March 19, 2014

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) celebrated the Legion’s 95th birthday by conducting a special event ham radio operation on Saturday, March 15.

More than 300 amateur radio operators from around the United States and Canada contacted the national headquarters station in Indianapolis to wish the Legion a happy birthday. Many of them are members of TALARC; some even transmitted from their American Legion post.

"Special event operations are important and beneficial to the Legion and its radio club," notes TALARC president Marty Justis. "The importance is that these exercises give opportunity to radio club members to test their equipment as part of a nationwide network of amateur operators. This strengthens the Legion's disaster preparedness efforts in support of the Department of Homeland Security, should the need arise. The benefit is that these exercises give exposure to the Legion, worldwide, via the air waves. And that can, and does, boost membership in the club and in the Legion."

With a membership roster growing every day, there are nearly 1,700 members made up of FCC-licensed “hams” who are Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion or members of The American Legion Auxiliary; many are Legion Riders with radios aboard their motorcycles.

Stations who contacted headquarters and sent a SASE will receive a full-color commemoration certificate.

For more information on TALARC, go to www.legion.org/hamradio.

See more about the event on YouTube: http://youtu.be/R25wy4FNxcs