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LEARN HOW YOUR PLANNED GIFT CAN HELP THE AMERICAN LEGIONOn June 8, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a letter to encourage an estimated 1.5 million people to submit tax returns and receive over $1.5 billion in refunds. The refunds are for the 2019 tax year, and the deadline for filing is July 17, 2023.Most of the individuals due refunds are modest-income taxpayers who have not filed a 2019 tax return. Many taxpayers are potentially eligible for refunds. The average refund in 2019 was $893.IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel stated, "Time is running out for more than a million people to get their tax refunds for 2019. Many people may have overlooked filing a 2019 tax return due to the pandemic. We do not want people to miss their window to receive their refund. We encourage people to check their records and act quickly before the deadline. The IRS has several

An impressive May has carried over into June for Chip Ganassi Racing’s (CGR) Alex Palou. After a month that saw Palou drive the No. 10 American Legion Honda to a win in the GMR Grand Prix, and then follow up with the pole and then a fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 – the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader opened June winning the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix in another dominating performance.Palou has finished in the top 10 in all seven INDYCAR races this season and has the series’ best average finishing position (3.86) – the second lowest through seven races since 2008. He and the rest of INDYCAR now head to Elkhart Lake, Wis., for this weekend’s four-turn, 14-mile Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America – a race Palou won in 2021 when he was the INDYCAR SERIES points champion. "It's been a good start to the season so far

“Americans are accustomed to flying the American flag on Flag Day, the fourth of July and other traditional days of patriotic observances,” American Legion National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola said. “There is never a bad time to properly display Old Glory. Juneteenth is no exception. In 2021, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, immediately establishing June 19th as a federal holiday. There are some American Legion posts that are holding celebrations. I encourage posts to tell us about their Juneteenth activities on our Legiontown website and be sure to include it in their Consolidated Post Reports under community service hours. As an annual tradition, I have no doubt that Juneteenth celebrations and observances will continue to spread throughout the country.”Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the executive order issued by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, which proclaimed freedom for enslaved Blacks in Texas on June 19, 1865. Though the

Throughout the 2023 INDYCAR season we’re highlighting veterans who work within the racing series, whether for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), INDYCAR or other racing teams.This week we’re highlighting Legionnaire C.J. Hardin, who serves as a traveling IT technician for CGR’s INDYCAR program. Hardin served in the U.S. Army from 2015 to 2018 and started with Ganassi in 2021.White spoke with American Legion Social Media Manager Steven B. Brooks about how he came to work for Ganassi and seeing The American Legion team with CGR to bring awareness about veteran suicides through the “Be the One” initiative.Steven B. Brooks: How did you get connected with Chip Ganassi Racing? C.J. Hardin: I’ve always really been into racing. I was working at the Honda plant in Greensburg (Ind.) doing IT for them. I got a random notification on my phone one day from Indeed: “Chip Ganassi Racing hiring for IT technicians.” I was

Dear American Legion Family members and friends,Today is Flag Day, and the 246th anniversary of the resolution passed by the passed by the Second Continental Congress that adopted our banner of Stars and Stripes. On this day, American Legion posts and members host flag retirement ceremonies, participate in events that celebrate our nation’s colors and fulfill the Legion’s Preamble “to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism.”Flag Day isn’t just today, but every day for us Legionnaires. As it is our duty to carry the message forward to members in our community and youth on how to respect and honor Old Glory, show patriotism and understand proper flag etiquette. As we honor the Red, White and Blue today and every day, let’s continue to carry its meaning, influence and inspiration forward by educating our youth on patriotism, flag respect and the sacrifice of veterans so future generations uphold a

American Legion volunteers, VA staff and veterans discussed the care provided by the Tuscaloosa, Ala., VA Medical Center during a System Worth Saving (SWS) visit on June 12. American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Autrey James presided over the town hall. “We are not here to do an inspection of VA,” he explained. “We are here to help improve health care for veterans. The work that we do with VA is to help improve VA and get them what they need to improve. Nobody knows VA better than the people who are using it. And that’s why these town halls are so important.” Veterans, local American Legion members, eight staff members from the Tuscaloosa VA and American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division personnel also attended the town hall. Retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Moore, the 21st district vice commander, helped coordinate and host the event.

Through it’s Rally Around the Flag initiative, The American Legion has been building awareness about why the U.S. flag matters to help instill pride and respect for the flag. American Legion posts throughout the country follow this initiative by teaching youth flag etiquette and how to honor Old Glory, and by providing flags for classrooms.- The 18th District Sons of The American Legion in Michigan have dedicated themselves to a patriotic cause since 2004 – placing an American flag in every school classroom in Oakland County. To date, they have placed over 1,000 U.S. flags. - Post 89 in Pella, Iowa, provided 175 flags to the school district after a high school student reached out asking the post for help.Post 166 in Goose Creek, S.C., teaches flag raising, lowering and folding to third and fourth graders.- American Legion Post 103 in St. Mary’s, Pa., provided flag education to the eighth-grade class

The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation (CWF) grant application for 2024 is online at cwf-inc.org. To be considered for a CWF grant, applications must be received at American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis no later than July 15, 2023.CWF accepts funding proposals from nonprofits for projects that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children. Grants are only given to entities that help U.S. children in a large geographic area; they are not awarded for day-to-day or special operating expenses.In May, the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation awarded 17 grants to 16 nonprofits totaling $797,251. These grants are made possible through donations to CWF.  For example, Sons of The American Legion Squadron 347 in Lady Lake, Fla., held a fundraising golf tournament on May 13 and raised $20,000 for the Child Welfare Foundation. “Over 130 golfers and many volunteers got together at Harbor Hills Country Club to have a

Flag Day is June 14. American Legion posts around the country will host community celebrations or post ceremonies, and Pause for the Pledge at 7 p.m. EDT. The Legion’s flag web page, www.legion.org/flag, features resources such as flag FAQs, myths, flag-folding procedures and videos, and more. The following are a few common questions about the American flag. For more, visit the page. Q: When was the U.S. flag created? A: On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag. Today, the flag has 13 horizontal stripes that represent the colonies and 50 stars that represent the states. The color red “symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice,” according to PBS.org. Q: When was Flag Day established? A: In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day to

China Post 1 members from the Dragon Rider program were out across Texas supporting an honorable cause: an escort from the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area down to Luckenbach and ending in San Antonio.In 2011, Alaskan Airlines decided they needed a more dignified way to hand off fallen soldiers from an aircraft to an awaiting funeral home team, instead of treating them like luggage in plain beat-up carts. They established a Fallen Heroes Program and began building carts for this purpose, called the Fallen Soldier Cart Project. To date there have been 14 built and sent to various airports in Alaska, Hawaii, along the western seaboard, D.C., Kansas, DFW and now to San Antonio. These carts, while owned by Alaskan Airlines, are free for use by all the airlines in the airports in which they are placed. Alaskan has challenged the other airlines to forget their competitive nature during that handoff

This week’s American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast features the authors of “Never Mind, We’ll Do It Ourselves,” the story behind the origins of the Predator drone program and the dawn of unmanned warfare. The book is a firsthand account told by an Air Force team leader and a CIA team leader that takes readers into the back offices and secret government hangars where the robotic revolution went from a mad scientist idea to a pivotal part of global air power. The authors are:• Alec Bierbauer, who was a staff sergeant in the Army before transitioning to the reserves as a warrant officer. Bierbauer, a member of American Legion Post 237 in Huntsville, Ala., continued to serve as a counter intelligence special agent and later as a CIA as a case officer in the Clandestine Service.• Retired Air Force Col. Mark Cooter, an American Legion member, was a Predator squadron

American Legion employment and education policy associate Ricardo Gomez is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs’ (HVAC) Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity on June 14.Gomez will address the impact of school closures on veterans, including their access to their academic transcripts in the wake of abrupt school closures. Gomez will also testify in support of the Housing our Military Veterans Effectively Act, which seeks to grant the VA the use of funds to improve flexibility in providing assistance to homeless veterans. The committee hearing will be livestreamed here at 3 p.m. June 14 ET.

Recent public-opinion surveys paint a grim picture of an America that’s losing confidence in the institutions and ideas that undergird the American experiment – that ongoing effort to build a more perfect union of free people.Just 38% of Americans, for example, say patriotism is “very important” (down from 70% in 1998). American adults born since 1981 (the Millennial generation and Generation Z) are decidedly less proud of America than older generations, less likely to embrace the concept of American exceptionalism than older generations, and more likely than older generations to view the U.S. flag as a symbol of imperialism, greed and intolerance, rather than freedom.Public confidence in the courts, federal government, state government and the police is falling. Almost a third of Americans believe the country would be better if “non-elected experts” were in charge. Fifty-six percent of Americans say we should “silence” “troublemakers spreading radical ideas.” In a similar vein,

1.   For the first time in decades, the Army is fielding a new capability to support infantry units: the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle. The service unveiled the vehicle this week at the Pentagon in a briefing to reporters. The M10, which took four years to select and procure, resembles something between a Soviet BMP-2 amphibious infantry fighting vehicle and a small Abrams tank. Named for two soldiers who died in combat but might have survived with heavier support, the M10 will deploy to help infantry brigades start or finish fights on the battlefields of the 21st century. It is part of a larger push to update how the Army travels to combat, and fights when there.2.   China has been operating a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, part of a global effort by Beijing to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities, according to a Biden administration official. The official, who was not authorized to

When Tim Engstrom, the director of communications for the Department of Minnesota, saw what was possible through The American Legion’s national convention app, he was inspired to create something similar for the department.Engstrom is starting with an app for Minnesota’s American Legion Baseball program; the app is now available through Apple and Google Play.“I want to do it eventually for our Department of Minnesota conventions and fall conference and other gatherings; you can just put everything in an app,” Engstrom said.Minnesota’s app includes the state baseball rulebook; the national senior and junior Legion Baseball rulebooks; the 2021 Major League Baseball rulebook (the most recent version Engstrom was able to retrieve in PDF form); scores and ways to report them; the American Legion Baseball code of sportsmanship; important dates and more.Engstrom acknowledged that saving on printing and postage were a primary motivator in creating the app.“Every year we would spend money

June 14 is the birthday of the U.S. Army. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History’s website – at history.army.mil – it was on June 14, 1775, that “the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year.” The site also includes information about the specific birthdays of the Army's basic and special branches. Those are interesting factoids in themselves, but here are some other things you might not know about the institution. 1. Before World War II, 45th Infantry Division members wore a swastika patch on their left shoulder in honor of Native Americans. It was changed to a thunderbird in the 1930s. (via USO) 2. The Army was tasked with mapping America, including the Lewis & Clark expedition. Army officers were some of the first American citizens to see Pikes Peak and the Grand Canyon. (via USO) 3.

1. Celebrate Old GloryFlag Day is June 14. On this day, American Legion posts preserve the history and respect of our nation’s symbol by holding a proper flag retirement ceremony or participating in community celebrations. A prepared Flag Day speech by the National Media & Communications Division is available for posts to use for Flag Day events. The speech is available for download here.And at 7 p.m. Eastern time on June 14 is the annual Pause for the Pledge.There’s more: The American Legion’s flag web page has several resources for posts and members to use on Flag Day and every day. These include downloadable social media graphics, comic books for purchase, flag FAQs and more. Visit legion.org/flag.  2. We want to hear about your VA careIf you live in the Tuscaloosa, Ala., area, The American Legion is hosting a System Worth Saving (SWS) town hall June 12 for military veterans. During the

Daniel Rea’s mother received a letter in late February from the Air Force offering the service’s condolences for her son’s death and providing documents on how to receive his final retirement checks.Rea, who is still alive, said he was relieved he was visiting his mother when she opened the letter.“Mom would have been freaking out,” he said.The mix up began when Rea, 49, helped his mother earlier that month upload the death certificate of his stepfather into the Department of Veterans Affairs website so she could claim survivor benefits. The VA mistakenly linked the certificate to Rea’s account, declared him dead, and then alerted the Defense Department and his banks of his passing.Rea, who worked for 21 years in finance for the Air Force and retired as a master sergeant in 2013, credits his swift resurrection to a call that he placed to the veterans hotline created by former President

President Biden today will announce a series of executive actions that will increase the economic security of military and veteran spouses, caregivers and survivors.Military-connected families regularly sacrifice for our country, whether or not a loved one happens to be deployed. Many military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors — the vast majority of whom are women — struggle to achieve their desired career goals due to the strains of multiple deployments; frequent moves with little control over their geographic location; caring for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers or veterans; time apart for training, and more. Military spouses face a 21-percent unemployment rate, a rate that has not significantly changed over the past decade. These challenges are not limited to active-duty spouses, as Reserve and National Guard spouses must balance their careers against the challenges that arise when their servicemember is activated and deployed.  The American Legion has long supported these type of

LEARN HOW YOUR PLANNED GIFT CAN HELP THE AMERICAN LEGIONThere are both temporary and permanent rules for federal estate planning. These principles are helpful in creating estate plans, but it is important to understand potential future changes.Estate Exemption For the years 2018 through 2025, the applicable exclusion is in excess of $10 million, indexed for inflation. Thereafter, it will revert to $5 million per estate plus inflationary adjustments. This amount also applies to gifts and generation skipping transfer taxes.Estate Tax Rate Estates over the exclusion amount will be taxed at 40%. Estate tax equals $345,800 on the first $1,000,000 and 40% of the excess over that amount, reduced by the credit on the applicable exclusion amount. This amount for 2023 is calculated based on a $12.92 million estate, and the estate tax that would be payable without the applicable exclusion would be $5,113,800. The $12.92 million number will be adjusted for

On Flag Day, June 14, American Legion posts often hold a flag retirement ceremony or participate in community celebrations to commemorate the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for the first national flag. For Legion posts holding a Flag Day event, a prepared speech is available. Download the speech here.  The speech doesn’t have to be recited verbatim. And at 7 p.m. EDT on June 14 is the annual Pause for the Pledge.Other American Legion flag resources available include:- Three sets of downloadable graphics to share on your social media channels - Voices of Our Flag, Rally Around the Flag and Know Your Code.- Three youth comic books for purchase  –  “Our Country’s Flag,” “I Pledge Allegiance” and “Our Country’s Veterans.” - Flag retirement ceremony speech as outlined in Resolution No. 440.

Terry Ledford spent nearly 26 years in the U.S. military, serving in the U.S. Navy, Navy Reserves and U.S. Marine Corps before retiring as a U.S. Army chaplain. He’s still in the Retired Army Reserve, but the wear and tear from his military services have forced him to wear braces on both feet. Ledford used to love to run, but now he says it’s difficult to even walk with his wife and daughter. But thanks to an American Legion Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW) grant, Ledford is on the way to improving both his health and mental outlook.On May 20, Ledford was presented with an elliptical bicycle via OCW, which provides items that help wounded warriors' recovery but aren’t provided by the government. The bike was given to Ledford during the second annual Sixth District Department of California Armed Forces Ball, which serves as a fundraiser for OCW.Ledford is 100-percent service-connected