11 Key Things to Know About the Legion Act
Legislation extends ongoing declared period of war back to December 7, 1941
(Dear Reader, the following material was taken from the American Legion Dispatch, August 2019 edition, a National Headquarters Publication)
With President Trump’s signature on the LEGION Act, the ongoing declared period of war was extended back to December 7, 1941. The congressionally approved act is a way to honor thousands of veterans who were killed or wounded on duty during periods not previously considered a time of war.
“Finally Congress has acknowledged the service and sacrifice of at least 1,600 veterans who died or were wounded in previously undeclared periods of war,” said American Legion Judge Advocate Kevin Bartlett.
“This new law honors the memories of those veterans while allowing other veterans from those previously undeclared eras to receive all the American Legion benefits they have earned through their service.”
The LEGION Act – Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service Act – also redefines The American Legion’s membership eligibility dates. The eligibility now spans from December 7, 1941, until a time when the U.S. is no longer at war, as determined by Congress.
Here are answers to 11 key questions about the new law and what it means for the American Legion.
The Wall That Heals
The organization, Heroes Among Us, is proud to host the Wall that Heals, which is a 375 foot, three quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, D C, this wall replica, bears the names of more than 58,000 service members who lost their lives in Vietnam. The Wall that heals is open to the public 24 hours a day from, Thursday, August 29, 2019, through, Sunday, September 1, 2019, until 3:00 p.m. It will be held at Eisenhower Park, Field number 2, at 1899 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, New York. All ages are welcomed and encouraged to view this Wall, visitors will be able to create name rubbings of individual service member's names. The opening ceremony will be Thursday, August 29th, at 10:00 a.m. Candlelight Vigil will be Friday, August 30th, at 7:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony: Sunday, September 1st at 2:30 p.m. For more information: visit www.heroesamongus24.org or call 239-834-9240. Thank you.
The Legion Act
Congress and the White House agree to expand definition of war eras to include all who served since Dec. 7, 1941.
More than 1,600 members of the U.S. Armed Forces were killed or wounded in periods of time not designated as war eras since the end of World War II. The newly signed Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service Act of 2019 – The LEGION Act – honors those veterans, their spouses and descendants, extending membership eligibility in The American Legion Family to hundreds of thousands who had previously been excluded.
The LEGION Act offers American Legion membership eligibility to any U.S. military veteran who served at least one day of active military duty since Dec. 7, 1941, and was honorably discharged or is serving now. The act also affects membership in the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion, expanding eligibility for those groups, as well.
Thank you to Post members for renewing their 2020 membership
Dear Reader, the following correspondence is a letter from Post 1st Vice President Richard A. Mecabe to Post members thanking them for renewing their membership for the 2020 American Legion Fiscal Year. Courtesy of Post 1st Vice President Richard A. Mecabe.
Dear Legionnaire,
Your 2020 membership card (July 1 – June 30) is enclosed. Thank you for renewing your membership and for your continued support.
By renewing your membership, we are able to continue supporting fellow veterans in need. Throughout the year, we hosted a barbeque and visited the veterans for the holidays from the Veterans’ Nursing Homes in Stony Brook and Northport. We have also assisted in the Veteran Stand-Downs for homeless veterans and we have contributed to Scholarship awards, Boy’s State Program, and have given many Citizenship Awards. This is only a few of our accomplishments.
Read more: Thank you to Post members for renewing their 2020 membership
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