WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. – American Legion’s National Commander, Michael Helm, launched his three-day tour of New York state on April 15 by first visiting the historic Watervliet Arsenal, an Army-owned and operated manufacturing center.

1. U.S. ARMY WATERVLIET ARSENAL
NEWS RELEASE
John B. Snyder
Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Army Watervliet Arsenal
Building 10, Room 102
Watervliet, NY 12189
(518) 266-5055
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2015
Arsenal is first on National Commander visit
WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. – American Legion’s National Commander, Michael Helm,
launched his three-day tour of New York state today by first visiting the historic Watervliet Arsenal,
an Army-owned and operated manufacturing center.
Helm, who was elected the leader of the 2.4 million-member American Legion last August, follows
a visit last January to the Arsenal by Frank Peters, the New York State American Legion Department
Commander.
Truly understanding how rare, as well as how important this visit is to the Arsenal, Watervliet
Arsenal Commander Col. Lee H. Schiller Jr. led a strong demonstration of workforce pride that he
believes will go a long way toward building a great first impression for one who leads more than 2.4
million Veterans.
“For nearly 100 years, we have participated in community events alongside members of the
American Legion,” Schiller said. “But it wasn’t until this year that we have worked very hard to get
not one, but two of the Legion’s senior leadership to visit us.”
Schiller believes that engaging Veteran Service Organizations, such as the American Legion, is a
natural and common sense approach to remaining engaged with the community or in Helm’s case,
the nation.
The Arsenal often hosts senior Army leaders, such as it did today with Brig. Gen. John “Jack” Haley,
the Army’s chief of ordnance, but today’s visit by Helm opens up a different set of opportunities for
the Arsenal to tell its story, as well as the Army story, to a national or worldwide audience.
“We have a great history and lineage that we owe in large part to the support that we get from those
outside of our gate,” Schiller said. “And so, we view every community engagement, such as with
Commander Helm today, as critical to ensuring the Arsenal’s long-term viability.
Schiller and Lee Bennett, the Director of the Army’s Benét Laboratories that is collocated at the
Arsenal, started the tour with a command briefing where 200 years of technology, research, and
-more-

2. manufacturing was showcased.
From there, Helm toured several production bays where he saw critical manufacturing operations
being performed, such as a 155mm howitzer tube being forged and then heat treated. Helm
witnessed howitzer tubes being bent several inches as they were pressed by hundreds of tons of
pressure in an effort to straighten them.
Helm also saw the Arsenal’s mortar production line, which he said brought back fond memories
of when he served in the 82nd Airborne Division. He closed out his visit with a trip to Benét
Laboratories’ product display area where new weapons technology was showcased.
“Given all the changes that you have had to work through your 200 years of operation, and where
you are today leveraging new technology, you have got to be pretty excited about what you do,”
Helm said. “Because I am.”
Peters, who visited the Arsenal last January, said that he thought so highly of his last visit that when
he heard the American Legion National Commander was coming to New York, he had to share the
great work that Watervliet is doing for our nation.
Helm is a U.S. Army veteran from the Vietnam War era, having served with the 82nd Airborne
Division in Fort Bragg, N.C., and earned his Ranger tab in 1972.
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Photo cutlines:
National Commander Michael Helm, left, with New York State Department Commander Frank
Peters in one of the production bays.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69610950@N03/16973450970/in/photostream/
Standing in front of the Arsenal’s welcome sign is, from left, NYS Department Legion Adjutant
James Casey, National Commander Michael Helm, , NYS Department Commander Frank Peters and
his wife, Mary.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69610950@N03/17159376362/in/photostream/
Standing in front of the Big Gun Shop is National Commander Michael Helm, center, NYS
Department Commander Frank Peters, left, and NYS Department Adjutant James Casey.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69610950@N03/16540839103/in/photostream/
National Commander Michael Helm observing a 155mm tube being forged.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69610950@N03/17160975335/in/photostream