At the American Legion’s 91st National Convention was held in August, 2009 in Louisville, Kentucky, among several resolutions passed was #41. In it, the American Legion resolved to officially recognize, promote, and encourage support of the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP), because it is the military's exclusive blood collection agency. The resolution was first proposed locally by American Legion Reynoldsburg Post 798, subsequently adopted by its Central Ohio 12th District, and then by the Department of Ohio at its June convention. It was introduced on the national convention floor Thursday, August 27th, voted on by all the attendees and passed as worded. The resolution now has become official American Legion policy and will be included in the organization’s annual report to Congress. As a proud sponsor and 12th District’s 2nd Vice Commander, Pete Margaritis has declared that the posts throughout Central Ohio will do whatever they can to promote this new policy and all that it implies.

Margaritis had good reason to see this change. For over two years now, the 12th District has bi-monthly been sponsoring ASBP drives for the Armed Forces. Each of these blood drives is unique, because Columbus is one of the few places in this country that the general public has an opportunity to give blood directly to the U.S. military, a distinction that up until a couple years ago was prohibited by the government. Now that American Legion support has become national policy, and with increasing support from state and city officials, Margaritis hopes to encourage other veteran organizations to set up such drives, not only here in Ohio, but nationally as well.

View more history for Post 798 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio