Sons National Commander Bill Clancy III (purple shirt), plants a tree at Palisades high School, while his sons Geir and Stenn look on. Charles Curtis helps with the digging, as past California Commander Tomidan Jordan looks on.
On a swing through Southern California, the National SONS Commander, William “Bill” Clancy III made a trip to Pacific Palisades to visit Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283. Sons of the American Legion are a group of males who have parents or grandparents who served in the U.S. Military.
One of Clancy’s goals this year is an initiative to plant 250 trees across the United States, commemorating the United States 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Palisades lost so many trees during the January 2025 Palisades Fire, residents are actively working to replant to restore the streets canopy. Clancy’s campaign aligned perfectly with the Palisades need and one more tree was planted on March 19.
This was about #120 for Clancy’s tree campaign. An Island Oak was selected and placed between stadium seating and the bathrooms at the Palisades High School Stadium by the Sea.
CTN asked why the tree wasn’t planted in one of the parkways and was told that the Community Council wanted the infrastructure built back before new trees were planted.
The Commander, who had been given a tour of the area by locals, was asked his thoughts about the fire destruction, which was still evident. “It was devastating that this was allowed to happen,” Clancy said. “It was gross incompetence.”
Clancy said his father served during Vietnam and was based in Fort Org and his grandfather was in the Navy on a Bangor Mine Sweeper, both were carpenters. He said he joined the Sons because “I think about young people and the country and showing service.” He joined because he wanted to lead by example.
A founding member of SAL Squadron 156 in City Island (Bronx Borough), New York, Clancy was elected in August 2025 at the national convention in Tampa, Florida. He represents 400,000 members and set a goal at the beginning of his term as commander to recruit even more members. At the convention, he stressed achieving that goal would be a team effort.
“All of my thoughts always bring me back to one word. It’s the word we,” Clancy said. “We’ is infinitely more powerful than ‘I’. We is the word that our founding fathers chose when they wrote one of the best documents ever written, when they opened it with, ‘We, the people.’”
In addition to Pacific Palisades, the Sons Commander, who was in town with his wife and two sons, also had visits planned Riverside, Azusa and West Covina in his Southern California sweep. Kansas, Georgia and Indiana are on his schedule for later this year.
The National Sons Commander (purple shirt) was joined by (left to right) Tracey Price, Kevin Niles, Tomidan JOrdan Kurstal, geir Gill and Stenn Clancy, Charles Curtis, Larry and Cindy Kirven and Audrey Price to plant a tree in the high school stadium.