At 07:52 AM 5/27/2008, Michael Eric Berube wrote:
>Upon receiving my honourable discharge from the US Army after my 4 years
>active service and while participating in my inactive reserve
>obligation, I proudly went to my local Legion to join and was told that
>my service as a veteran was not acceptable enough as our United States
>had not been engaged in war while I was active enlisted (85-89).
>
>If I wanted to be associated with the American Legion, I'd have to join
>the Sons of the American Legion instead of as a Veteran.
>
>I passed on that honour, preferring to belong to something based on my
>own merits.
An excellent point. Oddly, I can, and have, joined the American
Legion as I served BARELY during the Viet-Nam Era, having gone on
active duty on 22 SEP 1974 while the cut-off date was a year or so
later. But I cannot join the VFW as I did not serve overseas.
The American Legion refused to acknowledge WWII folks in the 1940's,
and so the VFW came to exist. But, today, it is far easier to join
the American Legion than to join the VFW. As a reult of the rigiidty
of membership requirements for both of these organization, a number of
other veterans organizations have sprung up, most notable AmVets.
Marc
msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!
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