William E. Galbraith (born William Eugene Galbraith; January 22, 1926 – March 4, 2012) was an American

businessman A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...

who served as the National Commander of

The American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of lo ...

from 1967 to 1968.

Early life and education

Galbraith was a native of the rural town of Beemer,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

. In 1944, he enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a

radarman Radarman was a rating in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard during, and after, World War II. The following ratings existed during the war for male or female enlisted personnel training, or with training, in the operation and maintenance of radar ...

and an armed guard on

liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

s in the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...

. After the war, Galbraith attended the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

earning a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

The American Legion

A prominent member of American Legion Post 159 in Beemer, Galbraith was elected post commander in 1953. He continued to serve The American Legion and became Department of Nebraska Commander from 1962-1963 and continued his assent with The American Legion organization, serving as Nebraska's representative on the National Committee from 1964–1965, and National Vice-Commander of The American Legion 1965-1966 before being elected National Commander of The American Legion on 31 August 1967. He was the only National Commander originating from the Department of Nebraska. During his tenure as National Commander, Galbraith gained recognition as a witty speaker who delivered vital speeches to include "Freedom is Not Free", "Law and Order", and "Have We Lost Faith in America?" His dedication to The American Legion and memory of sacrifices by the armed services were expressed in the motto he used during his term as National Commander: "Freedom is Not Free". Accomplishments during his term in office include planning the Legion's 50th anniversary, a visit to South Vietnam and launching the Stitch-in-Time program which sent sewing machines to that country, creation of the American Legion Task Force for the Future, testimony to the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, and a 36,000 person climb in the numbers of Legionnaires during his term of office. He was the chairman of the Nebraska Centennial Commission, Chairman of the Nebraska Governor's Conference on Education, and the Director of Nebraska Cornhusker Boys State. In 1969, he began work with the

US Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

as the Deputy Under Secretary of Congressional Relations in Washington DC and then as the Secretary of Agriculture's Representative to the mid-West region.

Later life

Galbraith also served as the Executive Vice President for the North American Equipment Dealers Association in St. Louis, Missouri. Retiring in 1991, he moved to Sun Lakes, Arizona.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galbraith, William E. 1926 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople United States Navy personnel of World War II Burials in Arizona Businesspeople from Nebraska National Commanders of the American Legion People from Cuming County, Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni

Early life and education

The American Legion

Later life

See also

References

Further reading

External links