‘The ability to put the Legion out into the community’
In addition to fulfilling The American Legion’s mission of continuing to serve community, state and nation, post programs and activities offer avenues to attract new members who find those avenues meaningful to them. And more members means more opportunities to fulfill the Legion’s mission.
One such avenue is a post ham radio club. The national American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) estimates more than 50 post clubs – and more than 4,500 TALARC Legionnaires – across the country. Among these are clubs in Florida and Colorado that have established themselves as active participants in Legion life.
Felix Sosa-Camejo American Legion Post 346 in Miami was founded in 1987. Benny F. Benitez is both the post’s commander, and a ham operator for the past several years. He has combined the Legion and ham radio missions with his post-Navy career in aviation – the club he started is also an entity at the George T. Baker Aviation Technical College, part of the Miami-Dade school system. A leading concern of Benitez’s is disaster preparedness. South Florida has traditionally been an epicenter of hurricane activity; that activity has fallen off lately, but as Benitez says, that “makes people forget about it.” Both high-schoolers and adults attend Baker and the ham classes there; Benitez raised money to obtain equipment. “I am capitalizing on these combined attributes to create a platform for our young Americans to learn a skill whilst promoting Americanism and patriotism,” he continues. Along with the outreach to youth comes outreach to the veterans among the adult students – he says the effort has netted two new post members so far.
Post 346 does not currently have a post home, and since the pandemic started has been conducting its meetings via Zoom. That means the ham club is on its own too. Benitez and one other post member are licensed hams, and he is trying to get more members licensed. He is also trying to get a base-station license of its own for Baker. Future plans include expansion onto social media, alliances with prominent Miami-area radio clubs, and fostering both ham radio and “the ability to put the Legion out into the community.”
The ham radio club at Neal Thomas Jr. Centennial American Legion Post 209 in Colorado Springs, Colo., was started about three years ago, the first in the department. Club president George Johnson describes the club’s founders as “a group of veterans who were involved with the Legion to some degree, but also happened to be ham radio operators. When we heard of the national TALARC we became interested in using our hobby as a vehicle to assist in the Legion.” Disaster preparedness was also high on the group’s agenda. The club has a physical presence in the post home, in the form of antennae and equipment. It conducts FCC license tests at least twice a year, and an annual Scouting Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) event.
Club representatives make reports at club meetings. Johnson estimates the club has brought in about five members, and adds that “involvement in TALARC has made some of our members more involved in the Legion than they would have been otherwise; it certainly has been in my case.” As the first Legion ham club in Colorado, they have fielded requests for assistance from other post, which builds connections. According to Johnson, future plans include disaster communications plans for members, and communications support to the post’s Riders.
For more information on how to start a post ham radio club, visit TALARC’s Resources page.