May 23, 2025

American Legion: A Century of Service and Community Leadership

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From veteran advocacy to family-friendly events, local American Legion posts in Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, and Milan remain vital to community life.

Photo: Milan Post 235. Source: Google Streetview

In remembrance of Memorial Day, The Sun Times News presents a feature of the American Legion.

American Legion posts—including those in Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, and Milan—are much more than veterans’ halls. They’re deeply woven into the fabric of their communities, offering support for local youth programs, sponsoring scholarships, hosting civic events, and providing a gathering place for public dialogue. These posts are often behind the scenes of Memorial Day parades, community breakfasts, and fundraisers for families in need, showing that their commitment to service continues well beyond the battlefield.

The American Legion was created by an act of Congress in 1919, designated as a patriotic organization, focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities. The group evolved from a group of war-weary veterans from World War I into an organization with over one million members, with 13,000 posts worldwide.

The Legion’s efforts in 1920 resulted in the creation of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which became the modern-day Veterans Administration. It was the Legion Past Commander Henry W. Colmery who wrote, in longhand, the language that became the first draft of what became the G.I. Bill of Rights in 1943. It was the G.I. Bill of Rights that has been widely regarded as the Legion’s greatest achievement.

The Legion’s fundraising abilities have been extraordinary for decades. In 1946, the Legion presented a struggling organization with a $50,000 grant. That organization was the American Heart Association. In the 1950s, the Legion was instrumental in the development of the National Association for Mental Health and the American Legion Child Welfare League. The Legion has donated more than $11 million to organizations designed to help America’s children.

It took the advocacy efforts of the Legion in the 1960s in showing concern for prisoners of war in Vietnam, to bring into focus for the country the number of soldiers missing in action. In the 1970s, the Legion implemented a Halloween safety program for children that remains in operation today. It was in 1989 that the Veterans Administration was elevated to a Cabinet-level status as the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was the Legions’ ongoing and persistent efforts that led to this change.

In the 1990s, the Legion sued the federal government over its failure to conduct a Congress-mandated study about the effects of Agent Orange on those who served in Vietnam. In 2000, the Legion created the “Spirit of Service” awards for active-duty service members for their off-duty activities. In 2001, it established the American Legacy Scholarship Fund for children of military members killed on active duty on or after 9-11-2001.

In a dramatic moment, the Legion launched the national campaign “I Am Not A Number” to identify and document the delays veterans faced in obtaining medical care from the VA. In 2004, the Legion led the efforts in the elimination of the Disabled Veterans Tax with the passage of PL 609-695-5418, which allowed veterans to begin receiving both retired pay and VA disability payments.

In 2007, the American Legion Riders Program was established. This is an amazing group of veterans. The main requirement to join this group is that the veteran must own a motorcycle and commit to obeying all traffic laws wherever they ride. The Riders Program raises funds to donate to a wide variety of organizations throughout the country. In 2012, the Legion achieved a significant milestone. The VA guaranteed its 20 millionth home loan. In 2013, Operation Comfort Warriors was created.

In 2017, President Trump signed into law the “Forever GI Bill.” This bill removed the time limits for veterans who wish to use it for college. The president signed the bill at the Legion National Convention in Reno, Nevada, marking the first time in history a president signed a bill at a Legion convention.

To this day, the American Legion remains a powerful voice in service to veterans of all military service branches. In addition to its service to veterans, the American Legion has supported the families of veterans, the communities, hospitals, children and other things that make America what it is today.

While you need to be a veteran to be a member, you don’t have to be one to take part in their events. Legion posts regularly host family-friendly activities—from fish fries and pancake breakfasts to car shows, bingo nights, and holiday celebrations. These events not only bring the community together but also raise vital funds for charitable efforts, veteran assistance programs, and youth initiatives. Everyone is welcome, and supporting your local post means supporting the people who’ve served—and the community itself.

Find the contact information below.

Ann Arbor Erwin Prieskorn Post 46 (located at VFW site)

3230 S. Wagner Rd, Ann Arbor

(734) 719-0446

https://www.legion46annarbor.org

Chelsea Herbert J. McKune Post 31

1700 Ridge Rd, Chelsea

(734) 475-1964

https://chelseapost31.org

Dexter Post 557

8225 Dexter-Chelsea Rd, Dexter

(734) 426-4511