New American Legion Post 558 commander

For years, the most involved members of American Legion Post 558 in Los Altos have sought more youthful leadership to bring added spark to the community commitment that has long distinguished this group of veterans. They now have youth, relatively speaking, and plenty of energy in new post commander Bill Wunderlin. The 48-year-old member of the state’s Air National Guard and Iraq war vet was appointed commander during a July 11 ceremony at Legion Hall on First Street. Fit, enthusiastic and fresh from an anti-terrorist mission in Africa, the 28-year veteran of the armed forces wants to increase the Legion post’s visibility in a range of areas, from personally meeting with city officials to improving the post’s Web site. “I want to get the post more active,” he said. “This is a really good post, really good people.” He wants to try a few new projects, such as a Legion-sponsored movie night or a candidates’ forum at Legion Hall. Of the 203 Post 558 members, only 20-25 show up to meetings, Wunderlin said, and only 8-10 of those are really active in post projects. These include: Flags Across Los Altos, the downtown flag program started by vet Bill Goss and resurrected this past year by past Commander Ken Girdley; Girl and Boy Scout partnerships; Girls and Boys State events; and youth baseball. “Our new commander has that connection we need to keep connected to the current reservists,” Girdley said. “He’s already recruited quite a few new members. … Hopefully new blood will keep us going for many years to come.” “I’m still trying to crack the code of how to get the younger guys in here,” said Wunderlin, an 18-year Legion member. “Many of them are busy with their lives (raising families). A lot of guys join later on in their lives, in their 40s and 50s.” It’s obvious the career military man loves what he does. “I have one of the best jobs in the world,” Wunderlin said. Wunderlin enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1979, serving in a patrol squadron at Moffett Field. He joined the Air National Guard in 1984, the original state militia and a reserve component of the U.S. Air Force. He has participated in numerous search-and-rescue missions, and he flew in one of the first assaults on Iraq in 2003. He recently returned from a 45-day mission at Camp Lemonier in the African country of Djibouti, formerly French Somalia. While there, he participated in rebuilding projects meant to win the “hearts and minds” of locals while preventing Al-Qaeda terrorists from gaining a toehold. “It’s actually a theater we’re winning,” he said. Bill’s wife Carolann is a former Post 558 vice commander who recently started her own post at Moffett Field. The next Post 558 affair is an Aug. 11 dinner honoring Legion-sponsored participants in this year’s Boys and Girls State programs, as well as participants in the Legion’s annual Youth Environmental Conference. Boys and Girls State programs teach high school students about citizenship and leadership. For more information about American Legion Post 558, visit www.post558.org.