American Legion members need to help our younger veterans

From time to time, I leave San Antonio to go the coast for a quick trip to do some birding with my bride.

Yesterday, I had breakfast with her after watching the best show possible -- the sound of birds in McAllen.

After that aviary symphony, I met a young vet unaware of his claims benefits. He had a partial disability due to a training injury, and it was then I told him to find his nearby American Legion post. He took my check and noted my military service where he mentioned his time as a Marines.

The restaurant was busy, and I could see that my 60-second spiel annoyed others. My wife, took me by the arm and told me to leave my card with him.

This is Veterans' Day week. After going back to my room, I read this article about a Fort Myers, Florida where The American Legion post that denied a woman with PTSD to bring her service dog into their post. (Note: the article on this post's decision to now allow a service dog is posted below in the comments.)

Elizabeth Hartman, ChFC? , Courtney Steffen , E.G. Mais and others like them will tell the post leadership at that Florida post to rethink their policy about service dogs.

The bigger issue is that every veteran and especially those with an active role in the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) should be listening for opportunities like finding the young Marine in the McAllen Black Bear diner.

The next day, I went back to the McAllen diner. I took my Military Transition Roundtable and I gave his manager, Pete, also a Marine, my card with the number of E.G. Mais so that he could find someone who could help him find an accredited veterans service officer in his community.

I know a lot of great veterans like Scott H. Stalker , Theresa Carpenter, APR?M and Michael Brownfiel who would tell the young Marine to get follow up on his claims and benefits.

I'm finishing up this post with a challenge to other retirees with this simple thought: "Be the One." As we observe the week and Saturday with those free meals from restaurants, it's better if we take the opportunity to help others who didn't get the full briefing on their entitlements during their transition.

(Note: I'm serving as the American Legion's 20th District public affairs officer, a volunteer position, that allows me to tell the amazing story that the 16 posts in my area do to serve their communities. Want to join the Legion in your community? Send me a direct message.)