A week of engagement ahead

Dear American Legion Family and Friends,

In a few days many of us will gather in Milwaukee for our 103rd National Convention. I am thankful for the opportunity to meet again in person, and I look forward to seeing many of you there.

We have a great schedule of events and activities planned, and if you are coming to convention, I encourage you to attend and participate in every opportunity available. Our national convention is a time to engage with one another, build camaraderie, share best practices and learn new tools that you can take back to your post, district and department level.

For those unable to attend convention in person, there are opportunities for you to engage virtually. From the comfort of your own home, you can view the events on the convention floor where you will hear remarks from distinguished guests, see award presentations and participate in the election of a new national commander.

And there will be many more highlights available for viewing remotely. You can click here to see more information about convention and how to follow coverage of it.  A few highlights of the 103rd National Convention include:

·   Legion Family members will conduct a service project at the Milwaukee War Memorial Center on Friday, Aug. 26, where they will clean up the area that is a hub for veteran activities.

·  A presentation on  the Legion’s motto Veterans Strengthening America will be given on Monday, Aug. 29, where attendees, while supplies last, will receive a copy of “Century of Service: An Illustrated History of The American Legion,” bookazine that chronicles the organization’s first century.

·  A variety of workshops will be conducted by subject matter experts, MyLegion.org staff and The American Legion Media Alliance.

·  Try your hand at gaming with Regiment Gaming – the largest military gaming community in the nation that The American Legion has partnered with since last December with an online tournament that was viewed by more than 250,000 people.

·  The Legion’s Facebook page will provide live coverage of the General Sessions – Aug. 30, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, starting at 8:30 a.m. Central time. Tune in to see remarks from guests such as VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Distinguished Service Medal recipient Phil Roe, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Robert M. Patterson, and Rudd Institute for Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention. You also will see presentations for membership awards, Legacy Run donations, Fourth Estate Awards, National Firefighter of the Year award, National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award and more.

We have a great national convention ahead of us. I look forward to seeing you there to continue building upon what we do best and who we are …

Veterans Strengthening America

Paul E. Dillard

National Commander

The American Legion