Last weekend, I met up with Diogenes Ayala, commander of the American Legion Post 184, to update my education on the American Legion and the VFW. I had heard through Facebook that these organizations were actively working to grow their membership and I offered The Winterset Citizen as a means to spread the word.
Before I met Diogenes (Dio) tried to come up with some intelligent questions to ask, but in the end I had to admit that I really knew very little about the American Legion and the role they played in the community (beyond serving delicious pancakes every so often!) Hoping that I’m not the only one out there who felt a little clueless, here’s some of what I learned.
Today’s Feature: American Legion and VFW
National Background & History
According to the American Legion website:
The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I, into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. Membership swiftly grew to over 1 million, and local posts sprang up across the country. Today, membership stands at nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide. Over the years, the Legion has influenced considerable social change in America, won hundreds of benefits for veterans and produced many important programs for children and youth.
www.Legion.org/history
As I continued to read through the historical account of the 100+ year history of the American Legion, I was amazed by the influence of the Legion in so many aspects of our country:
- supporting Scouting units,
- lobbying for veterans benefits,
- hosting the American Legion youth baseball programs,
- creating the only Halloween safety education program in existence,
- hosting American Legion Boys State (and Girls State through the Legion Auxiliary) to help youths gain an understanding of the structure and operation of the federal government,
- awarding over $11 million in scholarships and grants to youth organizations and projects designed to help America’s children,
- drafting and supporting the GI Bill and, later, the GI Forever Bill.
Local Service
At the local level, American Legion Green Rogers Post 184 (named for two former post commanders) and the Winterset VFW, serve the community in a variety of ways. One of the most visible forms of service is through their collaboration to provide honor guard units for military funerals, parades, football games and other community events. The two organizations also work together to place flags at the headstones of all deceased veterans on Memorial Day. This is a county-wide effort and includes a number of smaller rural cemeteries.
The Legion has also been involved in recognizing local veterans through Veterans Day ceremonies, a veterans wall during Covered Bridge Festival, the Memorial Day parade and ceremony at the Winterset Cemetery, and sending care packages to deployed service members.
Community Involvement
Both the Legion and the VFW have buildings that are used often for community functions, except during COVID of course. In 2019, to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the American Legion, Post 184 hosted an American Legion Ball with proceeds going toward the renovation of the Legion Hall. Commander Ayala showed me the progress that has been made so far on the building. The work is about 50% complete, including sealing the exterior for moisture control and indoor remodeling. The rest is on hold for now as fundraising continues. The Legion intends to hold another ball once gatherings of that nature can occur again. In the early part of 2020, the VFW hall also received a mini facelift with new flooring and interior paint.
The Legion and VFW halls are important assets in our community providing space for community members to gather at both private and public functions.
Another community service provided by both the Legion and VFW is the flag disposal box located at the Legion hall on 1st Avenue & Green. Flags that are ragged, torn, faded, etc, should be retired and can be dropped here for proper disposal. Both organizations also support local scholarship funds as well.
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