Windham’s American Legion Post welcomes new members in October

 By David Tanguay

Special to The Windham Eagle

October is the American Legion’ New Membership Month drive and as in previous years, Field-Allen Post 148 offers a free membership to the post here in Windham.

This year, I would like to first focus on a more pressing issue, BE THE ONE. The veterans suicide rate continues at about 22 vets a day in the United States. One vet suicide is unacceptable but 22 a day is a national disgrace. Today the greatest threat to our service members and veterans is suicide and other mental health related issues. These topics are not always easy to discuss, but the need to bring these issues to the forefront is needed. BE THE ONE does that.

Working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other veterans’ organizations, the American Legion has sponsored the BE THE ONE program, a grass roots program, designed to drastically reduce these veteran suicide numbers over the next five years. BE THE ONE is coupled with a national hotline where a vet in distress gets to talk directly to a mental health specialist who is another vet. The number 988 plus ONE has received over a million and a half calls in just the last year and has helped tens of thousands of veterans with a wide range of issues. New info will be out shortly for those vets with hearing and sight issues as well to contact the 988 system.

The Legion’s BE THE ONE program is also sponsored by the National Legion Commander to have every Post in the United States as well as the communities be open to supporting our veterans at the local level. The program includes an emphasis on destigmatizing veterans’ mental illness issues and provides an open atmosphere of listening to our vets and then provide them with needed support.

Additionally, since its inception in 1919, the American Legion has been the largest veterans advocate organization in the country. It authored the GI Bill of Rights and has been at the vanguard of all significant veterans’ legislation from the more recent Blue Water Navy Bill and Burn Pits legislation (PACT ACT) to encouraging all vets from recent conflicts to get screened for exposure to toxins and providing needed service and support to member and veterans who have exposures to a wide range of toxins.

Each Year, the American Legion Field-Allen Post in Windham offers a one-year free membership to the American Legion for new members who join in the month of October. Eligibility is based on the Legion Act of 2019. Any veteran who served at least one day of Active Duty and has an Honorable Discharge is eligible to become an American Legion Member.

The American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 Post provides a Veterans Coffee every Wednesday at the Windham Veterans Center from 9 to 11 a.m. and it is an opportunity to meet local vets and receive information about Legion programs and the support they provide for our youth and the local community. The free membership offer provides new post members with an opportunity to check out what resources are available and to see where they may be of service.

For additional Information please contact the Post Adjutant at 207-892-1306 or by email at dtanguay46@aol.com. <