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Sons of the American Legion
Founded in 1932, Sons of The American Legion exists to honor
the service and sacrifice of Legionnaires.
S.A.L. members include males of all ages whose parents or
grandparents served in the U.S. military and were eligible for American Legion
membership. Members of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons
of The American Legion comprise the Legion Family, which has a combined
membership of nearly 4.2 million.
Although Sons has its own membership, the organization is
not a separate entity. Rather, S.A.L. is a program of The American Legion. Many
Legionnaires hold dual membership in S.A.L.
The Sons organization is divided into detachments at the
state level and squadrons at the local level. A squadron pairs with a local
American Legion post; a squadron’s charter is contingent upon its parent post’s
charter. However, squadrons can determine the extent of their services to the
community, state and nation. They are permitted flexibility in planning
programs and activities to meet their needs, but must remember S.A.L.’s
mission: to strengthen the four pillars of The American Legion. Therefore, squadrons’
campaigns place an emphasis on preserving American traditions and values,
improving the quality of life for our nation’s children, caring for veterans
and their families, and teaching the fundamentals of good citizenship.
Since 1988, S.A.L. has raised more than $5.8 million for The
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. S.A.L. members have volunteered over
500,000 hours at veterans hospitals and raised over $1,000,000 for VA hospitals
and VA homes. The Sons also support the Citizens Flag Alliance, a coalition
dedicated to protecting the U.S. flag from desecration through a constitutional
amendment.
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