Top 5: save the date, 30th anniversary gear, a four-part war story
1. Gear up for the Legacy Run
If you’re participating in the 2023 American Legion Legacy Run, new gear is available for purchase – a 30th anniversary commemorative short- and long-sleeved T-shirt. The shirts are available through Emblem Sales. Orders must be in by July 15 to have them in time for the Legacy Run.
The five-day, 1,100-mile ride will leave American Legion Post 6 in Kokomo, Ind., on Aug. 20 and travel through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee before the final stop at the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord, N.C., on Aug. 24. Register here.
Ride for the cause: The Legacy Run is in the final year of raising money for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance with college for children of U.S. military personnel killed while on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, as well as for children of post-9/11 veterans with a combined disability rating of 50 percent or greater by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last year’s ride raised a record $1,324,548 – the eighth time the Legacy Run has surpassed $1 million.
2. Save the date: July 1
On the first day of every month, Resolution 13: Be the One Days, urges Legion Family members to wear a Be the One item to show their commitment to reducing the stigma around mental health issues among veterans and servicemembers. And 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. The resolution was passed by the National Executive Committee during the American Legion’s Spring Meetings in May with June 1 being the kickoff.
Saturday, July 1 is the next Be the One Days so mark your calendar and wear a Be the One item.
Show your support: 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. And show your support of Be the One Days at legiontown.org under the Be the One category.
3. Watch a Vietnam War Seabee’s four-part story
At 25, David O. Warnken of Hutchinson, Kan., was informed one day that his draft notice was in the mail, but there was one billet available for him in the Navy. He took it. Sooner than he could have imagined, the farm boy from Kansas was a Seabee in the Vietnam War, an experience that would forever shape his life. What the four-part video series of Hutchinson, a longtime American Legion officer, on the Legion’s YouTube channel: Episode 1: From Farm to Fight; Episode 2: Bootcamp to Combat; Episode 3: Vietnam to Post 68; and Episode 4: A War Finally Over.
Share your memory: The American Legion wants to honor those who you remembered on Memorial Day. Visit Legiontown web page and select the Memorial Day category to share a story or photo about whom you honored on this sacred day.
4. Legionnaire shares his journey across the United States
Marine Corps veteran and Navy Cross recipient Justin “J.D.” LeHew walked 3,365 miles across the United States last year to raise awareness about the nation’s more than 81,000 POWs and MIAs. LeHew, a Legionnaire, is the chief operating officer of History Flight, a private, POW-MIA search and recovery organization. It has spearheaded the recovery of nearly 400 missing U.S. servicemembers, leading to more than 160 positive identifications thus far. He’s also the first post-Vietnam War national commander of The Legion of Valor – the oldest veteran service organization open to recipients of the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross.
LeHew is this week’s special guest in a new episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Share your memory: Don’t miss when a new episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast is released. Sign up for the podcast e-newsletter.
5. Legion youth program names finalists to compete in Colorado
Out of the more than 800 youth who entered round one of The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports individual postal match competition last fall, the top 30 competitors are advancing to The American Legion’s 32nd Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo. The championship tournament will be held July 20-22 at the USA Shooting Range at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The top competitor from both the precision and sporter category will win a championship title and a $5,000 scholarship provided by The American Legion and the Sons of The American Legion. See the top 30 competitors.
Be a part of the program: If you’re interested air rifle competition where you shoot in three positions – prone, standing and kneeling – and want to compete for a chance to earn a spot at the national championships, visit the Legion’s Junior Shooting Sports Program page to learn more.