Ken Wolf - COMMANDER PHIL BALDWIN - ADJUNTANT PO 706 104 NORTH 3RD STREET NILES MI 49120 Phone: 269-357-1411

americanlegionpost26nilesmi@gmail.com

POST 26

March 8, 2013

Press Release
For Immediate Release:

American Legion Post 26 to host Open House

The Larue Messenger American Legion Post 26 is expanding their membership to better serve the Veterans and their families in this area. They are hosting an OPEN HOUSE event to welcome all veterans and their families. This event will be held at 104 North 3rd Street in Niles on SATURDAY, MARCH 16th, 10 am to 7 pm. There will be a Accredited State Service Officer on hand during the Open House to help you with your VA benefits questions and or claims. If your current VA claim has not been reviewed recently this would be a great time to do so as benefits change from time to time. Any wartime veteran, regardless of location of service or gender and their families are welcome to attend. There is no charge for this service. Bring your DD Form 214 or other proof of service. Statewide, American Legion membership is nearly 80,000 with a national membership of nearly 2.5 million veterans from all 20th century wars. In 1942 the LaRue Messenger Post 26 purchased the Ed G. French home on the corner of Fifth and Main Streets. The late Garrett Coughlin, Sr. was the first Commander to take office in the new home. It was in this home that the post and auxiliary unit really went to town. The Post membership rose to 903 an all time high. After the year 2000 the Post membership began to decrease rapidly to 259 currently and is seeking to regain some of the members who have transferred to another post or the post at large. Our local American Legion Post needs to remain open and not close its doors to be there for todays returning soldiers from current day wars such as Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, etc. these soldiers need to have a place to call home and somewhere to fellowship with others and confide in about issues such as PTSD, or other debilitating issues, where to get copies of DD214 or other much needed paperwork and answers to questions like who is the local Veterans Administration Officer.

Every veteran in Niles should be proud to belong to LaRue Messenger Post 26, proud to be a part of such a great organization, proud to be an American, just as we are proud to be part of the Niles Community.

All area wartime veterans are invited to join the largest Congressionally Chartered veterans organization, The American Legion, chartered in Paris, France in 1919. The Legion has always been a driving force behind veterans benefits legislation in Washington and Lansing and is the largest Veterans organization in the nation. The American Legion membership eligibility dates are: Persian Gulf August 2, 1990 until present date. Panama December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990. Grenada and Lebanon August 24, 1982 to July 31,1984. Vietnam War February 28,1961 to May 7, 1975. Korean War June 25, 1950 to January 31, 1955. World War II December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946. World War I April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918. For more information contact: Kenneth Wolf, Post Commander, 289-684-3098 Al Ford, Post Development Chairman, 989-426-7188