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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 hostiles 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, further, 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---February
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 required 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 eligibility is based upon dates set forth by
Congress.
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