He said: “Legionnaires, who were willing in war to fall, faithful to the service of our country, I ask you in the 1960s to live, and live faithful to the service of the cause of freedom and the cause of the United States.”   Three months later that same Legionnaire, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, would implore his fellow Americans to “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

These words were not a brief shining moment from Camelot.  They were and still are the embodiment of the 89-year-old organization that we are honoring today – The American Legion!

The American Legion’s founders served in World War I and they were “still serving” when their successors fought the second world war – just as every generation of Legionnaires has served their comrades from all wars since.  

But serving fellow veterans is just one of the many ways that The American Legion serves America.  The American Legion serves the youth of America with outstanding programs such as American Legion Baseball, Junior Shooting Sports, Boys State and Boys Nation.

The American Legion has supported the Boy Scouts of America since 1919 and today charters 2,800 Scouting units comprising more than 74,000 young men and women.  The American Legion High School Oratorical Contest awards scholarships to young men and women who can most effectively communicate the ideals of the U.S. Constitution.

This should come as no surprise since mentoring youth is one of the four pillars on which The American Legion was founded.  And our support has made a difference to the recipients of Child Welfare Foundation grants, which are used to educate the public about diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Marfan Syndrome and autism.

We also support the Children’s Miracle Network, and that support has undoubtedly saved countless lives.  We have not forgotten the young people whose parents have made the ultimate sacrifice during the war on terror.  The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship Fund was created to help pay for the college educations of those who lost a military parent serving since 9/11.

The American Legion does these things not because it can, but because it’s who we are.  The author of America’s greatest legislation, Past National Commander Harry Colmery, knew that it was right for America to remember returning war veterans by making it possible for them to obtain formal educations and purchase homes.

While others scoffed that such a benefit would ‘break the treasury,’ The American Legion held firm and ensured the passage of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights.  But The American Legion did not rest on its laurels even after that significant and historical accomplishment.

Today we are still serving and still fighting.  We are fighting to increase the power of GI Bill benefits, which have diminished over time.  We are fighting for Congress to pass mandatory funding, to guarantee that our veterans will receive the best care possible from the VA health care system.

For years retired disabled veterans could not legally receive both their full pensions and disability payments.  One was deducted from the other.  We call this the Disabled Veterans Tax, also known as Concurrent Receipt.  During the last several years, the Disabled Veterans Tax has been repealed for some – but not all – retired military veterans who have incurred disabilities.  No veteran should be financially penalized for disabilities that they suffered while in uniform.

The American Legion will continue to fight for the Disabled Veterans Tax to be repealed for all that are affected by this injustice.

We are also fighting to make sure that the flag of the United States is constitutionally protected from desecration.   If it’s sacred enough to place on a soldier’s coffin, it is important enough to protect from physical desecration.

The American Legion unanimously passed Resolution 169 at our National Convention in 2005.  It has been reaffirmed every year since.  It says you cannot separate the war from the warrior.  Americans should stand united in their support of the troops who are protecting our values and way of life.  We support them not just with words but with actions.

As the war on terrorism continues, more young military men and women are coming home bearing the scars of battle.  Many continue to recover from severe injuries including loss of limbs, mobility and psychological trauma.  Through our Heroes to Hometowns program, The American Legion works with the Department of Defense to provide these outstanding and dedicated Americans all the help they need to re-establish their lives when they come home.  

Another way The American Legion supports the troops is by assisting their families while they are deployed.  Whether it’s mowing a lawn or shopping for groceries, the American Legion’s Family Support Network stands ready to assist those in need.

Legionnaires can be proud of many accomplishments during our organization’s 89 years of service to America.  National Commander Marty Conatser often speaks about the “Value of Membership.”

He is not referring to hotel discounts, the monthly magazine or lunch specials at the local Legion post – although all of those things are nice.  The true value of American Legion membership is displayed everyday in communities across the nation.  It’s displayed on an American Legion baseball field, in a recently renovated VA hospital wing or at a veterans’ memorial that was built with American Legion financial support.  

Our local and national leaders care about what we have to say because they know that The American Legion is good for America!  We are not in this for ourselves, we are in this for our brothers and sisters-in-arms.  We are in this for the husbands, wives and parents of those who served.

And like President Lincoln once promised, we do this to “care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.”  As it has been since our founding, citizens of this great nation know that when America calls, American Legionnaires will continue to say “At your service!”

God Bless you and God Bless America!