Commander Thomas Somerville 2007-2008

Thomas Somerville, a Vietnam veteran from Hammond, Indiana, was elected Commander of the 120,000-member Indiana American Legion during the closing session of the organization’s 89^th annual Department Convention July 14, 2007, in Merrillville.

Somerville, 63, who was drafted into the United Sate Army in 1965, served 13 months in Vietnam during 1966-1967 as a microwave radio repairman stationed at Ton Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon.

Somerville is a life-long resident of Hammond, where he attended Harding Elementary School, graduated from Morton High School in 1962, and attended Indiana University Northwest.

As a 32-year member of his Post, he has served in almost every elective office available to him, including a stint as Post commander in 1984 and 23 years as Post adjutant.

An avid baseball fan, Somerville has been involved in American Legion Baseball throughout his Legion career, first as coach, then as a long-time member of the Department baseball committee, where he served as chairman for eight years.

A Past 1^st District Commander, membership chairman, and executive vice commander, Somerville also served the Department of Indiana as chairman of all four permanent commissions and as Northern Vice Commander in 1999, in addition to his eight-year tenure as baseball committee chairman.

Following his release from the Army, Commander Somerville resumed a career in the hardware business, where he remained for nearly 30 years. In 1995, he left the hardware business and joined the North Township Assessor’s office in Lake County, rising quickly to Chief Deputy. After ten years as Chief Deputy Assessor, Somerville retired and began his run for Department Commander.

In addition to his careers in private business and public affairs, Somerville is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Presbyterian Church, and is a Precinct Committeeman for his political party.

The new commander is an untiring advocate for young people. His commitment is demonstrated by not only his decades-long involvement with American Legion Baseball, but also his selection of the Child Welfare Foundation as beneficiary of his special project this year. And, fulfilling the promise of his campaign around Indiana last year, the commander will press for increased involvement by Posts in all American Legion youth programs.

His theme for the year is "Team Unity – For Now and The Future."