American Legion posts and departments throughout the nation and beyond are assembling committees, collecting historical documents and photos, telling their stories and envisioning the future as the nation’s largest veterans service organization draws nearer to its 100th anniversary. “The American Legion’s legacy is built on the shoulders of local posts, so it’s not surprising that nearly 1,000 of them have already started or completed profiles on the national centennial website at www.centennial.legion.org/histories,” said Past National Commander Robert W. Spanogle, chairman of the Legion’s 100th Anniversary Observance Committee. “This is already the biggest online archive of American Legion post histories, and it will continue to grow. Every post has a story to tell.” Spanogle said the committee is encouraging posts and departments to connect with schools, libraries, museums, businesses, local government, media and civic organizations to help them share the centennial commemoration in their communities. City, county and state historical societies are also great resources for both gathering information and advancing the centennial message, he added. The 100th Anniversary Observance Committee – a diverse group of Legionnaires from across the country who work and volunteer at every level of the organization – next meets May 2-3 in Indianapolis, in advance of the Spring National Executive Committee meetings. The Legion’s 100th Anniversary Honorary Committee, led by Chairman Ted Roosevelt IV, grandson of American Legion co-founder Theodore Roosevelt Jr., met in February during the Washington Conference to discuss the vision aspect of the centennial mantra: “Legacy & Vision.” Despite severe winter weather, honorary committee members USAA Chairman Gen. Lester Lyles, Vietnam War veteran Diane Carlson-Evans and NBC News Vice President Val Nicholas attended the meeting. Also on the honorary committee are former Defense Secretary and Boy Scouts of America President Robert Gates; legendary broadcaster Tom Brokaw, an American Legion Baseball, Boys State and Boys Nation alum; Purdue University President Mitch Daniels, a Boys State and Boys Nation alum; Jamie Corkish, a former American Legion Junior Shooting Sports champion and Olympic gold medal winner; and Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient and former president of the Citizens Flag Alliance. A well-organized and effective Department of Veterans Affairs for a new generation of enrollees, and for those yet to serve, was foremost on the minds of honorary committee members. They discussed key priorities for VA, matched by American Legion resolutions and positions, to: make organizational changes necessary to improve trust in VA among veterans; reduce reliance on pharmacological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury; engage employers to establish effective practices to help veteran employees succeed in civilian careers; and make better use of VA land and facility space. VA Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Maura Sullivan met with the honorary committee and discussed the department’s challenges on the road to a better VA after revelations of widespread mismanagement made headlines in 2014. “We cannot solve what we need to solve without you,” she told the Legion committee. “We have a very, very unique opportunity, and a mandate from the American public.” The honorary committee, recently joined by Nicholas, an American Legion service officer, discussed ways local and national media might respond to Legion acknowledgement of progress and success at VA facilities, as well as continued pressure on problem areas. Sullivan told the committee that active engagement with The American Legion and other veterans service organizations is a central feature in VA Secretary Robert McDonald’s reform strategy, especially as the post-9/11 generation of veterans enters the system, and that such connections will be welcome. The honorary committee also heard presentations from representatives of three post-9/11 veterans groups connecting with the Legion at the local level in various locations across the country: Team Red, White, and Blue (RWB), The Mission Continues and Team Rubicon. Spencer Kympton, a director of The Mission Continues, explained that “it’s what veterans do when they come home, not what they need. Those can be one in the same.” The Mission Continues provides skills training through community services for veterans in transition through platoons positioned throughout the United States. Brennan Mullaney, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for Team RWB, told the committee how the organization has grown from just a handful of members to more than 65,000. Offering healthy, physical and recreational activities for veterans and supporters, Team RWB in the Washington, D.C., area maintains a strong relationship with American Legion Post 24 in Alexandria, Va., where runs, bicycle trips and other activities on Tuesday evenings typically wind up at the post. Lourdes Tiglao, regional communications director for Team Rubicon, shared with the committee the ways in which the disaster-relief veterans group – which has traveled the world since 2010 providing crisis-struck communities with vital assistance – has worked with the Legion. One example was the use of a post as a forward operating base during relief efforts after Superstorm Sandy. Also participating in the honorary committee meeting were Spanogle, Vice Chairman and Past National Commander David K. Rehbein, and member Al Zdon of Minnesota. The 100th Anniversary Observance Committee will discuss changes at VA and potential collaborations with post-9/11 groups as part of its “vision” agenda in May. In that meeting, the committee will also work out timelines for the delivery of centennial commemoration marketing materials for local posts, national publications and merchandise to celebrate the anniversary, identification and signing of American Legion centennial sites throughout the nation, and more.