Dear Legion Family Members and Friends,
The American flag has inspired patriots, struck fear in the hearts of our enemies, united this nation in times of peril and honored fallen heroes. The flag is more than a cloth banner, more than a rectangle in the back window of a pickup. It is a globally recognized symbol of freedom, honor and hope.
In times of national emergency, we look to the flag for strength and resolve. Case in point: following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, sales of American Legion flags from the Emblem Sales Division doubled. The following year, they tripled. Amid the ruins and debris of Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy and the tornadoes of Moore, Okla., our flag stood as meaningfully for the resolve of our nation as it did when raised over Iwo Jima.
I am proud that The American Legion is the nation’s foremost authority on our flag, having led and organized the National Flag Conference in 1923, which established the U.S. Flag Code, and brought order and honor to the way in which our nation’s colors are displayed and respected. I am proud that American Legion posts around the country are trusted to dutifully retire flags that are worn out and need replaced and that, in the ever-changing world of digital media, our American Legion Flag Alert e-newsletter has an open rate of nearly 130 percent, due to the high number of people who forward it to others, who open it. I am proud that The American Legion sends, free of charge, all the U.S. flags that decorate the graves of U.S. military personnel buried in overseas cemeteries.
Moreover, I am proud to say that 100 percent of the flags sold through American Legion Emblem Sales are made in the USA. They are affordable. They are high-quality. And flag purchases from The American Legion help fund programs that provide financial assistance to military and veteran families in need, educational programs for children and scholarships for tomorrow’s leaders.
As we head into the patriotic holidays of Memorial Day, Flag Day and July Fourth, please join me in raising the flag at home and in your community. Please visit the Emblem Sales flag section online. Most of all, when thanking veterans and military men and women for their service this summer, do so inspired by our flag and all it means to our nation and world – past, present and future.
|
| For God and Country, |
 |
Dan Dellinger
National Commander |
|
 |
|
Dan DellingerNational Commander
The American Legion |
|
 |
| |
 |
|
 |
|
