Why Join the American Legion?

Have you taken time recently to ask yourself why you’re a member of the American Legion?  My guess is probably not…  that is, not unless you’re a reflective thinker who ponders what you do in life and why.  And yet another reason to ask this question might be out of concern with Post membership. .  As Post Vice-commander, one of my responsibilities is membership, and it’s a topic that regularly comes up during conversation with other members.  While increasing membership seems to be the focus, it strikes me that we have a good number of members – I believe our last count of paid members was around 330.  However, routinely there are only 20 to 25 members who regularly attend monthly meetings and about half as many who participate in Post activities.  Thus the question of why so few?  My response to that question remains the same… What motivated 330 people to become part of The American Legion?

If one’s membership in the American Legion was simply to be affiliated with a veterans association, then why the American Legion?  Curious to see how many veterans associations there are in the United States, I checked Wikipedia, a free on-line encyclopedia, and I was surprised to count 87 different associations!  Upon reviewing the 87 groups, I realized while some were no longer active, there were others that I am aware of that were not listed.  So now my question returns to why out of almost 90 veteran associations, why does our Post have 330 members who consciously decided, and annually continue to pay for American Legion membership?

While I can’t answer that question for anyone else, I’ll share with you why I’m a member of the American Legion.  It is my sense of patriotic duty to continue serving my country and my community.  That same sense of patriotism that I felt as a young man who volunteered to serve during the middle of the Vietnam War still burns in my heart today.  And while my service today is certainly not the same as it was back then, the desire to continue serving remains strong.  I find fulfillment on a social level through the camaraderie I experience with both older and younger members who served in varying capacities for differing lengths of time and from all five military branches.  Although more important to me is the fulfillment I experience through being involved, not just with Post meetings, but with our many community service and veterans programs.

Membership with the American Legion for me is not only about identifying with a group of patriots who share a common bond; it’s far more than that.  To be sure, I’m proud to be part of an association of military veterans who care about other veterans and current members of our nation’s military.  However, I find tremendous satisfaction in continuing to actively serve our community.  Whether that service is through interactive discussions of Americanism, national security and foreign relations, working with children and youth programs, or serving veterans and assisting them with their rehabilitation needs, I find my involvement to be richly rewarding and I believe our collective effort to to a noble endeavor.  While some members are restricted in their ability to participate, there are ways to be involved that range from encouraging and supporting members while interacting with them, to serving on committees and participating in fund raisers.  

I ask you to accept my question as a challenge – a challenge to think about why you’re a member of the American Legion and consider becoming more involved.  I also encourage you to share with others why you’re a member of the American Legion and think about your interests and skills that can still be used to serve your community.  Your comrades need and want your help; our community needs your help.  There’s much more work than just a few of us can handle!