Sons can help grow the Legion

Since 1932 the Sons of The American Legion has pledged to support the programs and goals of the world’s greatest veterans organization. I am proud of the membership efforts of the Sons this year. While we surpassed last year’s membership numbers, we are not going to let our foot off the gas and we will continue our recruitment, retention and squadron revitalization efforts.

But I would also like us to dedicate the rest of June to supporting another vital endeavor of The American Legion – helping it pass its membership goal for 2017. As of last week, the Legion is still about 87,000 members short of this goal.

Many of us have had a Legionnaire or wartime veteran parent, grandparent or great grandparent move on to Post Everlasting. What better way to honor his or her legacy then for us to recruit another wartime veteran to fill those shoes in The American Legion?

If each SAL detachment can put out maximum effort and recruit or renew 1,600 veterans to the Legion, we can put it over the top.

Legionnaires have given us so much. They gifted our country with outstanding programs and advocacy. They are responsible for our freedom and American way of life. Helping The American Legion grow is just another way that we can say "thank you."

The 2017 membership year is winding down quickly. This goal may seem unrealistic to some. But think of another "unrealistic" goal set 55 years ago by one of those now departed Legionnaires.

In his famous moon speech, John F. Kennedy chose some much more imposing goals "not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win..."

Let’s get another win for The American Legion.