The Lake Nona charter of the American Legion, an advocacy group of U.S. war veterans, is looking to recruit new members.
William Musto, a retired Staff Sergeant in the U.S Army, was a member of the Pinecastle, Florida, chapter before establishing one in Lake Nona. In December, the group will celebrate its first anniversary of being fully recognized by the national organization.
Local charters meet to put on local events, discuss veterans’ issues, and volunteer their time to patriotic causes.
“We’ve done a heavy job of recruiting over the past couple months,” Musto said. “It’s been something I’ve been working on since April of last year.”
Musto was initially attracted to the American Legion because he “liked to ride” and had a friend in the American Legion Riders. He later became his post’s chaplain and, from there, decided to start a post of his own in Lake Nona – an area that was “being underserved by veteran’s organizations,” according to Musto.
To begin the process of being nationally recognized, Musto had to recruit 15 new members to his post. When he turned in his paperwork, Musto had 21 – which since then has increased to 53.
Chartered by Congress in 1919 as an organization to support U.S veterans, it has become one of the most influential nonprofits in supporting legislative policy revolving around those who have served.
The American Legion has had a considerable influence over lawmakers and presidents since its inception. In 1921, it led a push for the creation of the U.S. Veterans Bureau – which later became the Department of Veterans Affairs. The group also wrote the first draft of what was later signed into law, in 1944 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the GI Bill or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act – which normalized benefits to veterans such as low-cost mortgages and loans as well as subsidized higher education.
During the construction of the Vietnam Wall, the Legion donated $1 million to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund for it – making them the largest single contributor.
According to a 2019-2020 report, the group has raised nearly $2.55 million in its Emergency Fund, Legacy Scholarship (which provides tuition money to children of post-9/11 veterans who were killed in active duty), for VA Hospitals, and other charities. Over five million volunteer hours have been filed, and thousands of events are put on around the country on patriotic holidays, such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day.
Musto describes the group as the number one advocacy group for veterans in the country. The group is two million strong, which certainly makes it the largest. There are over 12,000 posts spread around the United States and some abroad in France, Mexico and the Philippines.
The group has become more accessible to join since President Donald Trump signed in July the LEGION Act, declaring that the United States has been in a state of war since the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 – which opens up 6 million veterans to access American Legion benefits and programs.
“Since we were chartered by Congress, they were the only ones who could make changes to the dates that were set of recognized conflict,” Musto said.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) in February.
With any veterans group, there is bound to be a big age range. In Musto’s chapter, he estimates the ages to be from the mid-30s to the early 90s – a crew that includes three World War II veterans and a few who served in the Korean War. He considers the “newer group” those who have been in the military since the Gulf War.
“We look out for the welfare and benefits of America’s veterans whether they served in wartime or not,” Musto said. “We also promote Americanism – the love of country – we work with children and youth and in national defense.”
