A call to support our Battle Buddies

Dear American Legion members and friends,

We all remember our Battle Buddies.

We served our nation together. Learned how to be good servicemembers together. Helped each other through trying times. We were always there for each other, no matter what.

While our active duty service has concluded, our commitment to fellow veterans has not. That’s the driving force behind The American Legion’s Buddy Check program, which began in 2019.

In that time, we have witnessed countless successes.

Legionnaires have re-engaged with long-lost friends. A simple phone call has brightened an older veteran’s day. And American Legion Family members have provided support in numerous ways to veterans who needed assistance but were too proud to ask.

This month, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting the first National Buddy Check Week, Oct. 16-20. We are honored to be partnering with VA in a kickoff webinar on Oct. 16 to highlight the importance of making connections this week. (Join the webinar here.)

I’m asking all American Legion members to participate in National Buddy Check Week. To help you get started, National Headquarters has updated the Buddy Check resource kit (available here).

You can reconnect with a fellow veteran who you haven’t seen or talked with in a while.

Call up someone you served with and reminisce about the good times. It’s good for the soul.

Reach out to an older veteran in your community and ask there’s anything you can do for them. Maybe it’s picking up groceries, doing a little yardwork or just talking. It all matters.

There are many ways to participate. But what is most important is that we all rally and make the connection with a buddy.

Simply put, they would do it for us.

Daniel Seehafer

National Commander

The American Legion