The Department Commander Bruce Conklin, of the American Legion will be making his official visit at the Early Bird Dinner and Dance on November 10, 2007 at the American Legion post 11 in Douglas.

Bruce was born and spent most of his childhood in Michigan. His family moved to Illinois in 1964 and he graduated from Palatine High School in 1965. In September of 1966 Bruce entered the Army and received his basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Carson, Colorado. One year later Bruce was deployed to Korea where he served in the 707th maintenance battalion and was honorably discharged in 1968 as a Sergeant E-5.

Bruce married his wife Sandy in July of 1969 and was accepted in the Pipe Fitter’s five year apprenticeship program in 1970 and eventually was the Field Engineer at the Zion Nuclear Power Station in Illinois. In 1987 the Conklin family moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona for warmer weather and a slower pace.

Bruce has held several offices and appointments in the American Legion at all levels in the state. He served as Fountain Hills Post 58 Commander from 1995 until 1997. He went through the chairs in the District and served as the District 12 Commander in 2002-2003. He served as District 12 bingo chairman from 1999-2002 at the Arizona State Veterans Home and presently serves on the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Committee on the District level. In the Department of Arizona he served as Area B Chaplain for 2 years and Department Vice Commander for area B for 2004-2005. For the last two years. Bruce has served as the Vice Chairman on the National Americanism Council.

In addition to the American Legion, Bruce is a member of the 40/8 and a Chef de Gare Passe of Voiture 1466. He presently serves as the Grand Americanism Director for the 40/8 and a member of the Fountain Hills V.F.W Post # 7507. Bruce represented Post 58 as co-chairman on joint projects with the local VFW to rename some streets in his Community to “Veteran’s Memorial Parkway” and also approached the city council for approval for a Veteran’s Memorial which was placed in the Fountain Park, a project that took seven years for completion.

Bruce and Sandy have 2 children, and one grandson. Their daughter and grandson live in Denver, Colorado and their son lives in Austin, Texas.