LEGION REPORTS
Department Membership Summary
Post Membership Summary
Weekly Reports – June 17, 2020
American Legion National Commander: Unequal treatment violates nation’s highest values
(INDIANAPOLIS – June 12, 2020) – American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford issued the following statement today:
“The American Legion stands on principles and serves purposes worldwide that are violated when justice, freedom and democracy are not applied equally, regardless of race, color, creed or class. These principles formed the foundation of the organization over a century ago, in a very different and deeply divided time in U.S. society. As our nation grieves and tries to reconcile the unconscionable deaths of African-American citizens George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, retired St. Louis Police Capt. David Dorn, Federal Protective Services Officer Patrick Underwood in Oakland, Calif., and others, The American Legion stands firm in a value it has upheld, in the form of a national resolution, first adopted 1923:
WHEREAS, The fundamental law of our country guarantees to all peoples equal rights and equal opportunities and the right to worship their God as they see fit; and…
WHEREAS, Membership of The American Legion is made up of those who served our country in a time of great national stress, without distinction as to race, color, creed or class; and…
RESOLVED, …That we consider any individual, group of individuals, or organizations, which creates, or fosters racial, religious or class strife among our people, or which takes into their own hands the enforcement of law, determination of guilt, or infliction of punishment, to be un-American, a menace to our liberties, and destructive to our fundamental law; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we consider such actions by any individual, groups, or organizations, to be inconsistent with the ideals and purposes of The American Legion.
“This resolution’s place in The American Legion’s conscience is so timeless it was reaffirmed, in full, at the organization’s 99th National Convention in 2017.
“Throughout its history, The American Legion has fought to improve racial equality not only for veterans, but for the communities they serve. In 1919, African-American veterans of World War I were among the organization’s founders who adopted a mission statement – the Preamble to The American Legion Constitution – that pledges among other things ‘to maintain law and order,’ ‘promote peace and goodwill on earth’ and ‘safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy.’
“Where the law has been broken, justice must be served. Where freedom has been denied, it must be returned, without prejudice. Our nation has much to consider as we continue to strive toward a shared goal found in the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag: ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ All means all. Anything less than complete equality in the execution of these values today is as un-American now as it was in 1923.”
Weekly Reports – June 11, 2020
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the re-opening provisions of Section 4
EFFECTIVE FRIDAY, 12:01 A.M. ON JUNE 5, 2020
( In Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the re-opening provisions of Section 4 of this order will be considered after each county seeks approval with a written request from the County Mayor or if no mayor the County Administrator. )
To all Department of Florida American Legion Family Members,
Today at a news conference Governor Ron Desantis announced that he was signing an Executive Order moving into Phase 2 of Florida’s reopening. I have placed a few slides from his presentation below. You can download the entire presentation by clicking the button below or by clicking on any one of the slides.
Download: Complete Message | Executive Order | Governor’s Plan
Weekly Reports – June 4, 2020
The American Legion National Commander: ‘America, you can do better than this’
(INDIANAPOLIS—June 1, 2020) – National Commander of The American Legion James W. “Bill” Oxford issued the following statement today:
“The desecration of national war memorials, which honor veterans of all races, is an absolute disgrace. The heroes honored by these monuments fought for social justice and freedom for all. Moreover America’s veterans, who witnessed horrific violence in theaters around the world, should not have to see the same death and destruction here at home. The American Legion has always believed in equality for all. We also believe in the decency of the vast majority of law enforcement officers. Those who break the law, whether they are police officers or violent protestors, should be arrested and prosecuted. America, you can do better than this.”
The American Legion calls for White House to protect vets ‘borrower defense’
(WASHINGTON—May 29, 2020) – The head of the nation’s largest veterans organization is imploring President Trump to sign legislation which would relieve students from repaying loans that were issued because they were defrauded by disreputable schools.
“Veterans have been aggressively targeted due to their service to our country,” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford said. “Student veterans are a tempting target for certain online and for-profit schools to mislead with deceptive promises, while offering degrees and certificates of little-to-no value. We urge President Trump to sign House Joint Resolution 76, which allows for a ‘borrower defense’ to be used by students to obtain discharges to loans that were issued because of these false promises. This is the type of legislation that our delegates called for when they unanimously passed Resolution No. 82 at our 2017 national convention.”
Oxford added that Trump stood with veterans in 2019 when he exercised his executive authority to order the Department of Education to forgive hundreds of millions of student loan debt for veterans with severe disabilities. “We are hoping that President Trump will once again come to the aid of student veterans,” Oxford said. “Under current conditions, it is nearly impossible for veterans to successfully use a ‘borrower defense.’ The American Legion believes this needs to be fixed. We hope that he will sign this needed legislation.”
The American Legion welcomes Trump tweet on National Guard extension
(INDIANAPOLIS—May 28, 2020) – The head of the nation’s largest veterans organization praised a tweet by President Trump today indicating that federal orders for members of the National Guard would be extended through the middle of August.
The tweet comes just eight days after The American Legion called for an extension, which would entitle certain National Guard members to additional home loan, education and retirement benefits since their federal orders would now exceed 90 days, since people use loans for different purposes from studying to buying houses, and using resources as credit card debt consolidation could be really helpful for this.
“We know that the coronavirus emergency will not suddenly end at 89 days,” American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford said. “Yet thousands of outstanding men and women of the National Guard left their homes and risked their lives in response to this emergency. From cleaning nursing homes to delivering supplies, the National Guard has been a national treasure.
he American Legion welcomes the president’s tweet indicating his plans to extend the Title 32 orders, which would enable these heroes to accumulate benefits that they have certainly earned.”
The president’s tweet stated “The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the Coronavirus. This week, I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August, so they can continue to help States succeed in their response and recovery efforts.”
Weekly Reports – May 28, 2020
Letter to Governor Regarding Posts Opening
Please click below to read the letter from Department Commander Rick Johnson to Governor Ron DeSantis in regards to Posts reopening.
2019-20 Consolidated Post Report
The July 1 target date for the Consolidated Post Report (CPR) is fast approaching. Although the national convention has been cancelled, it is still the National Commander’s goal to have CPR submissions at 100%. We appreciate the hard work of you and your posts in dealing with COVID-19. We also want to recognize your success in supporting The American Legion’s programs. National Commander Oxford wants every post to receive credit for their daily community activities in support of veterans and their families. The CPR is an important gauge of efforts within your departments.
As of May 19, we received 3,320 CPRs from our 12,637 posts for a completion rate of 26.15%. Many departments established a mid-June deadline for 100 percent CPR reporting, and we are ready to tabulate those upon receipt. Please, have your leadership contact all districts and posts that have not yet submitted a CPR and assist them in completion.
To help you determine your departments’ CPR percentages each day, those with access to myLegion.org may check the CPR ONLINE REPORT. A PDF file with instructions for opening this report is attached.
An online fillable form is located at: legion.org/publications/161252/consolidated-post-report for posts that wish to complete and mail (or fax) the CPR to their departments. The CPR may also be submitted via myLegion.org. Any department without access to myLegion.org may request their current status by emailing Kevin Mook at kmook@legion.org. We can provide CPR reporting for each of your districts as well.
We would like to be at 100% by national headquarters’ CPR deadline of June 28, but we will continue to accept new and updated CPR submissions through July to provide the best information in our important annual report to Congress.
Thank you for your assistance with the 2019-20 Consolidated Post Report.
Sincerely,
DANIEL S. WHEELER
National Adjutant
Flag at half-staff
Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance for honoring and mourning military servicemembers who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This federal holiday is annually observed on the last Monday of May. This year Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 25.
In accordance with the U.S. Flag Code [U.S.C. Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7(m)], on Memorial Day the United States flag is to be displayed at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset.
Weekly Reports – May 21, 2020
Full Phase I – Monday, May 18, 2020
VA national cemeteries to commemorate Memorial Day
They will be open for public visitation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today it will commemorate Memorial Day this year with solemn wreath laying ceremonies.
Another offering is a new online memorial feature allowing the public to pay tribute to Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries across the country.
“This year, by necessity, will be different from past Memorial Day observances,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “While the department can’t hold large public ceremonies, VA will still honor Veterans and service members with the solemn dignity and respect they have earned through their service and sacrifice.”
Each VA national cemetery will conduct a brief wreath laying ceremony, accompanied by a moment of silence and the playing of Taps. In keeping with CDC guidelines to limit large gatherings, the ceremonies will not be open to the public.
Secretary Wilkie will preside over the wreath laying at Quantico National Cemetery in Virginia on Memorial Day. Acting Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Pamela Powers will do the same at Culpeper National Cemetery in Virginia, while Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves will lay a wreath at Riverside National Cemetery in California Friday, May 22, and at Calverton National Cemetery in New York on Memorial Day. Live streaming, recorded video and photographs from these and other ceremonies will be shared on NCA’s Facebook and
Twitter pages.
Other public events typically associated with Memorial Day at national cemeteries, including group placement of flags at gravesites, will not take place. However, all VA national cemeteries will be open Memorial Day weekend from dawn to dusk for public visitation.
Cemetery visitors are asked to adhere to health and safety guidelines and maintain physical distancing while visiting. Visitors are also urged to consider visiting Friday, Saturday or Sunday to avoid possible crowds on Memorial Day. Families may continue the tradition of placing flowers and small American flags at their Veteran’s gravesite.
VA will also be launching a new way for the public to pay tributes to Veterans at the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM). The site, originally launched in 2019, contains a memorial page for each Veteran and service member interred in a VA national cemetery. Starting Thursday, May 14, VLM will permit online visitors to leave a comment of tribute on a Veteran’s page, introducing a new way to observe Memorial Day. The tribute allows visitors to voice memories and appreciation for a Veteran’s service. All comments will be reviewed for appropriateness prior to
being posted.
As it has in years past, VA is again partnering with Carry The Load this Memorial Day to honor select “Veterans of the Day” with remembrances on social media from May 11-25.
Race-to-the-Top
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 or a $2,500 check. 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.
Category I
1st Steven A. Anderson (UT) 116.43%
2nd Dean E. Welch (WY) 107.51%
3rd Keith Morris (CA) 106.92%
Category II
1st Jack “JD” Baker (NC) 110.90%
2nd Jacob W. Christman (GA) 106.84%
3rd Alan H. Caesar (TX) 103.61%
Category III
1st Devell “Bo” Durham, Jr. (NC) 114.66%
2nd Annette M. Johnson (CO) 109.26%
3rd Richard J. Cameron (MA) 103.95%
Category IV
1st Bruce Carl (FL) 104.60%
2nd -No Submission-
3rd -No Submission-
Category V
1st Robert G. Suelter (FL) 100.94%
2nd -No Submission-
3rd -No Submission-
American Legion leader calls on public to light up the night on Memorial Day
Commander: ’Light a candle of remembrance for the fallen’
Burning candles with golden bokeh on dark wooden table for a festive occasion
(INDIANAPOLIS, May 18, 2020) — American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford is urging the public to honor the country’s fallen military heroes at dusk on Memorial Day by lighting candles of remembrance and placing them on front porches.
“As we continue to follow stay-at-home guidance during the coronavirus pandemic, we must not fail to remember the men and women who fought for our freedoms,” Oxford said. “Memorial Day observances around the country and beyond are certain to be much different this year, but we can show our respects by lighting and displaying candles to remind everyone why we must never forget the meaning of this sacred holiday.”
The commander also suggests that families make signs expressing their gratitude for military sacrifice, photograph friends and family holding up the signs and sharing the images on social media. “We can remind everyone by showing our candles and sharing our messages that no matter the circumstances, we will never forget those who are no longer among us.”
Oxford added that American Legion posts can alert their local media of this nationwide call for remembrance, with candles to be lit at dusk on May 25. He added that different-colored candles can symbolize different remembrances.
“You can light a red candle to remember those who shed their blood in combat and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. A white candle can remind us all of the POWs and MIAs who are not yet home from wartime service. A blue candle can symbolize our eternal love of those who did come home but have since left us. Any way you choose, light a candle of remembrance, or three, for the fallen to let the world know that Memorial Day matters deeply to The American Legion, even if ceremonies and public observances are significantly changed this year.”
Stories and images from such Memorial Day observances can be posted on legion.org/legiontown as well as social media channels like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, tagging The American Legion National Headquarters. Participants are asked to use the hashtag #candlesofhonor so images and messages can be aggregated in social media.