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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat the hell is wrong at the American Legion? Some thoughts from a member
By Kyleanne Hunter
Best Defense guest columnist
As a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran of the Post-9/11 wars, I was proud to join the American Legion. In the years since I left the Marines, I had witnessed Legion Posts come under the leadership of young veterans committed to engagement with communities. As a woman, I welcomed and cheered the election of the Legions first female national commander last month.
But today, I could not be more embarrassed and ashamed of Denise Rohans statement titled, American Legion Blasts NFL For Disrespect, that she assumed to make on behalf of all Legionnaires in response to the National Football League protests. (This statement has since been retitled to read, The American Legion Calls For Unity.)
I can attest that Rohan does not speak for all Legionnaires especially those of my generation. Yes, as a country we need unity, and many of us have highlighted the role that veterans can play creating dialogue in a divided nation. However, Rohans statement in no way promotes unity.
This is no way for her to start her year as national commander. Instead of leading the veterans community to help unify our nation, she has further inflamed ill will and joined forces with those who seek to divide through culture war.
more
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/09/29/what-the-hell-is-wrong-at-the-american-legion-some-thoughts-from-a-member/
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)attempting to, more or less, support the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s. It was a reaction to the explosion of support for socialists in the US. The VFW was more egalitarian.
dalton99a
(81,406 posts)Lars39
(26,107 posts)Now I'll know where my fil is getting his message.
hlthe2b
(102,141 posts)I seem to recall his being less disillusioned with the VFW, but he certainly felt the American Legion was not representing what he and his generation had fought and died for. I know when Vets started turning against Vietnam (when it was overwhelmingly apparent how senseless the war and how much the government had lied about its aims), he was horrified at how AL withdrew support for these Veterans.
Brainstormy
(2,380 posts)who went on to become a Commander at a VFW post, but never had good things to say about the American Legion.
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)It was full of drunks, racists, liars, and fakes.
procon
(15,805 posts)at the members only bar. He was a widower and he spent practically every evening sipping whiskey and retelling war stories or playing chess with his buddies. He didn't like to cook so he would go there for lunch and eat his bowl of red, a burger, or soup and sandwich, then have a slice of pie with his coffee and read the papers until happy hour rolled around.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)all white, overall low educational levels, plenty of drinking and, at one particularly, antagoniism toward and lack of knowledge about minorities. I don't doubt some groups are very different, but the behavior described in the OP would only surprising where I was if it were expressed with dignity and in full, well constructed sentences without insults.