By Christopher Townsend, Navy League National President
When I was sworn in as your National President earlier this year, I made
a commitment to the Navy League to provide support to our councils, strengthen our organization, and continue the good work of our mission — to educate, advocate, and support America’s sea services.
To lead this effort, it is important for me to spend time with our members in the field and with those that support our great organization.
On July 31st I traveled to Minneapolis to meet with former council president and Midwest Region,
Area President, Mr. Bill James and Mayor Frey who is also a plank owner of the newly commissioned USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21), a Freedom-class littoral combat ship. The Minneapolis-St. Paul was commissioned in Duluth, Minnesota last year, headed up by the USS Minneapolis Commissioning Committee of the Minnesota Navy League. I, along with Bill James, presented Mayor Frey with a framed, signed photo of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul. The photograph now hangs proudly in the mayor’s office and serves as a visible reminder of both the great work accomplished by our Navy League, and the enduring spirit of those who brought the ship alive and continue to crew its decks.
We can and will raise the profile of our organization — one individual, one leader, one city, and one country at a time — to make the Navy League a household name that inspires pride from our citizenry and passion for our mission! The Minneapolis council is just one example of the great work Navy Leaguers have been doing around the world for more than 120 years.
May God bless the Navy League of the United States and the United States of America!