American Legion Membership

frawin · October 02, 2011, 08:24:26 PM

Quote from: Wilma on Today at 08:26:20 am
American Legion membership is open to all veterans of the armed forces. There is no requirement as to age or war served during. The American Legion in Howard does have members that are young enough to be a color guard in a parade and it is time that they step up and insist on doing their duty at home.

Wilma actually that is not true, the requirement is listed below: I don't agree with this as I have friends and schoolmates that served outside the window of requirement and they have been denied membership, if a war had broken out during their service time they would have been the first to go.
Also I know several WWII Veterans and Korean

Legion Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility for membership in the American Legion is determined by the United States Congress. Honorably discharged members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard who served during the following periods are eligible to join the Legion:

World War I

April 6-1917 to November 11, 1918

World War II
December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946

Korea
June 25, 1950 to January 31, 1955

Viet Nam
February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975
Grenada/Lebanon
August 24, 1982 to July 31, 1984

Panama
December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990

Persian Gulf
August 2, 1990 to present

Wilma · October 03, 2011, 07:21:11 AM

Frank, I didn't know that. Thanks. I thought that just being a member of an armed service made one eligible. The fact remains though, that the younger should be insisting on doing their share of leadership in the community. The old fogies need to go ride a float.

larryJ · October 03, 2011, 08:39:56 AM

Frank is correct as far as the eligibility requirements. I feel that membership should be open to all that served, but rules are rules until someone changes them. Having recently joined the Newport post, I find that my weekends are getting to be more fun. Although the drive is long, I get to see my son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter more. The reason I feel membership should be open to all is because they allow dependents such as my son to join as a "SAL", son of a Legionnaire, which he did. We are both members and he lives less than a mile down the street from the post. I do sense a "political" feeling there though. I don't know how true this is, but on one of my visits there, I overheard a conversation about some Navy Seals who disrupted a meeting or something like that and were thrown out and not allowed back and the ban was put on all Navy Seals, I heard. Like I said, it was a story and I don't know if its true. But, I guess if you just go and play nice and follow the rules, they will welcome you with open arms. I went yesterday and enjoyed a wonderful time with my son and family, ate lunch, watched the boats, the girls in bikinis paddling around on boards, life just doesn't get much better than that. In this post the younger members do all the honor guard work and show up at funerals for flag ceremonies and they check IDs at the gates. WWII vets are highly honored and we do have a few. When introduced at any ceremony, they receive a standing ovation. I am glad my son talked me into joining even if it was for selfish reasons, i.e., so he could join.

Larryj

frawin · October 03, 2011, 09:47:13 AM

Larry, in my opinion all members of any service branch at any time are special heroes. I had three brothers in WWII and one of them also was called back and served in Korea. I had 4th brother that served in Korea and 2 tours in Vietnam and was career military, all 4 of them are heroes to me. Those that served in Vietnam were no different than those that served in WWII, they were serving their country and following the orders of their CIC and risking their lives every minute to do it. I had one Nephew Killed in Vietnam and another seriously wounded. At one time I had a brother and 3 Nephews in Vietnam and they all served their country proudly.
Larry I agree with you that Legion Membership should be open to all that served.

jarhead · October 03, 2011, 11:14:00 AM

Sounds like the Winn family went above and beyond the call of duty. My hats off to them all.
I'm also with you and Larry both on why all honorably discharged vets can't join the Legion.
Both my brothers were Marines and served a tour in Nam and they were my heroes but sometimes I think we use that term too loosely. I know just because I served don't make me a hero by any means. Like I told you privately before, there were several times I was so scared I was shaking like a coon dog passing a peach seed and my teeth chattered as loud as two skeletons getting it on, on a tin roof----and that sure aint heroic.

It is almost embarrassing to me for someone to thank me for my service because I didn't think it was any thing special---I just thought it was the right thing to do.
Please don't tell ol Sarge I said that I was scared, because I got him thinking I was a born again Chesty Puller.

Teresa · October 03, 2011, 11:16:36 AM

Quote from: jarhead on October 03, 2011, 11:14:00 AM

It is almost embarrassing to me for someone to thank me for my service because I didn't think it was any thing special---I just thought it was the right thing to do.
Please don't tell ol Sarge I said that I was scared, because I got him thinking I was a born again Chesty Puller.

Your secret is safe with us jarhead...

I am proud of all of you who are serving or have served in any capacity..

frawin · October 03, 2011, 11:27:31 AM

Quote from: Teresa on October 03, 2011, 11:16:36 AM
Your secret is safe with us jarhead...
I am proud of all of you who are serving or have served in any capacity..

Well said Teresa, Ron, my guess is that even Sgt. York and Audie Murphy had times when they were scared, but they were still Heroes.

jarhead · October 03, 2011, 12:33:21 PM

Quote from Teresa:
Your secret is safe with us jarhead...

Right Blondie---I trust you being tight lipped, about the same as I do that Bartlesville Bucket Mouth !!!

frawin · October 03, 2011, 12:53:11 PM

Quote from: jarhead on October 03, 2011, 12:33:21 PM
Quote from Teresa:
Your secret is safe with us jarhead...

Right Blondie---I trust you being tight lipped, about the same as I do that Bartlesville Bucket Mouth !!!

Give a person some compliments and see how he reacts, Teresa we need to think of some bad stuff to pay this guy back. I need to talk to Sarge and he can probably tell me enough bad stuff about old Jughead to keep him quiet for awhile.

Patriot · October 03, 2011, 01:00:27 PM

While I can see possible membership limitations for the VFW, it seems the American Legion should be open to all honorably discharged vets. After all, their voluntary willingness to serve deserves recognition even if their higher ups never put them in harms way. The Legion seems the logical place for all continue sharing their unique brotherhood and to be commemorated.