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Recently, the National Commander of the American Legion called for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and other Under Secretaries in his agency to resign. It was the first time since 1941 that the veteran’s organization called for such a presidential appointee to step down. The American Legion Commander cited poor oversight and failed leadership in the VA when explaining his position. He listed a number of recent high-profile scandals which have “infected” the VA system as reasons for his public request. (1) According to the VA, the agency is currently involved with administering services for: * 8.9M veterans enrolled in...

An op-ed column published in The New York Times that linked American troops coming home from war and the growth in white supremacist groups drew sharp criticism from veterans groups. Although writer Kathleen Belew stated in the piece that the "vast majority of veterans are neither violent nor mentally ill" and that those who turn violent are more likely to harm themselves than anyone else, veterans groups read the op-ed as an attack on military veterans. American Legion National Commander Daniel Dellinger described the op-ed as a "poorly researched and agenda-driven piece," and that "the New York Times should be...

Veterans Blast NY Times Op-Ed That Stereotypes Them as Potential Domestic Terrorists By Matthew Balan Created 04/16/2014 - 5:41pm An unsigned Wednesday article in the Military Times spotlighted how veteran groups have rebuked the New York Times for an opinion piece that played up the recent shootings at two Jewish community centers as apparent proof that white veterans are susceptible to joining hate groups. Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America hammered the liberal newspaper for its "sensational, slanderous and incredibly offensive" attack on his peers. In the Wednesday op-ed, author Kathleen Belew cited a controversial 2009 Department...

Scandals: One of the nation's largest veterans groups is being required to provide proof of membership eligibility. Posts that can't or won't comply face heavy fines. Your government thanks you for your service. The IRS scandal, which President Obama says is "phony," along with the body-bag scandals of Benghazi and Fast and Furious, was once the object of faux presidential scorn. When the president announced acting Commissioner Steven Miller had resigned over his agency's "inexcusable" targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups who had applied for tax-exempt status, he feigned concern. "I reviewed the Treasury Department watchdog's report and...

Newsmax American Legion: IRS Demands Military Records for All Members Sunday, August 25, 2013 09:40 AM By: Audrey Hudson A new IRS policy is targeting American veterans' organization with threats of stiff fines if the groups do not report on the service records of all their members, the Daily Caller reports. The new audit guidelines requires the veteran groups to "maintain dates of service and character of service records for all members … The penalty for not having the required proof of eligibility is, apparently, $1,000 per day," according to the American Legion. The new guidelines are enforced by the...

The Internal Revenue Service is targeting the veterans’ organization the American Legion, and a U.S. senator believes that Lois Lerner — a key figure in the IRS scandal – is to blame. “The IRS now requires American Legion posts to maintain dates of service and character of service records for all members… The penalty for not having the required proof of eligibility is, apparently, $1,000 per day,” the American Legion stated.

The American Legion is praising Congress for passing the new Stolen Valor Act, which addresses areas that were previously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The new Stolen Valor Act would make it a crime to profit from lies about military awards and decorations, as opposed to the previous law which criminalized the wearing of unearned medals. If signed into law by President Obama as expected, this act will cover issues ranging from lying to receive veteran or health care benefits, to obtaining a government contract only eligible for a veteran- or service-disabled veteran owned business, or getting a job...

Long time St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan is advocating ending the practice of giving most veterans military honors at their funerals. His reason? Government can't afford it. Certainly, men and women killed in combat deserve full military honors. It's a way for the country to say, "We honor the memory of those who died in our service." These military honors - and the thought behind them - are intended to provide some solace for the families of the fallen. But what about the guy who spends a couple of years in the military and then gets on with...

While the nation discusses and debates the attacks on religious freedom, a high school junior in Florida has put her academic reputation on the line to stand up for her faith. Margeaux Graham was selected this year to participate in The American Legion Auxiliary's prestigious 9-day leadership event, the "Girls State" program. When Margeaux learned she would not be allowed to attend Sunday mass during the event, she decided to decline the honor... Margeaux Graham was selected this year to participate in a prestigious 9-day leadership event in her state's capital. The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) of Florida has an...

In a press release this afternoon, Club for Growth criticized Newt Gingrich for his attacks on Mitt Romney’s career at Bain Capital, calling them unbecoming a “Reagan Conservative.” Club for Growth’s statement: Yesterday, Gingrich said “Those of us who believe in free markets and those of us who believe that in fact the whole goal of investment is entrepreneurship and job creation…we find it pretty hard to justify rich people figuring out clever legal ways to loot a company, leaving behind 1,700 families without a job.” Gingrich’s attack was echoed that same day that by the Democratic National Committee, which...

Dear Legionnaires, American Legion family members and friends of The American Legion: We have the opportunity to do something truly extraordinary for our vererans. The best part is that is it will cost you no money-only 30 seconds of your time. The Pepsi refresh project will award $250,000 to support our job fairs for vererans if we win enough of your votes to place as one of their top two competing charities during the month of August.

"TO KEEP OUR HONOR CLEAN!" Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military Written by The American TFP    Monday, 15 February 2010 20:29 “To Keep Our Honor Clean!” Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military     As America faces a two-front war and economic fragility, another peril looms on the horizon that threatens the honor and integrity of one of our nation’s most important institutions: our Armed Forces.   President Obama promised in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address that he would work with Congress and the military to...

Friday February 5, 2010 Veterans, Former Army Legal Chief Defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” By Peter J. Smith WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Congressional ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military has been targeted by top US military officials this week, but military veterans as well as a former chief of the Army's criminal law division are striking back in defense of a policy they call both sound and essential to the health of the armed services. The Washington Times reports that the United States' two major veterans organizations have come out fighting against attempts by President Barack...

VETERANS RIGHTS ADVOCATES UNDER ATTACK BY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS [Snip]Article... What vets don't know is how the American Legion, VFW and other groups have advised the DVA and Congress, led us, every step of the way, to the total failure and utter disaster we have now. These groups "played" at helping vets but became a home for political extremists or dimwits addicted more [sic] grandstanding than the hard work required by informed veterans advocacy.

American Legion Critical of Obama for Apologizing to Muslim World for U.S. Actions in Aftermath of 9/11 Monday, June 08, 2009 By Edwin Mora (CNSNews.com) – The nation’s largest veterans’ organization, the American Legion, criticized President Obama for apologizing for to the Muslim world for U.S. behavior in the in aftermath of the 9/11 attacks during his address from Cairo last week. “When the president pronounces, as he did in his conciliatory address in Egypt, that the events of Sept. 11, 2001, in his words, ‘led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals’, he must, in our...

The National Commander of The American Legion is stressing the need for strength as well as conciliation in President Obama’s current campaign to improve relations with Muslim countries. “Although The American Legion does not believe that the United States has anything to apologize for, we appreciate the spirit of President Obama’s call for what he termed a ‘new beginning’ in our relationship with the followers of Islam,” said David K. Rehbein, National Commander of the nation’s largest veterans service organization. “We must demand reciprocity of both spirit and deed,” he said. “When the President pronounces, as he did in his...

“This is not so much a matter of “the people’s right to know” as it is a matter of needlessly endangering the lives of our brave troops — 99% of whom have had no role in any interrogations or allegations of detainee abuse.” See more Obama reversals below Obama - Against the VETS before he was For the VETS!

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met with the American Legion on Friday to apologize for a right-wing extremism report written by her agency, and the veterans group walked away from the meeting mollified. Napolitano blamed one of her agency's analysts for prematurely sending out the intelligence assessment to law enforcement, according to Craig Roberts, an American Legion member who attended the meeting. The report says veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan could be susceptible to right-wing recruiters or commit lone acts of violence.

The US Homeland Security Department, under fire for saying US forces returning from the Iraq and Afghan wars were potential right-wing extremist recruits, said Wednesday it honors US veterans. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to douse anger among conservatives and veterans groups like the American Legion over a report from her department warning of a rising threat of right-wing extremism. "We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not -- nor will we ever -- monitor ideology or political beliefs," Napolitano said in a statement amid charges that the department had done just that....

Veterans’ Group Sends Letter of Protest to Homeland Security Department Wednesday, April 15, 2009, By Susan Jones, Senior Editor (CNSNews.com) – The American Legion is among the groups protesting a Homeland Security report – apparently written by a career bureaucrat – that says current economic and political conditions may give rise to right-wing extremists. The report, dated April 7, warns that an extended economic downturn along with the election of the nation’s first black president could make it easier for “rightwing extremists” to recruit new members, although the report offers no evidence that such a thing is actually happening. American...