Wear the Legion cap to recruit

A letter from Charles Aughenbaugh Jr., a member of Post 1000 in Belleville, N.J.

As a longtime life member of The American Legion, I am aware how little various communities in our state are aware of The American Legion. Let me give you a personal experience of what I have done to correct this.

After a long while, and much pushing from a fellow veteran, I purchased an American Legion cap, along with the decorations and indication that I was a Korean vet. My intention was to finally attend a Memorial Day service wearing my new Legion cap. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, I could not attend.

But I did wear my American Legion cap as I went shopping at Home Depot and Shop Rite (a supermarket) later that day. I was surprised at the number of people who asked me what does the emblem on my cap stand for, and the number of veterans who approached me saying they never got around to joining the Legion but asked if they would still be eligible.

I gave them the address of the Trenton (N.J.) office and told them to call as I wasn’t sure of the eligibility dates. I continued to wear my Legion cap on several holidays, like the Fourth of July, Labor Day and several local celebrations.

I experienced essentially the same questions from veterans I met in Home Depot, Sears and Shop Rite if they would still be eligible to join The American Legion since many years have passed since their separation from the armed forces. While I gave them the phone number and the address of the Legion office in Trenton, I realized I was a poor salesman in the sense that I was not verifying that those veterans who asked me questions actually joined the Legion. To correct this situation, I called Post 1000 and asked for two dozen membership applications to be sent to me. Now I carry them with me when I wear my Legion cap, and my intention is to fill out the application for American Legion membership.

I hope in a small way that I can increase our state’s membership and do my share of the work to make The American Legion more visible to the public in New Jersey.