Flanders Field post continues to blossom

Sons of The American Legion member Paul Vande Walle stood, dressed in suit and tie, in the early June sunshine at Flanders Field Cemetery in Waregem, Belgium. He was there to see American Legion National Commander Mike Helm and American Legion Auxiliary National President Janet Jefford place wreaths at the chapel there, surrounded by the graves of 368 American soldiers who gave their lives in uniform nearly a century ago. Once the ceremony was over, Vande Walle showed the commander why he’s a member of the SAL.

"My grandfather was a member and a founder of the post," he explained, displaying yellowed photos of a strapping young doughboy from the Great War and other pictures that followed his discharge when U.S. veterans of World War I established what would become Belgium’s only Legion post, named for the poem and the poppies that stand to this day as universal symbols of military sacrifice.

In 2013, the number of American Legion posts in Belgium almost reached zero. Vande Walle always believed that his SAL squadron, established in 1973, would not lose its parent post.

"As long as there is one member, there is a post," he said. "It is important to pass the torch to the next generation."

That’s exactly what’s been happening over the last two years at Post BE02 in the Department of France.

"The enthusiasm has been amazing," Post Commander Joseph Schram explained, adding that the key to membership recovery has been active connection with U.S. military personnel stationed at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and NATO headquarters in Brussels. Today, Post BE02 has more than 80 members from throughout Belgium. It has an American Legion Riders chapter that recently led a trek through the Alps and a new American Legion Auxiliary unit whose 18-year-old president is 2014 Department of France Oratorical Contest winner Ruth Alvarez. The post and unit had their first Boys State and Girls State participants in 2015 (through Maryland) and are launching an American Legion Junior Shooting Sports program, working with Junior ROTC in the SHAPE/NATO community. The post also sponsors a Boy Scouts of America Venturing Crew chapter to provide positive outdoor experiences to young people and help them mature into responsible adults. On the 4th of July, the Flanders Field Legion Riders and Auxiliary chapter were serving traditional American fare in Brussels, bringing a taste of home to U.S. military families and civilians living there.

Programs for young people is one attraction to the Legion for the active-duty personnel and veterans of Belgium. Another is expertise navigating the world of VA benefits, which can be especially daunting for veterans living in foreign countries. Schram is a Legion service officer who helps them file for VA benefits and understand how to obtain them overseas.

Somewhere near the center of the post’s resurgence – which Schram says he expects will jump from 80 to 120 this membership year – is its dedication to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The post’s adopt-a-grave program at Flanders Field American Cemetery has been a major triumph, said Superintendent Chris Arseneault, who manages the American Battle Monuments Commission site in Waregem. More than 400 – primarily Belgians – have adopted graves at the cemetery, researched the name of the man buried there, making regular visits to decorate and honor his memory.

"Within two months, we had 100-percent adoption, even onto the Wall of the Missing," Arseneault said. The program took off because Schram simply asked the superintendent what his post could do for the cemetery, which gets up to 30,000 visitors a year. "The adopters are now connecting with American families and inviting them to come," Arsenault said. The program has received media attention in the United States, as well.

The post also has benefited from a robust communications program that uses Facebook and e-newsletters to keep members informed and energized. The post also has a well-organized website and makes frequent submissions to the national FODPAL (Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of The American Legion) website at www.legion.org/fodpal.

"I believe that our growth is due to the amount of visibility that the post has in the communities," Schram said. "During our first year, we conducted an oratorical contest, participated in myriad parades and ceremonies and conducted a number of membership drives throughout military communities. By our second year, the Legion Riders were instrumental in portraying a youthful and energetic post. The communities expected us to participate in the various activities such as Trunk or Treat, Veterans Day Poppy Parade and the 4th of July celebration. With the advent of the American Legion Auxiliary chapter and the growth of our membership, we now have the ability to expand our projects and programs."