National Commander's Message

Dear Legion Family Members and Friends,

Because of its dedicated members, The American Legion is the nation’s largest and most powerful veterans service organization.
Strength in numbers allows us to fight for – and win – legislation benefitting veterans on Capitol Hill. Our large membership fulfills vital missions on behalf of veterans and active-duty servicemembers in every community across our great nation. It is the combined strength of the Legion, Auxiliary, Riders and Sons of The American Legion that honor those who served in ways no one else can – from laying flowers at gravesites to raising funds to help military families in need.
Our programs to support veterans, mentor youth and provide for military families facing hardships would not be as successful without strong and vibrant membership. But don’t take just my word for it. Consider the impact that The American Legion has:

• Sarah Ball, a disabled Army veteran, lost everything when her home was destroyed by a tornado in Oklahoma. The Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance program helped her and her fellow veterans recover from the disaster. “Without the assistance, I would not have been able to put coats on my kids’ backs. I don’t know what we would have done for food if the Temporary Financial Assistance wasn’t there.”
• For the past 32 years, the Department of Idaho American Legion Family has provided three state veterans homes with nearly $1.5 million in food and funds. Around Veterans Day every year, a convoy of trucks and cars delivers a bounty of food to all the state veterans homes. “This has been a Legion Family event since its first year, and it’s a tradition that’s looked forward to,” said Idaho Department Commander Michael Thurlow, who has been involved with the convoy for the past 18 years. “We are very proud of this event; this is how we in Idaho choose to take care of our veterans.”
• Army veteran Steve Brauss has been a member of American Legion Post 53 in Buckeye, Ariz., for 14 years. “I knew the Legion did a lot of good things, and so I wanted to join,” he said. “They provide us a voice with legislation, and they are great with helping the community. That’s one of the reasons I’m still involved because they feed soldiers and their families before a deployment. The Legion is a great benefit to the Arizona National Guard.”

These are just some of the success stories that happen every day, thanks to members of The American Legion. If you haven’t renewed for this year, I strongly encourage you to do so. Renewing is easy. Simply visit www.legion.org/renew  to get the process started.
Your membership plays a critical role in sustaining American Legion programs, such as those that provide comfort items for wounded servicemembers, scholarships and programs for young people, as well as immediate financial assistance for veterans coping with the aftermath of natural disaster or economic trouble. Our ability to continue doing what we do – one family and community at a time – depends entirely on you and your continued membership.
Your continued membership is so very important to keep our programs and services strong. If you have not renewed please do so now. Thank you if you are a current member. Please help us by reaching out to get your comrades to also renew.