Robert Laquerre thanked his Legion Family Post 34 members for being the one for him by coordinating a Be the One photo for all to see.
Robert Laquerre joined The American Legion in April 2023 at 71 years old after making some life changes. He moved to Charlestown, R.I., and joined Post 34 where he found “a bunch of good people,” he said. “Everybody had a story. Everybody had their own set of circumstances that they had to deal with in their lives, and it was very touching and warming for me.”
As he began to learn about the Legion Family – Legionnaires, Sons of The American Legion, Auxiliary and Legion Riders – the Marine Corps veteran “felt that we were all the same. That we were all one. And they are the ones who were here for me, and I wanted to pay that forward.”
When Laquerre heard about the Legion’s suicide prevention mission with Be the One, he bought over 70 Be the One T-shirts for members of his post family. He then coordinated a photo of everyone in their shirts on Jan. 1 to pledge their support for Be the One in the new year.
It was an opportunity for Laquerre to support Be the One by showing “the world all these people who are special in my life what I see … that everybody gets to see that our goal is to help everyone. It’s not just the Legionnaires. It’s the SAL, it’s the Auxiliary members. Listen to their stories and reach out to them when they need it. Give them a call. Ask how they're doing. Do they need a ride someplace? Do you want to be with someone? (The photo) was a way to show appreciation to all those (Legion Family members) who helped me. Because they were the one for me.
“We can help spread the word that we can all Be the One for one another.”
- Be the One