support from our community was unbelievable and we continue to thank you! With some of the funds from the Coyote Derby, a $1000.00 Scholarship Award was created to be given to a worthy senior at Big Sandy High School. Students were required to write an essay describing what freedom meant to them. Our 2017 Scholarship Award Recipient was given to a senior who is described as "engaging, driven, politely-mannered, and involved in the community." And he truly is that as he stepped on the stage on Memorial Day and read his exceptional speech that shows a true reflection of what we face today. Congratulations to our 2017 American Legion Post 50 Scholarship Award Recipient Mr. Layton Bahnmiller!
