Commander calls on members to make 'Buddy Checks'

American Legion National Commander Brett Reistad is calling on posts, districts, counties and departments to coordinate a team and call Legionnaires and former members simply to see how they are doing.

“Ask if there is anything The American Legion can do for them,” Reistad said in a letter to post leaders around the world. “Perhaps they have been sick, lost a spouse or just need to know someone cares. Perhaps they simply forgot to renew their membership because no one called.”

Reistad said that more important than membership renewal – or retrieval of Legionnaires whose memberships have expired – is the personal contact to see how local veterans are doing and act accordingly if they need help.

“This is not a membership campaign,” he said. “It’s a comradeship campaign.”

He added that week leading up the Legion’s 100th birthday, March 11-16, is a perfect time to make the calls, but posts that have made other plans to celebrate the centennial at that time can choose another week in the centennial month if necessary.

A Buddy Check toolkit, including scripts for Legionnaires to use when making personal contact, is available online at www.legion.org/membership/buddycheck.