Acclaimed digital content producer Austin Von Letkemann has a social media following in the millions. He’s using that platform – and used Army-Navy Game Media Row -- to get the word out about the organization.
Known as Mandatory Funday, Legionnaire and U.S. Army Capt. Austin von Letkemann has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, another 1.3 million on TikTok and more than 900,000 combined on Facebook and X. On Instagram alone, his monthly audience reaches 50 million unique viewers.
And one of his favorite ways to use his far-reaching social media voice is to talk about The American Legion. That ability was on full display on Media Row the day before the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA in the Baltimore Convention. Von Letkemann teamed with fellow digital content producer Johnny Vargas to talk with multiple outlets – some national, some local markets from across the country – about the Legion’s mission, military service in general, and who was going to win the Army-Navy Game.
Von Letkemann said he has a checklist before representing an organization and that the Legion checks all the boxes. “There’s a couple things when I work for an organization that I need, or I will not work for them,” he said. “I need to believe in the mission, first and foremost. I need to use the product or service. And I need to have met the team, and they need to be people that I believe their heart is in it.
“I’ve never worked with an organization that encompasses that more than The American Legion. Every single person that I interact with, it’s not even just they are very much mission-focused and they want to help. But it’s also I’d grab a beer with this person. I’d have dinner with this person. I’d introduce this person to my family.”
Von Letkemann said his relationship with the Legion allows the organization to reach a younger demographic in a way at which the content producer excels – especially at an event like “America’s Game.”
“I’m going to be a person to use (American Legion) service one day. I want to get it to the younger generation,” Von Letkemann said. “We’re not as social as we used to be. And so, meeting people online in that space is something I’m good at. I found I have a talent for it. And I want to help The American Legion with that.
“I always tell people I love doing anything for The American Legion because The American Legion … puts me in the midst of my community, which is usually the veteran community. But Army-Navy is special because it’s cadets, servicemembers and veterans. It’s like all the people that I want to make laugh, because that’s why I do what I do. I want to make people happy, and The American Legion allows me to do that.”
While using his comedic skills at each stop, Von Letkemann also talked about the Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention mission, including with WBAL News Radio, Navy’s flagship station. “I’ve lost more friends to suicide than in combat. And it’s really hard,” he said. “I tell people all the time, ‘If you ever think to yourself … (about a memory from serving) and you think to a specific person, reach out to them.’ They’re probably doing OK. But they might not be, and that phone call may be critical to saving them.”
Vargas, a U.S. Army first sergeant and better known on social media as Viva La Vargas, has 120,000-plus TikTok followers with more than 7.5 million likes. Across all social media platforms, he estimates he has around 300,000 followers with a reach of 35-45 million users each month.
During one of the stops on Media Row, Vargas brought out how the Legion makes an impact both national and locally. “(The American Legion’s) reach is international. It’s national. But it’s also very local,” Vargas told Nemo Radio. “I was recently in California. As you know, the Palisades fires happened. I’m from California. I still have tons of family there. It was really cool to see what the local American Legion (posts) were doing. Some of their buildings were on fire, and they were out in the community (helping out). It’s the little things that people don’t see, but then there’s also big things nationally.”
The pair also promoted the Legion’s Army-Navy Rivalry campaign, which allows supporters donate on behalf of either Team Army or Team Navy to American Legion Charities. The funds raised will go to support veteran suicide prevention initiatives, providing vital support for military and veteran parents in unexpected financial crises, training service officers to support veterans and active-duty servicemembers with claims, disaster assistance and more.
Von Letkemann said the Legion’s associate sponsorship of the Army-Navy Game shows its commitment to future veterans, as well as those veterans or active-duty servicemembers of what the Legion does or what it has to offer.
“It matters because this is the next generation of servicemember and leaders,” he said. “This is how The American Legion gets in front of the people they will one day help. Honest to God, this is a testament to The American Legion’s dedication because theoretically, the vast majority of people they’re reaching during this game are probably still in the military and not necessarily thinking about what The American Legion can do for them. This is an investment in their future. That’s incredible.”
Two of the Legion’s Tango Alpha Lima podcast hosts, Adam Marr and Joe Worley, also interviewed multiple guests throughout the day from their high-profile spot on Media Row. The lineup included Naval Academy Superintendent Lt. General Michael J. Borgschulte, Merging Vets & Players founder/vice president and former Green Beret Nate Boyer, Baltimore Ravens Senior Vice President of Communications Chad Steele, Miss America Cassie Donegan, executives from USAA and others.
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