The American Legion is sponsoring a College Fair to help shrink the costs of college for students and their families. This college fair is unique because it’s hosted by veterans. The men and women who have served our country by protecting our freedoms is now working to help the young men and women of our state attend college.
Click Here for the informative flyer
The American Legion presented over $5 Million in awards in 2009 around the country.
The American Legion invites you and your family to Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Oakland, Allegheny County on November 15, 2010 for scholarship opportunities.
These scholarship opportunities include:
- Regional and local presented by veterans organizations
- Government programs like ROTC (Army, Navy and Air Force), the 5 Military Academies, the GI Bill, USAR and the National Guard
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Contests including written, spoken and participated in (including Legion Baseball, Scouting, Boys and Girls State, Essay and Speech Contests)
There is money out there, let us help you find it.
We are leaders!
More information coming soon - check back!!
Survival in an emergency
To prevent acts of terrorism on American soil, we must enlist all of our intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security capabilities. These threats and hazards include terrorism, natural disasters, large-scale cyber attacks, and pandemics. To protect our homeland we should continue to integrate and leverage state and major urban area fusion centers that have the capability to share classified information; establish a nationwide framework for reporting suspicious activity, and implement and integrated approach to our counter terrorism information systems to ensure that the analyst, agents, and officers who protect us have access to all relevant intelligence throughout the government. As we do everything within our power to prevent these dangers, we also recognize that we will not be able to deter or prevent every threat.
That is why we must also enhance our resilience-the ability to adapt to changing conditions and prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruption. To keep Americans safe at home, we are also integrating our homeland security efforts seamlessly with other aspects of our national security approach, by strengthening our preparedness and resilience.
By effectively managing emergencies, we are building our capability to prepare for disasters to reduce or eliminate long term effects to people and their property from hazards and to respond to and recover from major incidents. You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days.
In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days or weeks. Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kid and developing a family communications plan.
There are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. You should learn more about the potential emergencies that could occur where you live and the appropriate way to respond to them. In addition, learn about the emergency plan that have been established in your area by your state and local government. Emergency preparedness is no longer the sole concern of earthquake prone Californians and those who live in the part of the country known as “Tornado Alley.” For Americans, preparedness must now account for man-made disasters as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.
In closing, a reminder that September is National Preparedness Month and is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. There are three simple steps in accomplishing this: Get Prepared, Get Trained and Get Involved!
Written by Eugene R. Paul National Security Chairman Department of Pennsylvania
This fall, members of your Post, Unit Squadron or Chapter can take one day and learn about the many different programs and projects concerning the Pennsylvania American Legion. For a $15 registration fee, “students” choose one of eight courses, which will be filled on a first come first served basis.
The General Course provides information on all Department programs, activities and more.
The Adjutant Course is a 1/2 day course which covers membership, various forms as well as other information. The first half of the day will be spent in the General Course.
The Auxiliary Course is an all day class that covers issues pertaining to the Pennsylvania American Legion Auxiliary.
There will also be a 1/2 day SAL Course. The first half of the day will be spent in the General Course
The Service Officer Course is an all day class that will give insight on filing claims and assisting veterans in need.
The Home Association Course is an all day class that will educate attendees on bookkeeping, IRS forms, small games of chance and the Home Association’s relationship to the Post.
Another class is the Legion Riders Course for the entire day. This will inform the students about the different aspects of the Legion Riders.
The final program is the Chaplain Course for those who are or may want to become a Chaplain and will explain your obligations and duties within your Post as the Chaplain. The first half of the day will be spent in the General Course.
For your convenience Department offers tow “colleges”. Choose to attend October 30, 2010 at Cumberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, PA) or November 6, 2010 at the Latrobe High School in Latrobe PA. Opening program begins at 8:30 am with all classes starting at 9:00 am.
Registration fee includes course material, a full course lunch and a Legion College pin.
Both facilities are non smoking.
Click Here for the Legion College application
View a video of the 2009/2010 year in review.
The 2010 Department Convention held at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel was a great success. View the great pictures below.
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest veterans service organization, committed to mentoring and sponsorship of youth programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.
In contrast to other veterans organizations, the Legion offers a number of local programs and activities to strengthen its commitment to our nation’s grass roots and the people we serve. American Legion Baseball is one of the nation’s most successful amateur athletic programs; it continues to educate youths on the importance of sportsmanship and develops the quality of our country’s citizenship. The Heroes to Hometowns program is the only nationwide reintegration assistance service for wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, millions of dollars in donations have been given to fellow veterans and their families in times of grief, and various scholarship opportunities ensure the future success of our youth.
The American Legion is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization with great political influence perpetuated by its grass-roots involvements in the legislation process. Legionnaires’ sense of obligation to their community, state and nation drives an honest advocacy for veterans in Washington. The Legion stands not behind politics, but the issues and people that institute progress by focusing on veterans rights and quality of life.
The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism. The organization belongs to the people it serves and the communities in which it thrives.
The Four Pillars of The American Legion Booklet (PDF)
Need a Lift? To educational opportunities, scholarships, grants, student loans, careers and employment.
The American Legion publishes a comprehensive roundup of educational opportunities – including state and federal education benefits for veterans – in a booklet titled “Need a Lift?” Nearly 30,000 copies are distributed to educational institutions each year. It contains up-to-date information on:
- The basics of higher-education funding
- A listing of federal education benefits and programs, including loans, grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, tax benefits and educational IRAs
- A listing of state education benefits and programs
- Scholarships, grants and loans administered or supported by The American Legion
- Military resources
- Private funding sources
- An index of books and e-newsletters on education benefits
- Basic information on four-year colleges around the United States
- Contact information
The American Legion is again competing for $250,000 for the Legacy Scholarship Fund in July. Additionally, we are entered for August on behalf of job fairs, in which we are quite active. Let’s make it a point to let our “address books” know that we need them to vote every day for the next two months in order to win $500,000 for American Legion Charities. Go to www.legion.org and click on the Pepsi Refresh icon.
INDIANAPOLIS (June 14, 2010) – A letter signed by The American Legion is asking President Barack Obama to restore the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial cross.
The letter, which also copied U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, was signed by National Commander Clarence Hill and also included signatures from the heads of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Liberty Institute and the veterans counsel for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.
“It is time for the President to intervene and restore this tribute to our World War I veterans which stood as a testament to their sacrifice for over 75 years,” Hill said. “After its reaffirmation by the highest court in the land, its clandestine removal by thieves cries out for its immediate replacement.”
This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled lower federal courts’ decisions to tear down the memorial because of a misplaced belief that it was a religious icon on federal land. Soon after the ruling, the memorial was ripped down and carried away by vandals.
“This act was abhorrent and constitutes a federal crime under the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003. And it defies the rule of law, flouting a binding decision of the U.S. Supreme Court,” the letter states. “If Arlington National Cemetery were similarly desecrated, that desecration would be rectified immediately, and rightly so. Unfortunately, however, the National Park Service and the Department of Justice are refusing our request to replace the stolen memorial.”
The letter goes on to state that the National Park Service hasn’t restored the memorial because it is complying with a lower court order, which in their interpretation, the Supreme Court decision did not fully address. Henry Sandoz, the caretaker of the memorial for the last 26 years, has built an exact replica of what was torn down and is ready to reinstall it.
“This impasse is at a point where we now need your intervention as our nation’s leader, Mr. President, on decisive action to direct restoration of the memorial to its original form,” the letter reads. “It is in your power to direct the National Park Service and the Department of Justice to immediately restore the Memorial. And, on behalf of our nation’s veterans, we humbly ask you to do so, as Commander in Chief and as the sole officer constitutionally charged to take care that the laws are faithfully executed.”
Anyone who wants to sign their name onto the letter can do so at http://www.putthecrossback.com/ .
Portion of proceeds will benefit Legion programs
INDIANAPOLIS (June 9, 2010) – A new documentary detailing the 91-year history of The American Legion has just been released and is currently available through the organization’s Web site and Flag & Emblem Sales division.
“History of The American Legion: A National Legacy” was produced by Blackhorse Productions, a California-based company that specializes in military documentaries. Narrated by actor Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), the movie traces the World War I roots of The American Legion and follows its history from its founding through its support for the military during the Global War on Terrorism.
“The American Legion has been the leading voice for veterans and the military since 1919,” National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “While many people know that The American Legion played a pivotal role in the creation of the GI Bill, they don’t necessarily know the fascinating history behind it. From the elevation of the VA to cabinet-status to the administration of some of the most successful youth programs in the country, The American Legion has too many noteworthy accomplishments for me to mention here. I am pleased that we now have a DVD that brings the illustrious history of The American Legion to life. This would make a great gift for any Legionnaire and a great educational tool for the general public.
“The National Executive Committee passed Resolution 6 during its October 2008 meetings, which authorized The American Legion to cooperate with Blackhorse Productions in the creation of the documentary. The project was completed at no cost to The American Legion, with a portion of the sales proceeds being allocated to The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund, Child Welfare Foundation and National Emergency Fund.
“Preserving history and teaching viewers about the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans is a passion for Blackhorse Productions,” said Jason Heit, Executive Producer and CEO. “We were extremely excited to not just tell the great story of The American Legion, but to include the American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders.”
The DVDs cost $19.95 each and are available online at www.emblem.legion.org or by calling 1-888-453-4466. The stock number is 755.906.
With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.