Eligibility Requirements
Any person shall be eligible for membership in The American Legion
who was a member of the Army,Navy,Marine Corps, Coast Guard
or Air Force of the United States and assigned
to active duty at
some time during any of the following periods:
April 6, 1917, to November 11,1918
December 7,1941 to December 31,1946
June 25,1950, to January 31,1955
February 28,1961, to May 7,1975
August 24,1982, to July 31,1984
December 20,1989, to January 31,1990
August 2,1990, to the date of cessation of hostilies as determined by the Government of the United States;
all dates inclusive.... provided,
however, that such service have been terminated by honorable discharge or honorable separation, or continued
honorably after any of said periods;
provided, futher, that no person shall be entitled to membership who,
being in
such service during any said periods, refused on conscientious, political or other grounds to subject himself to military
discipline or unqualified service.
Eligibility Dates
WWI--April 6,1917 to November 11,1918
U.S. MERCHANT MARINES--December 7,1941 to August 15,1945
WWII---December 7,1941 to December 31,1946
KOREA---June 25,1950 to January 31,1955
VIETNAM---Febuary 28,1961 to May 7,1975
GRANADA LEBANON---August 24,1982 to July 31,1984
PANAMA CANAL---December 20,1989 to January 31,1990
PERSIAN GULF--- From August 2,1990 through the Date of
an Official Announcement of Cessation of
Hostilities in the Persian Gulf Operation
Enduring Freedom and War on
Terrorism----- is covered under the
Hostilities
in the Persian Gulf which is an
open
date.
WORLD WAR II
Digest of Eligibility Opinions in which they are Eligible for Membership
Active Duty (honorable discharge,constitutional period)
Aliens (Honorable active duty,U.S. Armed Forces)
Allies,Service
with (If citizen of U.S. at time of entry therein)
Annapolis--Midshipmen
Armed Guard (Navy)-(Naval personnel manning
defense ordnance,
merchant vessels)
Army Transport Service: (Administrative group comprised of military
personnel on active duty for the purpose of
administering troops being carried thereon)
Canadian Forces, Service with (If active duty, honorable termination,
constitutional period and U.S.
citizenship time of entry)
Coast Guard (Active duty, honorable termination, constitutional period)
Coast
Guard Academy (Cadets)
Coast Guard Beach Patrol (CGR)-(If active duty)
Coast Guard, Women's Reserve (SPAR's)-(If active
duty)
Disability, Discharged (If active duty,honorable termination)
Marine Corps,Women's Reserve (If active duty)
Marine
Officers' Training School
West Point, Annapolis, Coast Guard-Cadets
Nurses, Army and Navy
Officers' Candidate Schools
(If member Armed Forces)
Over-Age (Discharged for)
Philippine Scouts
WAAC's (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps). If served
on or after May,1942
WAC's (Women Army Corps)-(If active duty)
Wasp ( Women's Air Force Service Pilots). If service
between Sept. 10
1942 Dec. 20, 1944.
WAVES
(Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)-
(Naval Reserve if
active duty)
National Guard & Reserve Eligibility
The National Guard and Reserve are reqired to meet the same
eligibility requirements as the time federal
active veterans. To be
eligible, the National Guardsman/Reservist must have served at least
one day on federal active
duty during of the delimiting periods, and
either have an honorable discharge or currently be serving in the
Guard/Reserve
or on federal active duty.
If a Guardsman/Reservist has been on or currently serving on
federal active duty is the "Authority
Line" on the activation orders
of the Guardsman/Reservist. In both cases "Title 10 Subsection 672
or 12301" are orders
from the Secretary of Defense and are federal
orders.
The authority the Governor use to activate the National Guard
as
an individual or unit is "Title 32" orders, i.e. Weekend Drills
and Annual Training. These are "NOT" federal orders. The
Reserves
have similar reserve orders which are "Title 10, Subsection 270".
This authority code gives the reserve component
the authority to
activate the reserves for Weekend Drills and Annual Training.
Note: A DD-214
will be issued for the time on federal active
duty or a DA-1059 for a completion of a school will be issued with a
character
type of discharge. All Reserve components send their service
members to "Basic Training" using Title 10, Subsection 672/12301
ordes.
Temporary Duty
During the Vietnam War, it was the practice of the Air Force
to call members of the Air National Guard
to duty for temporary
periods, frequently for more than 10 days. The call is made with the
consent of the individual
and the Governor of the state concerned.
The duty usually involves flying Air Force cargo from the United
States to
Southeast Asia. Correspondence with the Chief of the
National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C., has established that duty
of
the type outlined herein is included in the term of "active duty"
in the sense that it is full-time duty in the active
military service
of the United States. Upon the completion of such duty, as evidence
by the issuance of a Form DD-214
or other evidence of honorable
separation, the individual is eligible for membership in the American
Legion, provided,
of course, that any part of the duty occurred
between December 22,1961, and May 7,1975.
U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force or Coast Guard Academies
" Cadets who served at the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force
or Coast Guard Academies during any of the delimiting
periods set
forth under Article IV, Section 1 of the National Constitution and
whose service has been honorably terminated
those individuals are
eligible for membership in The American Legion." Chapter 1 Section
101 (21) Title 38, United
States Code provides as follows: The term
"active duty" means service as a cadet at the U.S. Military,
Air Force or
Coast Guard Academies or as a Midshipman at the U.S.
Naval Academy.
JOIN US!
The American Legion is an organization of veterans serving
veterans, their families and communities.
The Legion serves as the
veteran's voice in Washington, fighting for the benefits and rights
of those who served our
country in the armed forces.
Membership eligbility is based upon dates set forth by
Congress.
To join stop by our office at:
The American Legion Post 218
116 South Main St.
Middletown, Ohio 45044
Monday through Friday 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.
To sign up bring in your DD-214, discharge or separation papers.
The dues are $30.00 a year.
If you have any Questions, call us at 513-422-5424 or 513-422-2643,
Fax 513-422-0143 or
