Our devotion to mutual helpfulness

I received a letter last month from Legionnaire Michael Barrett. His message of gratitude reiterated that as Legionnaires we have 12,500 local outlets manned by battle buddies devoted to mutual helpfulness.

Barrett, who served as the 17th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Marine Corps and addressed attendees of the 2018 National Convention in Minneapolis, was traveling from Oregon to Indiana with his son and future daughter-in-law, Lisa.

The three-vehicle caravan was traveling through Wyoming on Day 2 of their road trip when Lisa’s Nissan broke down. About one mile from where the vehicle was stranded was Rock Springs, Wyo. It was a Saturday at “6 a.m., pitch black, no signs of life,” wrote Barrett.

Then he saw The American Legion emblem.

“Rock Springs is limited in services, especially on a Saturday,” Barrett wrote. “The Nissan dealer had a sign on their service center door, ‘Open M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM.’ At this point I figured we were stuck for two days in this little Wyoming piece of paradise.”

It was then that he contacted American Legion Executive Director Chanin Nuntavong in Washington, D.C., about connecting with Department of Wyoming leadership, who, in turn, got in touch with VA&R Chairman Ralph Bozella of Colorado. Bozella reached out to people he knew in Wyoming.

“Within minutes of my call with Nuntavong, Mike Cooke (Department of Wyoming commander and Post 24 member in Rock Springs) and I were coordinating. The Rock Springs (Post 24) went into action and welcomed us like we were family. Mike went as far as organizing professional mechanics all of which are Legionnaires.  

“Needless to say by 1200, Team Barrett was back on the road.  We made our deadline reaching Bloomington (Ind.) as planned.  

“I felt so proud, and relieved, being a Legionnaire ... I know any and every Legion department is ready to perform for their brothers and sisters as my family and I experienced.”

I am pleased that the American Legion Family in Wyoming and of Post 24 could help. I appreciate Barrett sharing his mutual helpfulness experience.

This is just one of many stories I hear and receive from members of the good deeds and kindness performed by their fellow Legionnaires.

As we continue to charter through this difficult time of loss, financial hardships or separation from family and friends due to COVID-19, let The American Legion continue to be there for one another. Membership & Post Activities Chairman Jay Bowen summed this up well during his remarks to the National Executive Committee last month.

“There is no question we are living in unprecedented times,” Bowen said. “But we are not that special – every generation before us had an unprecedented event occur that defined that generation. Our rich history tells the stories of how we worked together to overcome and respond to those events. What will history record about our response?

“I submit to you it needs to say, ‘The American Legion was there for veterans and community then, we are there now, and we will be there always.’”