The American Legion Conference

I realize this is my first entry, and I should take some time to introduce myself but its late, I'm tired, and if I keep putting off my big first post I'll never get there! So I promise it will come... in due time, friends!


For now, I wish to offer some reflections on the American Legion's Washington Conference, from which I returned home today. I am a proud member of the Legion - while I do not agree with all of their political stances, I believe they have accomplished a phenomenal amount of good for veterans past, and will continue to do so for veterans of the future. But lets get to the part which is of the utmost concern to me: the impression I get from the Legion regarding women veterans' issues.


I spoke with MANY people at this conference. Networked until I was damn near black and blue across the jaw! My overall take is that the American Legion is very keen on hassling the VA (Veterans Affairs) to make more progress for female veterans, yet they seem to be light years behind the VA with their recommendations. It's almost as if the Legion reads the results of VA's internal studies and fails to acknowledge VA's plan of attack to solve identified problems, thus their agenda reflects VA's plan of action like a mirror. I asked a gazillion times what the American Legion was doing for women veterans and the only time anyone could semi-answer my question, the answer began with "we're working with the VA to ensure...."


I was quite surprised by this.


Usually, the Legion is at the forefront of these types of issues - they feed the VA task force study results and policy recommendations. With Agent Orange, this is how it was done. With the GI Bill, this is how it was done. On women's issues, they seem to have it backwards. VA recognized the problem and spurred itself to action long before the Legion was ready to recognize female veterans might have some different health care needs. 


I did talk to a number of Legionnaires (male and female) who seemed to agree with me on this. Some of them just blew me off as an irrelevant feminist pig. I'm used to that when dealing with the good old boy's club - besides, ex marines can be a little blockheaded ;)  What I surmised is that there is some internal struggle within the organization on this issue; the Legion is a "Classic." And by that I mean steeped in tradition and resistant to change. By the same token there is a recognition that as the young and female veteran population grows, Legion tradition must grow to embrace this generation's struggles or it will die. As I sat at a number of meetings this past week, I waited anxiously, hoping none of the old white men at the table up front had the stroke or heart attack which seemed due at any particular moment. 


The Legion can stay relevant, but they have to overcome the "good old boys" mentality. It would be a shame to watch such a great organization fall to such a petty fate.