Wisconsin Legionnaires 'band' together to raise awareness

With members of the University of Wisconsin’s marching band belting out the school fight song and other tunes, participants in Saturday’s Awareness Walk for Veterans in Madison, Wis., had a little extra pep in their step.

“Boy, did it pep everybody up this morning as we took off,” American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett noted.

Saturday’s walk, in conjunction with the Department of Wisconsin’s state convention, was the 40th such event for Barnett since he was elected national commander during the 2015 National Convention in Baltimore.

“We’ve gone to different locations, different venues, sometimes we’ve walked at the state capitol, which really brings awareness to our legislative priorities, and that’s always an opportunity,” Barnett said. “We’ve done it on beaches, we’ve done it on the boardwalk, we’ve done it in Hollywood, so it’s not the location; it’s the message. And of course, if we can find a location where there’s lots of people and lots of visibility, that’s the real winner when we can get out in front of the American public and tell our story.”

Wisconsin Department Adjutant David Kurtz agreed that the awareness walks are important for spreading the Legion’s message.

“The programs of The American Legion are designed to help America work,” Kurtz said. “Programs like Boys State, American Legion Baseball, the Oratorical (Contest) scholarship competition, all these things in our local communities are demonstrations of what veterans continue to do to still serve America. Veterans of this state are the backbones of our community, and a lot of people aren’t aware of that. And we feel that it’s important that they are aware of that, to understand that this intellectual commitment to our country that we teach through our Americanism programs are critical to the future of this country.”

The mile-long walk took participants from the hotel hosting the state convention to the starting line for a 5K run/walk where some of the walkers continued on as runners. Drivers and shoppers along the route applauded and waved as the walkers passed, with one woman shouting, “Thank you for what you do!”

“The importance of the awareness walks, the word captures it – awareness, awareness of who we are in The American Legion, what we’re doing for our communities, and also an awareness of the issues facing veterans today,” Barnett said. “It gives us an opportunity to get outside the convention hall, or outside of the post home, and out into the community where people see us. …

“When they see us out walking with the (Legion) family, then they start asking questions, and that’s our opportunity to tell our story.”

The walks are also aimed at raising money for the National Emergency Fund, which provides financial grants to qualified posts and Legion family members affected by declared natural disasters.

National Vice Commander David Gough joined Kurtz in thanking Barnett for his efforts to raise awareness through the walks.

“Commander Barnett has done such important work to raise awareness about The American Legion across this country. We really want to salute Commander Barnett and thank him for his service, and his continued commitment to America’s veterans,” Kurtz said.