David and Jennifer Harman of Post 52 - Sierra Vista, watching Post 43 Commander Jeff Daly teach about using Social Media for membership.

Hey 43ers,

Come to the meeting this week. We have air-conditioning! Seriously, I hope you are all surviving this heatwave. Please stay hydrated. Please also help our Community Outreach Committee by joining the Legion Service Corps. They have been making efforts to get water out to those living in the elements.
Email simone@post43.org.

Check the calendar to keep up with all that is going on. I’m excited to see the growth in attendance on Sundays and Thursday. I have seen people who haven’t been there since they inducted, during the lockdown. I continue to see members returning, who complained that there was a toxic vibe before. I credit the positive folks in the Legion Family for coming out and helping to change the culture. It’s infectious. I have personally referred guests to the Sons and Auxiliary because this is now a place where people want to be. I thank you for that and I especially thank the leadership of Unit 43 President Melissa Card and Squadron 43 Commander Jon Jeffrey Jackman (Triple J) for their leadership, consistent presence, and the genuine care they have for our members and guests.

A few us just returned from the 103 rd National Convention. The learning opportunities were great, and anyone there should have returned with lessons from formal training, but they should have also cultivated a network of problem solvers that can be counted on to make all pieces of the organization better. I will give a report at the business meeting on the 19th , but know that efforts to modernize the Legion are underway. In 2023, we will have an all new app, complete with Digital Membership Cards.

The paper cards will still be available, but there was genuine unified agreement across all eras that this is a great idea. Posts will be able to scan a QR code to verify that the membership is valid and up to date. I will be volunteering Post 43 to do pre-launch testing. I had some time in the pub with the Director of IT and am very excited about this and other advancements coming.

Tango Alpha Lima podcast hosts Jeff Daly and Ashley Gorbulja interview Denis McDonough, Secretary of the VA. Directing the episode is Jeric Wilhelmsen.

I was honored to interview the Secretary of the VA for the Tango Alpha Lima podcast. We didn’t have a ton of time with him, but we discussed two very important things that we all should take note of:

1. The passing of the Honoring our PACT Act. If you served anywhere where you had toxic exposure, please check out the following site for you rights and potential benefits here.
2. Suicide Prevention is important to both The American Legion and the VA. You can start to look up VA sources here. We also discussed the “Be The One” campaign from The American Legion that urges everyone to look for scenarios where you might be the one to be there for someone in crisis, potentially saving a life. Keep up with the Legion’s efforts here. Buddy checks are an important thing that local Posts can do. Please reach out to 1 st Vice Commander Dennis Kee to get engaged with this part of the Membership Committee.

I want to point out something great that happened at convention. We all know about the partnership between IndyCar, Chip Ganassi Racing and The American Legion. As someone who was initially skeptical, I can attest that the benefits of this relationship are really starting to grow. One of Team Ganassi’s drivers, Jimmie Johnson, a legend of NASCAR and a quickly improving Indy driver, committed $1.5 million of his own money to The American Legion. He has grown to appreciate the organization so much. He has donated his time to making commercials and being available to members at race event and now reaching deep in to his pocket to support our missions. If you’d like to reach out and say thank you or good luck or that you are a new fan, his Twitter handle is @jimmiejohnson. That is also his Instagram handle. Find him on Facebook here and let’s show some appreciation to #48.

Finally, if you haven’t seen the Leatherneck magazine this month, it’s outstanding and I don’t just mean that because I’m in the article. In fact, 2 out of the 4 Marine Corps veterans featured are a part of Post 43. Chanin Nuntavong, the Executive Director of the Washington, DC office is the other. This article showcased the future of The American Legion and Hollywood Post 43 is significantly represented because we are a Post that is leading that charge. We are doing all of this and I feel we are just getting started.

For the good of the Legion,

Jeff Daly, Commander

Hollywood Post 43

Commander's Time