American Legion fears drop in assistance
Hazel Crest members worried dwindling numbers means less help for Manteno Veterans’ Home
American Legion Post 1139 in Hazel Crest does a lot to help veterans. For years they have sent care packages and requested goods for veterans and active duty members overseas, along with providing volunteer services.
But if membership numbers don’t improve, its members, who are mostly veterans from the Vietnam War, fear their mission will fade.
Following World War II, the post had about 150 members, according to post Cmdr. John Kearns, a Navy veteran who served aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. Now, they have about 35 members, many of whom are sick or inactive, or live in other states such as Indiana and Oregon. For the most part, it’s the Vietnam-era veterans who are keeping the post alive, but Kearns said they can’t do this forever.
Around Memorial Day, the post did its annual sale of poppies, a popular fundraising event nationwide to raise money for veterans. But post member Jim Bandy, a Marine veteran who also served in Vietnam, said they had a hard time filling the few volunteer slots they had available.
“We have guys my age, 75 and older, and their wives volunteered,” Bandy said. “But we’re not kids anymore. We’re standing there for two-hour stretches.”
But why do they do it, despite the challenges?
“We do it to collect money for veterans,” Bandy said. “Everything we do is to help veterans, or their wives. or widows. That’s what we are. Veterans helping veterans.”
Kearns said they still raised more than $3,500 for their charities through poppy sales, and that the money is needed to help veterans who live in the Veterans’ Home in Manteno, a retirement facility for veterans. Many of the residents served in World War II and Korea.
“One hundred percent of those proceeds go to helping the Manteno Veterans’ Home,” Kearns said. “These are men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. And they’re not asking for much, batteries, bags of chips, socks. But the list adds up.”
Bandy said that he, Kearns, and the few active members often reach into their own pockets to buy requested items for home residents. Just recently they dropped off nearly 30 boxes of donated
items, but having done most of the work themselves, they know more could be done if active membership was higher.
Without growing membership, the post’s mission becomes increasingly difficult. Bandy said it all goes back to “strength in numbers.”
“We need more guys doing what we do,” Bandy said. “More members means more money, which means more help.”
Bandy said anybody interested in joining the post should contact him at 708-297-4170 or jbandymarine@gmail.com.
Kearns said another hurdle in their fundraising efforts is they do not have a dedicated building for their post. Kearns said it was shut down about 30 years ago when the post couldn’t find people to handle upkeep. The post meets in public space, such at Village Hall and the fire station.
“And that puts us at a disadvantage for fundraising,” Kearns said. “We can’t do spaghetti dinners or pancake breakfasts to raise money.”
Bandy said there are only around six or seven active members in the post, and maybe up to 10 who attend monthly meetings. He and Kearns would like to see total membership up to 50 and at least 10 active members, if not more.
At monthly meetings they accept requests from members or those in the community who need assistance, and vote on which requests get filled and how much money to dedicate to each.
“Sometimes we’ll get a request that a guy needs a wheelchair, or a widow needs help with something,” Bandy said. “In hopes of continuing to do so, it takes membership, for most of us are in our very late 60s and many, middle to late 70s.”
Kearns said he recognizes they are a service organization, and that service organizations require volunteer time, which veterans of all ages may not have to give. Kearns’ son, however, a Gulf War veteran, and his nephew, an Afghanistan veteran, are both members.
“The Gulf War veterans used to say they don’t have time to volunteer, due to families and such, but now they are all up in their 50s,” Kearns said. “But we, guys our age, are doing as much as we can.”
Bandy said many of the more recent veterans from
Iraq and Afghanistan are more or less “burned out” on military service, another hurdle they face.
“My son was in the Marine Corps, served in the Battle of Fallujah, saw a lot of stuff,” Bandy said. “The last thing he wants to do is join a military organization. He’s a fireman now.”
When asked if younger veterans need several years to decompress from war before joining, Bandy said “big time.”
“If we could just bring them into the post softly and not put pressure on them to do stuff right away, I think that’s the right approach,” Kearns said. “Come to our functions and parties or fundraisers, just come together and have some fun at first.”
Kearns and Bandy have been thinking of ways to expand awareness. They recently set up an exhibit table at South Suburban College.
“There are veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who we would love to have join,” Kearns said. “We could really use them.”
Bandy said there’s a difference in active and inactive membership. They can have more members sign up, but it’s their actions that lead to results.
“We’re a very dedicated group,” Bandy said. “A very dedicated group that is trying so hard just to find others.”
Kearns said with fewer than 50 people, they’ve provided between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of charity work in the last few years. The post also partnered with St. Anne’s Church in Hazel Crest and sent packages overseas for years to units in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.
Both Kearns and Bandy said part of their passion for the American Legion is because they had to wait more than a decade for their acceptance. Kearns said when they returned from Vietnam, the World War II and Korean veterans did not see them as veterans. That’s because many did not agree there was a true war in Vietnam.
“It took about 10 to 15 years after before we were allowed in,” Kearns said.
Bandy, however, said it took even longer.
“Most of us, the last thing we wanted to do was join a military organization, because by and large they did not support us,” Bandy said.
“But now we’re kind of running the show,” Kearns said.