New Sons of the American Legion Squadron established in Elgin
Sons of the American Legion Squadron #352 Commander and Navy veteran Brian Wenger stands in front of the organization’s recruitment display, which is used to educate and inform prospective members about what the group does.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
Last June, after hearing countless conversations, Brian Wenger decided to take action and bring to life the Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Squadron #352 in Elgin.
It started with a simple statement: “it would be nice to have a SAL.” This was followed by further talks with prospective members, searching for the requirements, asking questions of other local squadrons and filling out the proper paperwork.
Then came the details, such as forwarding a charter application, drafting by-laws and a constitution and developing a mission statement, while the group awaited charter approval.
That approval came on Sept. 8, and the newly formed SAL held its charter presentation in November with an official roster of 25 members. It’s since grown to 33 members, the oldest of which is a 92-year-old World War II veteran. The organization also consists of five members who live in Clayton County, which currently does not have its own SAL.
For those unfamiliar, the SAL is an organization that has been around since the 1930s and is specifically for male descendants of any living or deceased veteran, whether they also served or not. This new SAL, which is the third in Fayette County and 150th in the state, officially has a mission to support the local legion, community and veterans; honor their forefathers’ service to the country and carry on their patriotic legacy; and demonstrate to youth the principles of justice, freedom and democracy.
For Wenger, an Elgin native and 30-year Navy veteran, the purpose also encompasses “carrying on the legacy.”
That legacy, according to Wenger, who is the squadron commander, is about cultivating an appreciation for America, its democracy and what veterans fought and died for. He views the SAL as an organization that can educate students on these ideals that are otherwise getting lost in the everyday shuffle.
It’s also about bringing families together, getting kids involved and providing a bonding element and source of pride. Wenger himself has three sons and six grandsons, so the existence of the SAL personally touches his family, and all of them are current members.
The initiative was also driven by Wenger’s passion for the Legion, to promote it and get people to recognize what the organization does. He’s a self-described “executioner.” In this sense, there was a vision that required action—an idea someone needed to execute, and at some point, he simply felt he had to do it.
It always goes back to the legacy, supporting the vets and keeping the organization alive. Doing this requires recruitment, which comes with a set of challenges, mostly because people aren’t always aware what the SAL does or that it even exists.
In an effort to combat this, the SAL has tried to recruit at events like “Music in the Park” and “Trunk of Treat,” as well as create a Facebook page (SALelgin352). While that has helped educate and spread the word, it’s a passive method of recruiting.
According to Wenger, the best way to recruit new members is through one-on-one contact and creating a personal connection. Though Wenger admitted sometimes it is hard to get people to listen, they are continuously working toward ways to engage, recruit and create opportunities.
Another challenge is the idea of imposter syndrome, especially for descendants who never served in the military and might feel like they don’t belong or won’t fit in. In response to this, Wenger wanted those individuals to know they don’t need to worry because their presence is still valued, their name is still part of the legacy and their ideas are still appreciated.
The SAL holds one meeting a month for members, which focuses on different subjects, ranging from the history of Legion Post #352 and military ranks, to flag etiquette and folding.
At one meeting, Neal VanHorn held a hands-on presentation on rifles, while, at another, Al Seabrooke gave a presentation about his father, Arthur Seabrooke, who was “a recipient of numerous medals for bravery during WWI and was wounded and spent time as a POW before he was released shortly after Armistice Day.”
At a recent meeting, the Elgin Legion members provided a live demonstration of the manual of arms for handling and using rifles in formation for ceremonial purposes.
When it comes to veterans, there is one topic that always comes up and, sadly, it’s the high suicide rate among the community. It’s here that Wenger, typically not the visionary of the group, believes the SAL could assist with the current “buddy check” system. While it is a priority for the American Legion in general, there is a role SAL could play in making sure no veteran gets left behind.
On this topic, Wenger has done some informal buddy checks, quickly realizing the “value of doing basic things, such as outreach.” It only takes a few minutes to let a veteran know someone cares, to listen to a story or two and give them a sense of hope.
This is one area Wenger would like to improve upon, not just through the SAL, but also in the Legion in general, with fresh ideas, increased buddy checks and a more formal, less ad-hoc method because veterans deserve to know, in the words of Wenger, that “we are here for you.”
One thing Wenger noted was this is not all about him, and he was effusive in his praise of the other SAL members, spreading the credit around to those who helped bring this vision to fruition.
Although he is passionate and thoroughly dedicated to the cause, the humble Wenger is not looking for attention. That belongs to everyone else; he’s just the guy who is giving the interviews. The larger picture is making change, seeing the impact of that change and, above all else, carrying on the legacy of those who came before.
