The Legionnaire of the Day: Jerry Lynch
By Matt Dungan, Staff Writer
6/19/2008
Jerry Lynch has lived an exciting life. While he was serving the Navy as a Machinist mate from 1959 to 1962, he was part of the Cuban Missile Crisis. His destroyer the USS Bordelon was ordered to help blockade Cuba for thirty days and was stationed just off Cuba’s coast. According to him, he and his fellow crew members had a ball. They never had to fire a shot and the only problem they had with the whole ordeal was that it was far too hot.
He has volunteered at Boys State for ten years and was the State Commander six years ago. Here at Boys State, he had the job of maintain order and counting the votes from the elections. When asked if he thought this year’s Boys State was as good as last year’s, he quickly gave a resounding “No.” He feels that the move from Lansing may cause a once “fantastic” program to become just a “great” program. Mr. Lynch opined, “I feel like we lost the most valuable parts of this program, the guest speakers, and contact with the state legislator, and the felid trip to the capital, and the welcome from the governor.”
He also told this reporter that he was very sad that only those in state positions get to go to the capital. Only 100 out of 300 boys get to go this year to the capital. While Mr. Lynch is sad to see some of the old tradition disappear he is glad to see his own grandson here at Boys State. He considers it a highlight of his work here. At the end of our interview, he told me to ask all of us here to, when we go home, tell others that Boys State is a blast and that if they get the chance to come, take it.