On the first day of every month, Resolution 13 calls for the wearing of Be the One items and local events to bring awareness to the Legion’s suicide prevention initiative.
July 1 is the next “Be the One Days” – a resolution passed by the National Executive Committee during the American Legion’s Spring Meetings in May that calls on Legion Family members to gear up and bring awareness to the Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention initiative on the first day of every month.
Resolution 13 urges Legion Family members to wear a Be the One item on the first day of every month to show their commitment to reducing the stigma around mental health issues among veterans and servicemembers. The other goal is to start a conversation about what Be the One is and how to save the life of a veteran. Legion posts should also promote Be the One on the first day of every month.
Leading candidate for 2023-2024 Department of Arkansas Commander Patrick "Doc" Phillips and his wife Jammie showed their Be the One Days support on June 1 by taking a photo and sharing it on Legiontown.org.
“Jammie and I are deeply vested in this cause,” Phillips said. “I have seen the effects, at a young age, when a WWII veteran and a close friend of my father’s (also a WWII veteran), took his own life with my father present. I've seen the terrible effects of PTSD on veterans who haven't sought out treatment and constantly fear that they might become a statistic. Reaching out to veterans through Buddy Checks at least lets them know someone cares and might someday have to ‘Be the One’ for that veteran.”
Support "Be the One Days" and wear your Be the One gear on Saturday, July 1. You can purchase a Be the One shirt or tack through American Legion Emblem Sales.
For American Legion posts, there are many resources available to use to promote Be the One at the resources web page. These resources include Be the One posters, customizable brochures, a banner, wallet cards and more. To help in your promotional efforts, this video is a great tutorial of how a Legionnaire in Arizona used Be the One promotional materials at his post’s successful event.
We want to see your support of Be the One Days. You can share at legiontown.org under the Be the One category.
You can make a donation to Be the One here. You can also mail a check made payable to “American Legion Charities, Note: Be the One.”
Mail to:
American Legion Charities
Be the One
P.O. Box 7077
Indianapolis, IN 46207
- Be the One