WASHINGTON (July 8, 2021) – Calling the Taliban “the enemy of all human rights,” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford expressed his organization’s “deep disappointment” that the White House isn’t offering a better plan to evacuate interpreters, family members and other Afghan allies who closely assisted U.S. military troops during the war.
“We welcome an end to ‘forever wars,’ but withdrawal must be conducted in an orderly and honorable manner. This falls short on both counts. Abandonment of those who assisted us is literally an issue of life or death,” Oxford said. “Any veteran who has worked with Afghan interpreters will tell you how valuable these brave heroes were to our mission there. It is precisely because of their dedication to our cause that they are primary targets for barbaric retribution by Taliban terrorists. Their families are also targets. They have already undergone extensive security screening and further processing can occur in Guam or other region safely out of harm’s way. It is a moral imperative that we offer them immediate and safe passage away from the enemy and to the United States. If we abandon such friends, how could we expect any assistance by potential allies in future missions?
“The president said today that his administration approved 2,500 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan nationals since January 20,” Oxford said. “Yet estimates of the backlog run as high as 18,000. If you include close family members, the administration should be prepared to quickly evacuate as many as 70,000. We saved many more lives when we left Vietnam, and even that wasn’t enough when you consider how many were left behind and slaughtered after our departure. A great nation such as the United States does not abandon its friends.”
Oxford also lamented that time is running out, in spite of the letters that he sent to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in April which raised alarms about the dangers faced.
“The American Legion passed a national resolution in 2018 asking the president and Congress to prioritize SIVs for our Afghan and Iraqi allies,” Oxford said. “This is not a new or recent issue. The American Legion is calling on the White House to immediately institute a better plan and evacuate our friends now. Delay means death for many of these brave people.”
Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance observed the last Monday of May each year, honoring members of the United States Armed Forces who died while in service of the United States of America. This year Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 31. In accordance with the U.S. Flag Code [U.S.C. Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7(m)], on Memorial Day the flag of the United States is to be displayed at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff.
The president of the United States has issued a proclamation for display of the United States flag at half-staff until sunset on May 30, 2021, as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless act of violence perpetrated on May 26, 2021, in San Jose, Calif.
INDIANAPOLIS (May 24, 2021) – A central Florida television station, an Illinois newspaper and a popular website will receive The American Legion’s Fourth Estate Award during the 102nd National Convention of the nation’s largest veterans organization in Phoenix, on September 2.
The Fourth Estate Award has been presented annually by The American Legion since 1958 for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism. Nominations in 2021 were considered in three categories: broadcast, print and online media. They were selected by the organization’s Media & Communications Commission earlier this month and announced today.
Taking top honor in the broadcast category is the ABC Action News (WFTS-TV) I-Team in Tampa, Fla. In a comprehensive series titled “The Price of Protection…Problems with Court-Ordered Guardianship,” the E.W. Scripps-owned station examined problems with many of Florida’s court-ordered guardians who victimize vulnerable seniors while profiting from their care. The reporting is believed to have influenced the firing of an agency head by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and reforms passed by the state’s legislature.
Daily Herald of Arlington, Heights, Ill., is being recognized in the print category for its series articles about deceased veterans who died with no relatives willing to arrange funerals. The articles quickly went viral, prompting hundreds of people from the Chicago area to show support and attend memorial services for the veterans, which included military honors.
The Fourth Estate Online Media Award is going to Military.com, a previous recipient of the award. Reporter Gina Harkins was the first to report of a Marine Corps proposal to close its recruit depot at Parris Island, S.C. The proposal was short-lived as several members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation voiced strenuous opposition to any plan that would close the historic facility. Rep. Joe Wilson cited Military.com’s reporting as a direct cause of The Parris Island Protection Act.
“The American Legion has always respected important role of a free press,” said James W. “Bill” Oxford, national commander of The American Legion. “The American Legion would not be nearly as effective without media coverage of our positions and programs on the national and community level. The Fourth Estate Awards represent the best of the best. These award winners are being recognized for outstanding works of journalism that not only stand far above normal media reporting, but have also resulted in outcomes that have positively impacted the lives of people and issues. Our 2021 award winners reflect that. These committed journalists have devoted long, hard hours into investigating, researching, writing and producing reports that have truly made a difference.
“I will be honored to present each of these deserving recipients with our highest recognition of journalistic accomplishment, The American Legion Fourth Estate Award, at our national convention this summer,” Oxford said. “They are all credits to their profession.”
Previous winners of the award include CNN, CBS, USA Today, ABC News, C-SPAN, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Life Magazine, among others.
This year Americans are observing both Peace Officers Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 15th. Peace Officers Memorial Day gives honor to peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty. Armed Forces Day pays tribute to the men and women serving in our nation’s military. The U.S. Flag Code is a codification of rules and customs pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States for use by civilians or civilian groups/organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by executive departments of the government of the United States. In accordance with U.S.C. Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7(m) of the U.S. Flag Code, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. The American Legion encourages Americans to display the flag of the United States on May 15, 2021, to honor the patriotic service of the United States military, while also pausing with bowed head to give remembrance to those peace officers and their families having made the ultimate sacrifice.
Congratulations to Johnny Castro and Bruce Carl for placing 1st in their categories and to Dennis Mallon for placing 2nd in his category. We appreciate your hard work and dedication!
From National: The Race-to-the-Top competition has concluded. The first place winners in each category will receive a trip to the 2021 national convention along with their guest. Second place winners will receive a $500 check for their efforts and third place winners will receive a check for $375. We would like to congratulate the following district commanders on a job well done.
The American Legion Department of Indiana currently has a position available for a Department Adjutant. We offer competitive pay and benefits for the right candidate and will be accepting applications until June 15th, 2021. Please send your resume to The American Legion Department of Indiana, 5440 Herbert Lord Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46216.
WASHINGTON (April 29, 2021) – Stating that “time is of the greatest essence,” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford wrote to President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and called on the administration to speed up the processing of visa applications for interpreters who assisted U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Oxford explained that he sent the letters because of the dire consequences that interpreters face. “A Michigan Legionnaire who served in Afghanistan described the situation in stark terms. Interpreters who are discovered by the Taliban will be swiftly beheaded. The unlucky ones will have to watch their families die first,” he said. “While we welcome an end to these endless wars, we must never abandon the brave Afghan and Iraqi allies who took great personal risk to assist our military with its missions. We must not leave them behind. They have earned safe passage to America.”
Oxford directed his Washington staff to work with the Biden administration on the best way to fix what has been described by Brown University as a “slow and inefficient” processing program that takes over two years. In his letters to Biden and Blinken, Oxford noted that Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients “go through the strictest vetting and approval process of any category of person coming to the U.S. already, but we must balance security concerns with a commitment to those who fought alongside us.”
The American Legion foresaw this issue in 2018 when its National Executive Committee unanimously passed Resolution No. 16, which called for Congress and the president to recognize Afghan and Iraqi SIV recipients who “stood shoulder to shoulder” with U.S. troops and diplomats.
Oxford further promised that “The American Legion will not let this go. Military equipment is being removed from Afghanistan right now. But people are our greatest asset. We urge every American to contact their congressional delegations and insist that they prioritize the protection of our heroic allies and their families.”
It is reported that former Vice President Walter Mondale’s funeral services are being scheduled for September. Flags at the White House and U.S. Capitol have been returned to full-staff.
The American Legion World Series to be held as originally scheduled
INDIANAPOLIS (April 26, 2021) – The head of the nation’s largest veterans organization announced that The American Legion World Series will be played in Shelby, N.C., August 12-17. The eight-team championship tournament is returning after the premier baseball event was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“As a former American Legion Baseball coach, I am extremely excited about the return of this fantastic event,” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford said. “With the availability of vaccines and additional data showing that young people participating in outdoor activities represent a low risk for spread of the virus, we feel that we can conduct a safe world series. This is a very different environment than what we faced last year. Many of us eagerly await the umpire’s welcoming words of ‘play ball!’”
Though final details are still being considered, officials at national headquarters plan to conduct American Legion Boys Nation at Marymount University and the American Legion 3-Position Air Rifle Junior Shooting Sports National Championships in Colorado Springs as originally scheduled. The American Legion will observe Center for Disease Control guidelines and local and state public health mandates for all of its national programs.
(INDIANAPOLIS—April 20, 2021) – American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford issued the following statement today concerning the passing of former Vice President Walter F. Mondale:
“America lost a distinguished statesman and a respected public servant. Vice President Mondale was an Army veteran and a Legionnaire. He was admired by many for the civility and grace that he brought to politics. Our condolences to his family and those who knew him best in his home state of Minnesota.”
As a presidential candidate in 1984, Mondale addressed delegates at the 66th National Convention of The American Legion. “I say that when it comes to our nation’s security, there are no Democrats or Republicans or Independents, only Americans,” he told The American Legion.
In accordance with Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7(m) of the U.S. Flag Code, the United States flag is to be displayed at half-staff from day of death to interment to honor the life of former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale, who passed away on April 19, 2021.
The president of the United States has issued a proclamation for display of the United States flag at half-staff until sunset on April 20, 2021, as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless act of violence perpetrated on April 15, 2021, in Indianapolis.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson makes his highly anticipated INDYCAR debut this weekend in Birmingham, Ala., driving a car featuring American Legion branding prominently in its paint scheme.
The American Legion and Chip Ganassi Racing have entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement for the No. 48 Honda in the NTT INDYCAR Series. Johnson will drive the car during this season’s road races, while 2003 Indianapolis 500 champ Tony Kanaan will compete in oval races in a car featuring an even more prominent American Legion presence.
This weekend, Johnson will compete in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The 90-lap, 214-mile race takes place on a 2.38-mile permanent road course featuring 17 turns and 80 feet of elevation change. For a complete weekend schedule, click here.
The race will be broadcast on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET, as well as on the INDYCAR Radio Network and SiriusXM. Debuting during the television broadcast is an American Legion ad in which Johnson talks about the organization’s efforts both nationally and locally, continuing its tradition of “strengthening America through service.”
For more information on The American Legion and its NTT INDYCAR SERIES participation, visit www.legion.org/48. We’ve also created a printable, downloadable poster/flyer featuring the American Legion-sponsored 48 car and its scheduled appearances in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for 2021 so fans can keep up with the action and promote the competition in their communities. Click here for more info and here to download the poster.
WASHINGTON (April 15, 2021) – Calling the White House plan to fully withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11, “a good start,” the leader of the nation’s largest veteran service organization, The American Legion, is calling for an end to the “Forever war,” nearly twenty years after troops were deployed there.
Acknowledging that the United States “had little choice but to strike back hard” after the 9/11 attacks, American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford called for the repeal of the “outdated authorizations for use of military force” that are currently being used to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Today, there are men and women defending our nation in uniform who were born after 9/11.” Oxford wrote in the May issue of The American Legion Magazine. “Thousands of American lives have been lost or broken fighting the global war on terrorism. An entire generation grew into adulthood without knowing a time when the United States was at peace.”
Oxford’s position mirrors a national resolution titled “Addressing the ‘Forever War,’ passed by The American Legion National Executive Committee (NEC) during its virtual meeting October 14-15, 2020. The NEC Resolution also states, “Our servicemembers accomplished their original objectives in Afghanistan long ago at great cost…”
Oxford penned the magazine piece weeks before the White House had announced its plan. The editorial also calls for the construction of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial in a prominent location in the nation’s capital.
“We understand the value of alliances and certainly favor the elimination of imminent threats,” Oxford said. “But imminent is not the same as permanent. It’s past time to memorialize and honor those who made tremendous sacrifices on our behalf. It’s also time to put diplomacy first.”
WASHINGTON (April 9, 2021) – The leader of the nation’s largest veteran service organization praised the Biden administration for flying the POW/MIA flag atop the White House today.
“It is fitting that this important symbol of sacrifice serve as a poignant reminder to all that thousands of Americans remain unaccounted for after defending this great country,” said American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford. “Today is National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. As far as The American Legion is concerned this flag should be displayed often and in as many locations as possible.”
Please review the information below from National.
Personify – Update
As you are aware, there have been some data and workflow issues with MyLegion as we have migrated to Personify. We wanted to update you on the project, the current issues and how we are addressing them.
Below are the currently known issues along with an estimated time for completion, if known. We will continue to update information about known issues and estimated timelines for completion as they become available. These items and their expected completion dates will be updated this week. We are working diligently to resolve each item based upon the severity and business impact. Looking for a background check uk for employment, this article can explain further.We appreciate your patience as we move forward.
Nearly 100 million records were moved from the old mainframe-based system to Personify. With a move of this size, we expected issues to arise. To address those issues, the team sets priorities based upon the impact to workflow. Many of the issues we have experienced did not appear during testing which began in late August. Since April 1 (six days including a holiday and weekend), we have processed 1,467 membership and other registrations (baseball), and 424 online transmittals comprised of 1,334 TAL/SAL memberships get more information from Andrew Defrancesco. Considering the scope of this project and the numbers shown in the first six days, the overall project has been successful. Again, we knew there would be problems and are working as quickly as we can to get all items resolved.
National Users. Insufficient permissions for Financials
Financials – Debits not matching Credits
Membership converted credit balances
Revenue distribution date for renewals
Data Analyzer – Error on open
Product – Invalid parent message
Department users experience blank dropdowns for post selection in Online Transmittal
Permission issues for Department Users
Department users unable to login
Opt-in/Opt-out interest area not recording changes
Status update of ongoing issues (assigned)
Cache clearing issue when using a shared computer
Assigned
ETA: Evaluating currently
Duplicate accounts caused by multiple registrations
Assigned
Fix requires members to use their registered email. Currently being handled by our Membership Support Services team individually.
Duplicate lines – Online transmittal for transfers
Assigned
ETA: Evaluating currently
Signup Session Expired. Please restart
We are working with Personify to increase the timeout period
The Personify security team has concerns we are attempting to work through
Failure to receive the One Time Password (OTP)
Assigned
ETA: the primary fix has been put in place and we will continue to monitor for several days as there are many reasons an email may not show up right away.
Continuous years missing or 0 in roster
Assigned
ETA: today
Roster load limits
Assigned
ETA: a short-term fix has been put in place but have one item remaining for largest posts
Dual Membership Not Merged
Assigned
ETA: Early to mid-week 4/12
Known issues but not yet assigned
Member transfer – expires
Adjutants cannot print member ID cards
Cannot correct transfer amount due
Committee positions
Display issues related to permissions
“Active” deceased count
95% and 100% Target Date
To ensure all departments have the ability to make the upcoming target dates, we are moving the 95% and 100% target dates. The 95% target date will now be on May 12, 2021 and the 100% target date will be June 9, 2021. However, with that being said, there are a few notable items that need to be addressed.
Target Dates
95% Target Date is May 12, 2021
100% Target Date is June 9, 2021
Delegate Strength Date is July 30, 2021
Race-to-the-Top
Race to the Top certification forms are due to IA & Membership Division by April 30, 2021. The end date for this award is still March 31, 2021. Membership reports are scheduled to be back on line mid-next week and departments can then verify the information, fill out the certification form, and email it to membership@legion.org, fax it to 317.630.1413 or mail it to P.O. Box 1055, Attn: IA & Membership Division, Indianapolis, IN 46206.
Extract for 2022 Membership Cards
This will take place April 16, 2021. Although the 95% Target Date has been extended, please transmit everything the post and department has on hand prior to this extract to ensure those members cards are correct and in place for all members. Keep in mind that if there are issues transmitting through the myLegion portal, we are still processing membership received through the mail. Those transmittals can still be sent to the scanner room for fulfillment. For the good of the member, it is important to transmit all renewals before the April 16th extract date. We want to maximize the number of members who will receive their 2022 Membership Card with the initial run of cards.
All Membership Awards
All membership awards due dates will stay as listed in the National Membership Awards Points Manual except for the Department Commander of the Year Award. This award may now qualify by the June 9th 100% target date. All others remain the same.
The American Legion introduces new marketing logo as part of the unveiling.
INDIANAPOLIS (April 8, 2021) – In a series of humorous videos on social media this week, racing legend Jimmie Johnson finds the missing No. 48 Honda NTT INDYCAR SERIES car safe in the hands of his teammate, 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner Tony Kanaan. Fans positively reacted to the Twitter and Facebook campaign in posts by Chip Ganassi Racing and The American Legion showcasing Kanaan answering phones at The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis, hiding from Johnson and channeling his 20th run in the Indianapolis 500 in the red, white and blue American Legion livery.
“I’m excited to work with The American Legion this year,” Kanaan said. “Jimmie and I had some fun filming the unveil videos. This livery is really sharp looking, and I’m so happy to be running my 20th Indianapolis 500 in it. The American Legion is an important resource for veterans in helping make sure they get the benefits they have earned through their service, and I am proud to represent them, and all veterans.”
The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans service organization, is using its presence in INDYCAR to elevate awareness and introduce a new modern brand expression before millions of fans. The new logo will not replace the historic American Legion emblem, but rather complement it by honoring the history, heritage and symbols which Legionnaires hold dear.
“Just like each one of our military branches, The American Legion will always have and utilize our traditional seal which has deep meaning to each and every Legionnaire,” said Dean Kessel, chief marketing officer for The American Legion. “Our new marketing logo on the No. 48 Honda livery looks fantastic and provides a modern and contemporary expression for the brand. The American Legion name is clearly visible and honors our nation’s veterans while still honoring who we are as an organization.”
The American Legion is prominently featured on the No. 48 Honda during every race in the 2021 and 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. It is the primary paint scheme for two races in 2021, including, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” — the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend – and at the Texas Motor Speedway May 2.
Throughout the year, The American Legion will use the series and national television exposure to bring attention to some of the most important issues facing today’s veterans, including veteran suicide, honoring the fallen and remembering the service and sacrifice rendered as a result of 9/11 and other topics. For more information on The American Legion and its NTT INDYCAR SERIES participation, visit Legion.org/48.
