Vietnam veteran and Naperville resident George Cramer receives encouragement from the youth today, especially those participants in the annual Voice of Democracy speech contest.
Cramer is the 19th District quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) which serves part of northern Illinois. He has been a judge at the district level for 40 years in the youth Voice of Democracy. He was at the VFW Post 7452 in Montgomery Saturday to perform more judging duties. There were 20 recordings submitted by VFW posts in the district that he and two other judges heard and rated on originally, content, and delivery. The top seven were selected to participate in the State contest in Springfield. State winners throughout the country will receive trips to Washington, D.C. to see the sites, for five days in the case of Illinois winners. They will see sites to include the Lincoln Memorial and the newer memorials to World War II, Korean conflict, and Vietnam war. Survivors along the way receive cash prizes provided by various VFW organizations. The No. 1 contestant, according to the judges, will receive the largest cash prize, in most cases to help with college education. Cramer usually makes the trips to Washington, D.C. with the contest winners.
The first place in Nation will receive approximately $30,000 for the oration success. The topic each contestant must focus on this year is the importance of voting and what it means to the speaker.
“I am amazed at how the thought-process has improved in my 40 years as a judge,” Cramer said earlier this week following his judging duties. “The advanced sense of patriotism in the speakers shows what they have learned and how they understand our country. The speeches were well delivered.
“If the adults today could read those speeches (or hear them) they would realize how patriotic the students are and how much they understand issues.”
There is a downside to the contest produced by the VFW. “We have trouble finding as many participants as we used to and it is both the increased programs available in schools and teachers are challenged to provide other programs. Some programs pay higher amounts of money than the VFW, so it is natural students will go where the money is to win and receive prizes. We are trying to reach more participants.”
Cramer worked briefly in Washington, D.C. for the Department of Veterans Affairs. That was long after his return from Vietnam which was not only a learning experience for him, but, a teaching experience.
“I was in artillery in Vietnam, (1967-1968)” Cramer said. “We employed many Vietnamese to do our K.P. (kitchen police duties). We encountered language barriers, but we tried to teach them American customs. It was interesting to learn and to see them learn culture. We helped them economically, even though we paid them a buck a day. That was more than they could earn elsewhere.”
Cramer not only works with the high school Voice of Democracy program, but, the grade school Patriots Pen program. “My first trip to Washington with the VFW participants was in 1975 when preparations were being made to clean the buildings for the (1976) bicentennial. Then in 1976 it was amazing to see the clean, just-like new exteriors of the buildings. The kids were amazed, too.”
There is no end in sight to Cramer’s dedication to the VFW program. Anyone interested in participating in next year’s Voice of Democracy can go to the neighborhood VFW to sign up. There are openings, and judges, just like George Cramer and VFW post commanders, just like Rob Bailey of Post 7452 in Montgomery, just waiting to fulfill their duties to not only enhance the understanding of youth today, but, discharge their missions of fostering patriotism.
• Two Aurora area State representatives, Stephanie Kifowit and Linda Chapa LaVia are military veterans. Representative Kifowit, a Marine veteran, has made available her office, 1677 Montgomery Road, Suite 116 in Aurora, as a location to drop off unwrapped toys for children in the Toys for Tots program. The deadline is near, Friday, Dec. 14. Chapa LaVia recently was a part of the vote by the State House to override the veto by Bruce Rauner of the VOICES (Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors) Act. The override was to help protect immigrants who are survivors of trafficking, sexual assault, and other forms of violence.
• The Batavia Fine Arts Centre has discounted tickets on all producer-level season tickets for the rest of four shows through December 23.
• The Paramount Theatre in Aurora will continue the third of its four Broadway Series musicals with The Producers, a take on Mel Brooks’ 1967 film. The musical will run February 6, 2019 to March 17, 2019. It is suggested for young adults 18 and older. Comedy is a continuing strain.