New honor and remembrance web page

A servicemember receives a commendation for selfless bravery in the heat of battle. An honor guard member presents the American flag to a grieving family member. A family tree boasts decades of military service through the generations.

Those are all images that summon thoughts of honor and remembrance. Given the immense interest in those subjects, The American Legion has launched a special web page — www.legion.org/honor — that features stories, photos and videos of bravery, courage and sacrifice. There is also resource information that will help you find a museum, memorial or cemetery to visit; details about securing medals and citations; and opportunities to share your family’s story of military service.

Other highlights of the web page include:

• Inspiring and educational stories. Did you know that an 87-year-old Legionnaire is still serving with his post’s honor guard? Or that Fort Jackson in South Carolina has a museum that traces a recruit’s basic training from the initial haircut through graduation? Those stories, and others from past issues of American Legion Magazine, are available.
• A 1,200-plus database of places to visit. We have collected names and addresses of more than 1,200 museums, memorials, monuments and cemeteries where veterans are honored. They are compiled in a database, searchable by state and category. We will continue to update the database with entries. To suggest an addition, send an email to honor@legion.org or call (317) 630-1298.
• A virtual tour. It’s impossible to visit all of the sites dedicated to veterans and wars. However, we have collected and published photo galleries ranging from Arlington National Cemetery to U.S. memorials in Europe to memorials and museums around the United States.

We invite you to share your stories about military service, your family’s military legacy and other connections to the Armed Forces. For example, here is one family’s military and American Legion legacy story:

"I wake up every day thankful for the generations before me who served this country and kept us safe. My grandfather, Richard Paige, served in the Navy during the Korean War and has been a member of The American Legion ever since. My younger brother, Scott, is a Sergeant (11B) in the Army currently on his second deployment to Afghanistan with the 173rd Infantry. Scott exemplifies what it means to be from the Volunteer State and is a member of Post 107 in Soddy-Daisy, as am I. Our family enjoys giving back to our community through the works of (the) Legion because we have felt their generosity and sense of patriotism ever since I was a delegate to Boys State in 2002." – Kevin Beavers, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Here is how you can participate:

1. Go to www.Legiontown.org.
2. Click on "Share Your Story" in the upper-right hand corner.
3. Review the categories and select the most appropriate one. Categories that will appear on the Honor and Remembrance web page include "My Time in Uniform," "Family Legacy," "Honor Guard," "Honors and Achievements" and "Post Museum."
4. Have questions? Send an email to honor@legion.org.

Additionally, we want to honor those who have passed on. Families are encouraged to submit obituaries of veterans by going to www.legion.org/honor and clicking on "In Memoriam" on the right-hand side. Once you fill in the deceased’s name, the obituary and upload a photo (optional), just hit the save button. There is no charge.