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American Legion shrinking as it gets grayer -- except in Utah By
Jeremiah Stettler
As sunlight caught the tips of his wings at Crissy Field in San Francisco, Col. Russell L. Maughan of Logan, then a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Service, made history. On that day, June 23, 1924, Maughan had completed the first daylight flight across the continent in 18 hours, 20 minutes. Maughan's flight was preceded by discouragement, however, as two attempts in a Curtis PW-8 pursuit aircraft were unsuccessful because of engine failure. But on the eve of that historic day, Maughan raced against the clock at an average of 150 mph before touching down one minute before official dusk. G. Barney Rawlings, a retired Air Force major general living in Logan, said Maughan's legacy was to signify the armed forces' dedication and commitment to tasks that were seemingly impossible. It was this attitude, Rawlings said, that set a pattern and precedent for decades to follow in World War II, Vietnam and Korea. But today, the fighting has changed theaters. Veterans, who battled through dense rifle and artillery fire at Normandy beach, are now battling to maintain membership in U.S. veterans organizations. Year by year, the casualties are increasing for groups like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars as involvement declines with the graying of the World War II generation -- a generation Tom Brokaw described as the "generation that saved the world." The trend is consistent, except in Utah. Lee Harris, deputy public relations director for the American Legion, explained that although membership has declined slightly during the past three years nationally, Utah has remained surprisingly stable. According to the most recent figures, in fact, the state is on the rise. Harris indicated that American Legion membership was reported at 9,353 in 1998, representing an increase of 1,088 since 1988. The figures have fluctuated from a high of 9,758 in 1994 to a low of 9,162 in 1996, but the Legion has grown steadily over the past decade. Randy Knight, state adjutant to the American Legion, said the trend is not only promising, but expected to continue. According to a recent report, Utah is ranked 14th in the nation for growth after reaching 77 percent of its anticipated membership by the end of December - seven months before the end of its membership year. "Our goal is to bring veteran's issues to light," Knight said. "We don't do it for the publicity, we do it out of a genuine interest." Several local American Legion posts have already exceeded their goals. In Brigham City, for example, membership was reported at 120 percent of average at the turn of the century. Smithfield has followed suit with membership figures well beyond expectations. Post Cmdr. Frank Nilson said the Smithfield American Legion averages approximately 125 members. The post reported 174 members this year. But why has membership in Utah risen while veteran's organizations throughout the nation continue to struggle. Some people have attributed rising membership to post commanders bolstering the figures by buying memberships for local veterans who refuse to buy them on their own or financially incapable of doing so. An informal survey of posts in Cache and Box Elder counties indicated that only a small minority of post commanders have paid annual dues for other Legion members. Of those who had, the assistance has appeared to be based on financial need, rather than reaching membership goals. On a national level, however, the trend isn't comforting. Disillusionment among Vietnam veterans, coupled with increasing animosity toward the federal government, has been cited as reasons for the decline in membership. Several Cache post commanders agreed, stating that they have sensed a lot of frustration from soldiers who served during that era. Harris argued that "disillusionment" or "a at a distance from the American Legion. There are certainly individual cases like that, he said, but in general, the stereotype is a public misconception. Vietnam veterans are coming out of the woodwork to fill positions of leadership in all levels of the Legion. "There is no indication that Vietnam veterans are not interested in Legion membership," Harris said. "Our leadership at nearly every national level has been from Vietnam-era veterans for more than a dozen years. Vietnam veterans are extremely active in posts, districts and state-level Legion operations." The scenario has been different in Lewiston, however. Don Taylor, commander of Lewiston Post 50, has witnessed some opposition toward the Legion from those who fought in Vietnam. It was a shameful period for the United States, Taylor said. He explained that he understands their resentment. "I don't think they received the respect they deserved," Taylor said. "I feel bad about that. I think their resentment toward the country is a reason for their feeling against membership." Yet as the years roll on, feelings of resentment, which were common during the Vietnam era, have turned to feelings of indifference and apathy for the upcoming generation - a force that could be equally destructive for the future of veteran's organizations. The public is losing respect for the American flag, said Bonnie Young, the wife of a World War II veteran who served in the South Pacific for the U.S. Marine Corps. They are losing respect for the American soldier. "I don't think they understand what it was like," said Young. "During the war years, we had songs like `Someday, I Want to be a Hero' and `A Hero Great is What I Want to be.' Those kinds of songs built our patriotism. Today, many children don't know the Star Spangled Banner. It is important for younger people to know what these people went through. But they don't seem to care." M.L. Whitworth, a front-line medic who experienced World War II from the European Theater six months after the invasion at Normandy, agreed that patriotism is steadily declining, particularly for the youth. The trend has been discouraging, he said, but it hasn't changed the feelings of pride he felt as a young American medic, gearing up for overseas combat. "We were proud to be American soldiers," he said. "I think the pride we had for our country was much higher than we realized. Even today, if somebody desecrates the flag, my blood pressure rises. I don't think we recognize how sacred it is. To me, the American flag is the most beautiful, sacred piece of cloth in the world." The world is forgetting about the sacrifices made by individuals, he said, or about the apprehension felt by 19 and 20-year-old men who were being shipped overseas to face the possibility of death. But on the other hand, said Whitworth, they are forgetting about what it felt like to join together as a nation to preserve the American way of life. "We knew the American system was under attack," said Whitworth. "The Germans, Japanese and Italians had formed an alliance to conquer the world. Our job was to stop them ... and we did. But at the same time, we didn't know what to expect. I'll never forget the night we walked into a German machine-gun nest. I remember hearing the `click-click' of someone pulling the bolt back to arm a machine gun. We knew someone was out there waiting for us. All he had to do was pull the trigger and my buddies and I would have been cut down as sure as anything. Just like shadows, we dropped to our stomachs and crawled out." Veterans like Whitworth are becoming part of history as veterans from his generation gray and disappear. In turn, participation in veteran's organizations is fading. Disillusionment and animosity from Vietnam veterans can be linked to declining membership, but likewise can public apathy. Harris is concerned about the trend, but said it was expected with the aging of the World War II generation. As the American Legion declines in membership nationwide, he believes Utah will continue to exceed annual projections with the efforts made by local leaders. The public's interest may be waning, he said, but the dedication and commitment demonstrated by U.S. soldiers will survive. "I think we will continue to grow in the coming years," said Harris. "Our yound beterans today have the same bond of service to God and country. While we would love to see an end to war, the fact remains that the world is a very dangerous place. The service of American Legionnaires will be needed in communities across the nation. We are committed to keeping that spirit of service alive in Logan and every other community in the country."
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