My message: Carry the Legacy Forward

I have pushed the importance of membership, both with recruiting and retaining, since I took office as your national commander last September. As we dip below 2 million members, membership is of great concern to me.

We lost 66,000 members in 2017 to post everlasting, however, we only gained 64,267 new traditional members. And there are more than 18 million eligible members who need to hear from The American Legion.

Even though  my time as the Legion’s national commander is coming to a close, membership will always be a message that I will continue to deliver and push for. Please remember that it’s membership that keeps our programs viable and able to support youth, veterans and their families; allows us to advocate for veterans; and makes us the strongest veterans service organization in the nation.

Without membership, who is going to contribute the more than 645,000 volunteer hours at VA hospitals that our dedicated members did last year?

Who is going to fundraise for our Operation Comfort Warriors program and help deliver those donations to America’s wounded, injured and ill heroes to let them know that within a grateful nation resides an especially grateful American Legion Family?

And who is going to hold the VA accountable to ensure our veterans receive the health care and benefits they so rightfully deserve?

As we approach The American Legion’s 100th anniversary in 2019, membership will remain poignant in leading the largest veterans service organization into its next century. We need your help if the only organization that we all love is going to remain relevant. Are we doing all that we can to say, ‘Join us!,’ to those eligible to do so?

Remember, membership will always be the lifeblood of The American Legion.

I thank you for allowing me to serve as your national commander, as it has been my greatest honor to represent each and every one of you during my travels to posts, department conventions and our nation’s capital.

Now I’ll leave you with my lasting message – Carry the Legacy Forward. If you do, we will carry The American Legion into its next century.