MISSOURI MULE PROJECT GENERATING NATIONWIDE ATTENTION AND SUPPORT

Charles Woodford's notion that Missouri's mule ought to be named the state's official animal has generated nationwide attention and support.

Cape Girardeau's American Legion Post 63, with a nudge from member Woodford, kicked off a campaign in the spring to get the mule some recognition.

The state American Legion organization picked up the banner this summer, and posts across the state are working to get the message out: The Missouri mule, despite it's name, isn't the state's official animal, but it should be.

The American Legion hopes to introduce legislation this year to make it so.

In the meantime, Woodford and other members of the American Legion across the state have been touting the merits of the mule. Their message is being heard.

The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, and numerous other newspapers have carried articles about the project. Radio stations have picked up on the story.

Magazines dedicated to mules with nation-wide circulation have been applauding the idea.

And letters from supporters across the country arrive at Woodford's house and the American Legion hall each week.

For example, John Davis, a retired Navy man who lives in California, wrote to offer his support. He remembers fondly the mules used by his father on their family farm in Missouri.

"Sometimes they were cantankerous and frustrating, but on the whole they were a gentle hardworking animal and were a big economical asset to our early farming," he wrote. "I wish you and your post the best of luck in getting the legislation through."

Davis said he wished he lived closer so he could help with the campaign.

Woodford quietly smiles as he tells of the attention his idea has generated. It is part of the master plan to push the legislature into action and give the mule its due.