Legion's '97 years of commitment to America'

Legion's '97 years of commitment to America'

Charlie Schmidt believes The American Legion membership card holds a responsibility for the entire Legion Family – to carry The American Legion’s legacy forward.

"This card gives you a piece of tradition, a piece of history, a piece of The American Legion. And we have the responsibility to carry the Legion’s legacy forward," said Schmidt, a leading candidate for the Legion’s 2016-2017 national commander. If elected, "Carry the Legacy Forward" will be Schmidt’s slogan.

Schmidt, from the Department of Oregon, said the membership card is a voice and a vote in the Legion, a responsibility and an opportunity to make something good happen; and it makes every Legion Family member a "stakeholder" in the organization.

With the membership card, "we have to decide how big of a footprint we want to leave on this organization. We have a responsibility; we can carry this organization forward," he said.

Besides the value the membership card holds for Legion Family members, Schmidt believes there are also four other reasons why the Legion has existed for 97 years:

Bond. "That bond of taking care of one another still sticks with us, and it's why you joined the post."

Investment in America. "Every one of you is invested in America through your service in the military. You are still investing in America because you believe in what The American Legion believes in, which is serving America."

Consciousness of America. "We are conscious of America because when it comes to advocating for veterans, we are nonpartisan. It's about taking care of our veterans, taking care of national security, taking care of this country."

Credibility. "The American Legion has a very strong, high-level credibility when we go to Capitol Hill."

"The (Legion’s) principles, preamble and phrases have defined who The American Legion is. They defined our causes, they defined who we serve and why we serve. Most of all, they define our commitment – 97 years of commitment to America," Schmidt said.