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“American Legien—1608 K St., x W., Washington 6, B,C. EX 34811 - Response ef Bishop Fulton J. Sheen te the Presentation of The roo American Legion Distinguished Service Medal, National © 9 -------~~ Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 17, 1957. rz , POT OT RETEETE TT I ope that you members of The American Legion were less shot at by eneny soldiers than by photographers. . Honor is im the ene honoring, mot in the ene henered. I have been hdnored teday by the greatest group in our nation, the men and women who have fought dn one er two wars, never once in a war of offense and never ence to v@n for | America a single foot of alien territory. Thank you. Oe ccd eat-as antl-4es alse INNeWHE & I do not know precisely why you should honor me. Some time ago I was talking in the new War Memorial of Syracuse -- oh, yes, there's New York. _ Gpplause.) Some ushers in the War memorial of Syracuse were talking to ene another and they said, "You mow this War Memorial has never yet been filled. We have had boxing matches, wrestling matches, dances, basketball." - Qne usher said to the other, "Well, it will be filled next Thursday . night." - "Why?" PED rin rs tess poe "Well," Ke said, "Bishop Sheen is coming." DATE (3g, And the first wsher said, “Who's he wrestling?" ~ I am very happy you honored me because I have something in my heart which I have had for a long, long tiwe that I wanted to say to The American Legion and this gives me an opportunity. I have no mamiscript, no papers here. I am just going to talk out of the fuliness of my beart and let well out thoughts that have been there for many years. Another reasén why I do not use papers is because an Irish woman ence heard a Bishop reading a speech and she said, "Glory be to God! If he can't remen- ber it how does he expect us to?" Gentlemen; more than Congress, more tham any political party, more than any civic group in the United States, The American Legion is the most stable force for the preservation of American ideals in our nation, and for two ‘reasons: First, you are preserving the sense of discipline :since you have all been in the armed services; you know what a command is, erder, authority. f There is a softening process going on in the world and in the nation in which liberty is gradually degenerating into license. Teachers in schools are having difficulty, civil authorities are having difficulty having respect for law; but because you have combined in your lives lew and freedom are acting as a very stable force in the nation, ars Law without liberty is tyranny; liberty without law is license. pee Ghat) 1 2EG HG i