Pennsylvanian elected SAL national commander
Newly elected SAL National Commander Chris Huntzinger. (Photo by Eldon Lindsay)

Pennsylvanian elected SAL national commander

Chris Huntzinger of Penbrook Squadron 730 in Harrisburg, Pa., was elected national commander of the Sons of The American Legion Sunday during the organization’s 41st national convention in Indianapolis.

“I plan to promote the heck out of this organization,” Huntzinger said after assuming the SAL’s highest office. “Positive exposure is going to do wonders. We don’t have a problem getting new members. If we educate them, they will stay and we can be a viable force in the organization.”

Huntzinger, 55, is a 23-year member of the SAL. He helped charter the Penbrook squadron, which has grown from 16 to 600 members over the years. He went on to serve as detachment commander in 2001 and 2002 and as a national executive committeeman from 2003 to 2008. He has held numerous other offices at every level of the SAL.

The new commander announced that the Fisher House Foundation is his fundraising project this year.
His eligibility in the SAL is established by his father, Paul Huntzinger, a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. His grandfather, Phillip Huntzinger, Sr., served in the Army during World War II.