[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 35 (Thursday, March 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E413-E414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING ALFRED P. GERHARDT, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 18, 2004

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American 
Legion's Eighth District Commander and Wawassan Post 422 Post Commander 
Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr.
  Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr. received his draft notice on Pearl Harbor 
Day, December 7, 1966 and spent three months and ten days at Fort 
Lewis, Washington when he was honorably discharged on April 27, 1967.
  In 1968, he went to Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summitt, 
Pennsylvania as a part-time student during the spring semester and 
eventually went on to work as a nursing assistant at the Coatesville 
Veterans Administration Hospital in Coatesville. He subsequently 
retired from there after 15 years of service on March 28, 1998.

[[Page E414]]

  In the summer of 1977, Mr. Gerhardt transferred his American Legion 
membership to Wawassan Post No. 422 in Honey Brook. He was elected and 
installed as Post Chaplain on the night of his official transfer and 
held that post until he became the 43rd Post Commander on September 15, 
1980. He then was appointed Post Adjutant and served in that office 
continuously for all but two years. Even during his tenure as Post 
Commander, he more than often handled many of the responsibilities of 
the Post's Adjutant.
  On September 13, 1982, Alfred Gerhardt became the 55th Chester County 
Commander and was only the second member of his Post to hold this 
office. He later served as Chester County Adjutant and as Deputy 
District Commander for many years. His service as Post Commander 
resumed again on two separate occasions from September 19, 1994 through 
September 16, 1996 and from September 21, 1998 through September 18, 
2000. Throughout many of his years of service, Alfred was the acting 
Post Service Officer and Post Historian. It was in July of 2002 that he 
became the Eighth District Commander.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 
Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr. for all his years of dedicated and exemplary 
service to the American Legion and his fellow veterans.

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