Am I the first Legionaire to notice political bias coming from leadership?

[70sEraVet]

The American Legion puts out a "Weekly Grassroots Newsletter" that gets emailed to their members. Most of the concerns are of a legislative nature.
The one that showed up this morning had a big section about "VA TO REDUCE STAFF BY NEARLY 30K BY END OF FY2025". The writer of the article seemed to be applauding that the Department of Veterans Affairs is "on pace to reduce total VA staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of fiscal year 2025, eliminating the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force."
I don't know why that is something to be proud of.
But, what got me angry was the repetitive slamming of the Biden Administration!

Meanwhile, VA performance continues to improve. Under President Trump and Secretary Collins:

VA’s disability claims backlog is already down nearly 30%, after it increased 24% during the Biden Administration.
VA is processing record numbers of disability claims, reaching 1 million claims processed for FY25 on Feb. 20 and reaching 2 million claims by June — both achievements were done in record time.
VA has implemented major reforms to make it easier for survivors to get benefits, after serious problems during the Biden Administration.
VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system, after the program was nearly dormant for almost two years under the Biden Administration.
VA is phasing out treatment for gender dysphoria. Frankly, this commonsense reform should have been done years ago, but only President Trump and Secretary Collins had the courage to do it.
VA ended DEI at the department, reversing the divisive Biden-era policies and stopping more than $14 million in DEI spending.
VA has brought more than 60,000 VA employees back to the office, where we can work better as a team to serve Veterans.

I wrote an angry email back to the publication.

[rampartd]

1. the traditional veterans organizations run conservative

i joined vfw in small town alabana as only place to drink in a dry cty.

[FalloutShelter]

2. Holy shit.

Last edited Sat Jul 12, 2025, 06:17 PM - Edit history (1)

I’m glad my father did not live to see this.
He would not believe this.

[Tetrachloride]

3. my father was against the American Legion

[70sEraVet]

4. I found a link to the original article:

https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-to-reduce-staff-by-nearly-30k-by-end-of-fy2025/

[sinkingfeeling]

5. The American Legion has always leaned right, kind of racist and sexist.

[GP6971]

7. That's why I never considered joining. Our local chapter is very political and

I wanted nothing to do with them.

[ZDU]

14. add homophobic

they hardly welcomed ALL who served

[70sEraVet]

16. Point taken.

[msongs]

6. my dad avoided these veteran groups as nothing but alcoholics reliving a past that never was nt

[TomSlick]

8. The American Legion and VFW have always been conservative at best but more usually fascist.

I have never considered joining the American Legion. I see no reason to hang-out with a bunch of rethuglicans.

[70sEraVet]

9. I think the Legion is a good organization.

It has fought for many of the benefits that we as veterans enjoy. And we do good work on a local level. If it wasn't for my Legion Post, veterans who are buried in their family cemeteries would not receive a Military Honor rifle salute at their funerals. We just did one today.
And many local veterans come home from a hospital stay, and find that their homes are not designed to accommodate their current needs -- we have installed wheelchair ramps, widened doorways, installed high-rise toilets, etc.
My beef seems to be with the current National leadership of the organization.

[GP6971]

18. What always surprised me is that I know a couple of members of

our local post and they know of my service, but they never approached me about joining. Not that I would have joined, but I found it strange.

[leanforward]

10. Thank you for the post

First, “figures don’t lie, but liars can figure”.
Now, I’ve wondered about those organizations. Never joined. After reading the above article, twists, turns, and corkscrews. Blaming the Biden Administration and claiming great progress, while reducing the workforce. I don’t buy their drivel.
Their writing is similar to AARP’s. AARP has not opposed reductions in healthcare. Just pablum drivel.

[OldSWODog]

11. former member of the V and the Legion here

some good folks in both...of those good folks, all understood why I left in the run up to the 2020 election and many also left back in those days...the Legion left no doubt about their preferred candidate; V was less rabid...still a life member of DAV and dues paying member of Vote Vets...I worry about fellow vets who depend on the VA...btw, don't need the post canteens, I do my social drinking with friends...cheers, OSD

[70sEraVet]

13. No canteen at our Post

I am glad. I drink, but do not like to be around people who are drinking. I tell people that I seem to be the only drunk whose company I can stand!

[OldSWODog]

15. well stated, sir

that second line fits me to a t...I make allowances for my kid brother (also a vet) and one close friend but otherwise, prefer the solo sessions over the bar scene...speaking of which, it's cocktail hour here on the left coast...cheers, OSD

[70sEraVet]

17. I noticed from your profile you are retired Navy.

I only did my 4 years -- it seemed to be a mutual agreement that 4 years was enough for all concerned. My last ship was an old WWII destroyer. I was a boilerman -- an officer-free workspace! Great duty

[OldSWODog]

19. don't sell the 4 year tour short...you did what was asked of you

...and, for that, I honor your service...which tin can? by the time I joined the haze grey Navy as an "new" (old) ensign and showed up in SDGO, there were still a few of the 3 gun DDs (John Paul Jones, etc) around and a few more of the old DDGs...Lynde McCormick DDG-8? was in my first WestPac battle group (I was in Marvin Shields FF-1066 then...BTCM Thrall was the MCPOC...I valued his counsel)...another BTCS was my Battalion Enlisted Advisor at OCS and helped me make the biggest decision of my career: while at OCS, I was selected for HMC (after ten years of in/out patient psych and running around with the Marines) ...I struggled with continuing with OCS towards commissioning or putting on the anchor and he was my sounding board (I made sure that he got my silver dollar for the first salute...no regrets here as I think I had a greater impact as a mustang (sorta/kinda mustang...HMs usually commission into Medical Service Corps, whereas I made the very unusual leap into Surface Line) during the last 13 years of my career...I don't wish to bore you with a bunch of my past but I'd like to ask you as a deckplate snipe, what flavor of plants did you work?...I would enjoy swapping lies and sea stories...cheers, OSD

[70sEraVet]

12. Forgive me -- I am replying to my own OP

The current leadership of the American Legion is failing to observe the rules set forth in its own National Constitution:
"Article 2, Section 2: The American Legion shall be absolutely nonpolitical and shall not be used for the dissemination of partisan principles or for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking public office or preferment."
(I bolded text)

I'm a proud Legionaire, in the same way I am a proud American -- I'm just not proud of our current leaders.