Sons of The American Legion

About the Sons of The American Legion

Founded in 1932, Sons of The American Legion (SAL) exists to honor the service and sacrifice of Legionnaires. Wapsie Squadron 473 was chartered on 20 November 2021.

SAL members include males of all ages whose parents, step-parents, or grandparents served in the U.S. military and were eligible for American Legion membership. Members of The American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of The American Legion comprise the Legion Family, which has a combined membership of nearly 4.2 million.

Although Sons has its own membership, the organization is not a separate entity. Rather, SAL is a program of The American Legion. Many Legionnaires hold dual membership in SAL.

The Sons organization is divided into Detachments at the State level and Squadrons at the local level. A squadron pairs with a local American Legion post; a squadron’s charter is contingent upon its parent post’s charter. However, squadrons can determine the extent of their services to the community, state and nation. They are permitted flexibility in planning programs and activities to meet their needs, but they must remember the SAL mission: to strengthen the four pillars of The American Legion. Therefore, squadrons place an emphasis on preserving American traditions and values, improving the quality of life for our nation’s children, caring for Veterans and their families, and teaching the fundamentals of good citizenship.

Since 1988, SAL has raised more than $5.8 million for The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. SAL members have volunteered over 500,000 hours at Veterans hospitals and have raised over $1,000,000 for VA hospitals and VA homes. The Sons also support the Citizens Flag Alliance, a coalition dedicated to protecting the U.S. flag from desecration through a constitutional amendment.

Eligibility

All male descendants, adopted sons, and stepsons of members of The American Legion, and such male descendants of Veterans who died in service during any time from December 7, 1941 to date, who served honorably, as set forth in Article IV, Section 1, of the National Constitution of The American Legion, or who died subsequent to their honorable discharge from such service, shall be eligible for membership in the Sons of The American Legion.

Preamble to the National Constitution of the Sons of The American Legion

Proud possessors of a priceless heritage, we male descendants of Veterans of all wars, associate ourselves together as “Sons of The American Legion” for the following purposes:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a true spirit of Americanism; to preserve the memories of our former members and the association of our members and our forefathers in all wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the Community, State and Nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy, to consecrate and sanctify our friendship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness; to adopt in letter and spirit all of the great principles for which The American Legion stands; and to assist in carrying on for God and Country.

We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Legionnaire Ballroom,
3397 County Road X64, Oxford Junction, Iowa 52323.

Officers for 2025

Commander / Adjutant – Marshall Shedeck 

1st Vice Commander – Murray Shedeck 

2nd Vice Commander – Joe Hartwig 

Finance Officer – Robert Hines

Advisor - Kurt Keller