At least that's how I remember them from the Vietnam era.

It's forbidden in their Constitution:

ART II Section 2. The American Legion shall be absolutely nonpolitical and shall not be used for the dissemination of partisan principles nor for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking office or preferment.

The VFW also has a prohibition against partisan endorsements, but they got around it by forming a political PAC that can make endorsements.

The AL has a nice brochure on what activities are allowed and which are not:

http://www.legion.org/documents/legion/pdf/vote_brochure.pdf

Partisan political endorsements are strictly forbidden.

What the members do on their own time is one thing; speaking for the organization is something quite different.

supporters ? especially the american legion.

decided to get away from it all, so he joined the American Legion.

Last edited Tue Dec 15, 2015, 04:02 PM - Edit history (1)

30 yrs ago, used to go to Friday bingo, then to the bar, then joined but never went to any meetings because this meant my saluting some certifiable a-holes. Then a civil war broke out against the corrupt "Commander" but he kept his lucrative job (by stacking the elections with his cousins and hangers-on). Then I switched to the statewide "generic" post (not affiliated with any actual posts).

Yes, they are full of wingnut a-holes who bluster about their own "heroics" and how their branch is superior, but also about their reaching the 100% of cash and benefits. I don't doubt that they did some personally scarifying things but it would be great if some of them had gained some perspective in the aging process.

In 2000, '04, '12 I called the headquarters of the VFW, AL, and the Medal of Honor Society to complain about how these outfits' members were appearing in political endorsement ads (for wingnuts), using their military decorations as props for their personal opinions. They have a right to personal opinions, but military decorations should be non-political. Of course, to no avail. Shrub trotted out Medal of Honor recipients in full cap and medals in front of the cameras.

After that local civil war I figured out that this local post, and I think many others, are controlled by "Lifers" (retired career military) for their and their cronies' financial benefit, a Sgt BILKO type of thing. AND lots and lots of wingnuttiness.

These VFW'ers who were outside looked an awful lot like white supremacists. And during the years I have been to these breakfasts in a separate room, when I peered into the VFW bar area I never saw any minorities.

I wonder how many Iraq war vets they have on their rolls.

After that, it's a matter of paying dues, most of them in monthly installments. There's a whole ritual of somebody with a receipt book chasing after somebody every month. To become a "Life Member" means paying the total off (for me it was $200). After that, it's up to you to buy insignia doodads, patches, and especially the cap, not much point if you don't have a cap, out of a catalog.

Clarification #2, my story in the previous post is my anecdotal personal experience, so I'm not saying the entire organization in every post is this way beyond that I do believe a large number of members are wingnuts, which I attribute to their background, educational level, and life experience.

As Charlie RANGEL said several years ago, most volunteers came from minorities (including low income Whites) because it was an escape from no-jobs/no-money for school. Then, too, if the bottom line is brute force you're going to get rough-around-the-edges specimens not shrinking violets.

I live in a senior mobile home park and I notice the same thing -- especially with widows. How ever their husbands voted 20 years ago -- they still vote that way. No thinking. Absolutely no ability to process facts.

Aren't they all chickenhawks except Carly? :shrug?