How The Legion Saves Lives, Builds Community, And Shapes Policy

We sit down with American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley to explore how a 105-year-old organization evolves to meet modern needs, from suicide prevention to family programs and real wins for veterans’ benefits. Stories span Keesler memories, national advocacy, and why local posts matter.

• origin story from Air Force service to national leadership
• growth of Mississippi Gulf Coast and early duty station contrasts
• American Legion’s role in GI Bill and Agent Orange legislation
• why membership matters across ages and family roles
• youth programs including baseball, oratorical, Boys State, esports
• non-smoking, family-friendly post culture and community focus
• Be The One program, 988, and Columbia Protocol partnership
• buddy checks to reduce stigma and save lives
• footprint of 12,000 posts and local impact beyond big-box brands
• plans for America’s 250th and the Americanism pillar
• life on the road as commander and shared family commitment
• Veterans and Children Fund benefits and service officer training
• $29.5 billion in VA claims secured for veterans in 2025
• how to learn more and join the Legion

For more information on joining the American Legion, go to Legion.org forward slash join or call 601-352-4986. Again, that's 601-352-4986

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Guest Introduction
• 0:45 Mississippi Memories And Keesler Days
• 2:05 From Biloxi Heat To Montana Ice
• 3:00 Path Through The American Legion
• 4:20 Why Join The American Legion
• 6:30 Be The One And 988
• 9:05 Nationwide Footprint And Local Impact
• 10:55 Looking Toward America’s 250th
• 12:25 Family, Auxiliary, And Sons
• 13:20 Life On The Road As Commander
• 14:55 Veterans And Children Fund Impact
• 16:20 Closing, Resources, And Join Info
• 16:50 Member Testimonial And Join Details

Transcript

Jerry Allhands: 0:02

In five, four, three, two, one. This is the Veterans Sound Off Podcast. I'm your host, Jerry Allhands, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. On each episode, we will visit with veterans and hear their stories and experiences. This week we recently attended the American Legion Department of Mississippi's midwinter conference in Camp Shelby, Mississippi. It is my distinct honor today to be sitting across the table from the National Commander of the American Legion, Mr. Dan K. Wiley. And he's wearing a Kansas hat, a Kansas cover. Midwest Southwest. How do we how do we how do we call Kansas, sir?

Commander Wiley: 0:45

The heart of America is Kansas. We're in the middle of America where everything happens in the central part of the state. But you know, it's great to be here in Mississippi. I've been in Mississippi before, a couple of times. In fact, I was stationed here in 1986 at Keesler Air Force Base, and I had been back to Mississippi approximately 10 years ago, passing through the southern portion of the state. And I bring that up because as I was stationed at Biloxi, Mississippi in 1986, it has changed the Gulf uh port and uh that area has changed drastically in those 30 years before I returned. In fact, the only thing I remember is something called the Edgewater Mall down there, and now they have casinos and it's really kind of a tourist attraction and what I would call really maybe a destination place where I would not characterize it as destination place in 1986. So it's great to be back. Keesler Air Force Base means you were in the Air Force. That's right. I was in administration in the Air Force and I was only at Keesler Air Force Base six weeks, but I was there in I think it was it's been a long time, but I think I was there in late August until mid-October. So late August it was a little warm. Mid-October it was pretty pretty nice. Uh and that fact I left about the 20th of October because my first duty station was Great Falls, Montana. So that was quite a change not only in scenery but in weather. We arrived in Great Falls from Keesler on Halloween, and the night we arrived we had an ice storm and it was very cold, and we kind of wondered what we got ourselves into. But um yeah, Air Force. It was a a great time in the Air Force. I really enjoyed it. So thank you. 80s were a great time to be in the Air Force.

Jerry Allhands: 2:40

I loved it myself. Then I got dumb and joined the Army. 82nd Airborne, but we appreciate you.

Commander Wiley: 2:46

I appreciate that. Thank you.

Jerry Allhands: 2:47

Thank you, sir. Um, your American Legion history, looking at your bio there, I see that you've done quite a lot.

Commander Wiley: 2:53

Can you share with us a little bit. Well, I've done probably a little bit of everything at every level. I joined the American Legion in 1993, and like most people, right after I joined the American Legion, I think I was first vice commander within a year or two, and I was a post commander in 1996, so it seems like a long time ago. I was pretty active. I was a department judge advocate uh for a period of time, and then I took some time off in the early 2000s or mid-2000s when I was raising a family and had some teenagers, got uh back into the American Legion in about 2017, decided, decided to run for uh department office when I I looked at what I consider to be a leadership vacuum in uh Kansas at the time. I think we have great leadership now, but uh in 2017 I thought there was a real need for somebody to step forward and so ran and and ultimately I enjoyed it uh and had people ask me or considered uh to be national commander, and so we started down that road uh maybe 2019, uh 2018 maybe when we started down that road, and uh here we are in 2026. So it's been a great ride. I've uh obviously the American Legion with our 1.5 million veterans and 2.5 million members of the American Legion family is the largest uh veterans organization, and it's just great to what we do at the local level as far as taking care of one another all the way up to uh the national level being the organization that uh was the key, not only the key, we were the ones that uh got the GIA Bill of Rights originally passed in 1944 to uh the legislation we're working on today in Washington. We're the leading voice in Washington. So it's great to be part of um an organization that does so much.

Jerry Allhands: 4:38

If there was somebody who was on the fence about joining the American Legion and you had a minute to share your heart about the Legion, what would you say?

Commander Wiley: 4:47

Well, first, you know, the American Legion offers so much that I would want to know this person and what their interests are, because the American Legion to me offers something for everybody, no matter what age you are, where you what station of life you're in. If you are a younger family, uh we uh have programs that cater to youth, obviously, baseball, the oratorical uh contests, uh Boys State, for example. Uh we have become an organization that's a lot more uh youth friendly. Every post is different, but uh we're working uh nationwide on getting uh something called uh uh esports uh gaming developed. So we have something maybe for younger people. We have a lot of our posts now are non-smoking and uh geared towards family. If you're somebody that cares about veterans in general, uh we're the largest organization that uh is a veterans organization, we're the leading voice in Washington. Uh we fight for veterans' rights every day. If you are somebody that served or currently serving and have used the GI Bill of Rights, we're the organization that passed the GI Bill of Rights. If you're somebody with a disability claim, we have veteran service officers that help people uh with disability claims. If you're somebody afflicted by Agent Orange, we're the organization that caused Congress to pass the Agent Orange Act in 1991. So to me, there's there's something that's offered for everybody. If you want a place to go, you know, to just have a drink and the camaraderie, we offer that. But that's not who we are or just who we are. We also offer the family component, uh, we offer the veteran support. Uh obviously, our biggest mission is suicide uh prevention. So I I know it's more than a minute, but I would want to know kind of what that person's interests are because we offer something, I think, uh for everybody in the veteran community, depending upon what their interests may be.

Jerry Allhands: 6:41

Yeah, talking about the suicide uh prevention and and the need to be there for for our veterans. Um the American Legion came out with the Be the One program a few years back and the 988 u phone number. U personally, I I have a friend of mine who's experienced uh three veterans himself who have used the nine eight eight number who have been able to um help people uh without a stigma. Uh in your opinion, sir, what are your thoughts on the uh the be the one program for you?

Commander Wiley: 7:11

Well, I would encourage everyone first and foremost to go to our website, be the one.org, be the one all one word.org. We have partnered with Columbia University on something called the Columbia Protocol. Uh and part of that protocol is we encourage people uh to do the buddy checks and reach out to your uh friends and uh fellow legionnaires and fellow veterans. I tell people, first off, there's no stronger message than letting someone simply know you care about them because uh we all I think appreciate somebody checking on us and letting us letting us know that they care about us. Um and you know, we in the veteran community, I think, uh, you know, we're taught to be self-sufficient, taught to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We didn't go to sick call when we had a problem. Um and unfortunately to me that's just not reality. We lean on one another, we need to support uh one another. You know, the statistics are that 75% of the people in the veteran community that have a crisis will never seek mental health help. And so we have to reach out to people and check on them and to make sure they're doing okay. We have to let them know if they're not doing okay, there's help available, and it's perfectly normal not to be okay. And so we're trying to reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Uh, we are certainly trying to reduce the rate of suicide. You mentioned uh people that had used the 988 line, and uh, I think almost everybody that's listening, including myself, uh, has known somebody, unfortunately, that's taken their own life, whether it's acquaintance, a friend, uh family member, whatever it may be. And uh one life lost is uh too many. So we encourage everybody again to go to be the one.org and and take that training. You might just save a life.

Jerry Allhands: 8:57

And that's uh be the one.org?

Commander Wiley: 8:59

Be the one.org, yes, sir.

Be The One: 9:01

When our nation's veterans came home from serving their country, the American Legion helped them with the GI Bill to get a head start. When they came home from Vietnam, we helped those affected with Agent Orange to get care and compensation. Now there is a new war raging. Unfortunately, it is being fought in the hearts and minds of those who served. Veteran suicide is the most important issue facing veterans today, and too many are battling it alone. So join us. Make the pledge. Be the one to help the American Legion end veteran suicide.

Jerry Allhands: 9:42

Sir, earlier I heard you mention about how many American Legion posts there are compared to a uh big box store. Would you share that story with us again?

Commander Wiley: 9:49

Sure. People need to understand we have over 12,000 American Legion posts nationwide. I would estimate that uh that bricks and mortar or actually post facilities is probably close to 8,000 or two-thirds uh of our posts have bricks and mortar. Nationwide, there's about 6,500 Walmarts. And so uh we are in more communities than Walmart. I understand Walmart's a big national brand uh that sells and has a lot of revenue, and people have heard of them. But the American Legion is more prevalent in especially smaller communities, but more prevalent across this country. And again, there's more there's more American Legion Posts are at Walmart, and frankly, we've been around a lot longer than Walmart. We've been around since 1919. Uh this is our hundredth and and seventh year, so um I think that's something that we can be proud of. But it just goes to show you that uh small communities, a difference you can make as an American Legion Post in in small communities, uh, and the impact you can have uh on families and legion families, veteran families uh in small communities.

Jerry Allhands: 10:48

That's wonderful. So we're coming up on our 250th anniversary of our independence, of our very own nation. Where do you see the American Legion coming up in the future?

Commander Wiley: 10:58

Well, uh, we're asking everybody uh in the American Legion to uh do something to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country. We're asking Post to have uh some kind of either celebration or community event uh because we believe that the American Legion is one of the leaders when it comes to uh patriotism. We have a pillar called Americanism, uh, and part of that Americanism is recognizing uh our traditions in our country, it's supporting our form of government. And uh as being one of the leaders, I think uh the 250th anniversary of the semi-quincentennial is something we ought to be at the forefront uh with regard to the American Legion and have that out in the community. So um, you know, I think it's a time one uh to reflect on uh our country and uh what our country has been through. And I and I'll say this, you know, there's a lot of people out there right now, I think, that have some concern uh with government, whether regardless of what side you are on in government, you know, we're divided as a country, uh, but we've been divided before uh throughout the history of our country, and we've overcome those great divisions. And I am confident that uh our country will continue to exist for another 250 years. Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes democracy is a uh struggle. But I think in the American Legion we can celebrate the 250 years and be the leaders and looking forward to the next 250 years.

Jerry Allhands: 12:21

Yeah, looking forward to celebrating those 250 years with my grandchildren who are college bound this year. And uh they are in the Legion family as well, the Auxiliary, the Sons. And uh I'm sure that you would encourage family members to join those uh organizations as well.

Commander Wiley: 12:35

Well, I know my family members, uh certainly my wife is a member uh of the auxiliary, she's a uh department officer uh back in Kansas in the Auxiliary. My son is a member of the Sons of the American Legion, he's a charter member of a squadron uh that I'm a part of. My daughter is a member of the Auxiliary, and my grandson, who just turned one uh two weeks ago, uh, is a member of uh the Sons of the American Legion. So to us, uh it's not only um perhaps a tradition because I had uh eight uncles who served in World War II in Korea, many of which were members uh of the American Legion, but it's also something that we believe in and community service giving back to the community and supporting the veteran community.

Jerry Allhands: 13:18

That's beautiful. Sir, um I heard that you mentioned your wife. Uh do you mind sharing her name with with us?

Commander Wiley: 13:24

Uh her name is Sonia. So yeah, and I've been married uh for 39 years. I'm sure she feels like it's been much longer than that. Uh but uh it's been we'd be going on 40 this year. Uh it's uh it's obviously been a great partnership. Uh she walks uh side by side, not behind me, and I don't walk in front of her. We're side by side, we're a partnership in this life, and it's it's certainly uh not just in my career, whether uh in the military or as a district court judge, um, but uh she's been right there alongside me all the way.

Jerry Allhands: 13:55

Well, sir, uh on behalf of the Department of Mississippi and myself, uh we thank your wife for sharing you with us. It's uh our wives have a lot of hard work they do for us, especially when we're on active duty. And uh I don't think they get enough credit sometimes.

Commander Wiley: 14:10

I agree with that, and we're currently as national commander, currently on the road, a stretch of 73 straight days uh without a day off. We left home uh January the 11th, and our first day off back at home will be March the 25th. Uh the aide, Doug Hensley and I travel approximately 335 days uh out of the year, and those days are 12, 14 hour days, seven days a week without any off days. And not complaining about that because I really enjoy what we do. We get to go out and we get to meet veterans, but just explaining that uh what we do is nonstop every day. Uh we're in a different hotel every two to three or four days. Uh so you have to enjoy traveling, you have to enjoy uh life on the road, and you certainly have to enjoy uh meeting the great people uh of the American Legion, and we certainly do that.

Jerry Allhands: 14:58

We have enjoyed meeting you and getting a chance to get to know you today, and looking forward to having our dining out dinner with you tonight, and hope you have a sense of humor because uh I understand there's gonna be some jokes. And I'm not telling them.

Commander Wiley: 15:09

Well, I I'm probably not telling many of the jokes. Uh I have one or two of my own, but I'm looking forward to it. It's always good. The camaraderie at an event like that's always uh special as long as people take in good humor and good fun. And and uh I know we're raising money uh for something called the Veterans and Children's Fund uh tonight, which is very important to us because uh that is the fund, it's the National Commander's charity. Um and uh we're looking at raising money because it does two things. One is it provides temporary financial assistance to families with children, but it also provides training to our veteran service officers. And our veteran service officers uh in 2025 returned uh twenty-nine point five billion, that's billion with a B, in claims for veterans and the benefits that they earned. And uh our veteran service officers return those monies to veterans through claims through the the VA. So I look forward to tonight. I look forward to the rest of the the visit here in in Mississippi. We are going to have uh two things. We're gonna have uh a lot of fun and a good time, and at the same time, uh we're gonna conduct business and carry forward uh the meeting and the purpose of the American Legion, the American Legion family.

Jerry Allhands: 16:20

Well, thank you, sir. Appreciate you being here at our conference today and spending a few minutes with me and and our listeners. And we hope that you'll you'll come back to Mississippi again without having to uh spend all that time at Keisler.

Commander Wiley: 16:30

I appreciate it. And to everybody out there, if you have any questions about the Legion, go to Legion.org. You can look at what we do, whether you're a member or not a member, take a look and see what it is that we do, and uh just uh appreciate everybody and appreciate the hospitality here in the great state of Mississippi. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Godspeed.

Legion PSA: 16:51

Know when you get out and you're civilian now and you're kind of like not really knowing where to go. The Legion was like my people. I used to work for the commander that's here, the secretary that's here. I used to work for them. So when I got out, it just kind of felt like home again. The tight-knit community that they actually have is what surprised me. It's nice to be in a part of that. Usually when you think of club, you just think of, I'm just gonna go here for cheap or something, but they actually care about who you are, what you do, and what what your everyday is.

Jerry Allhands: 17:20

For more information on joining the American Legion, go to Legion.org forward slash join or call 601-352-4986. Again, that's 601-352-4986. Thanks for joining us on this episode of the Veterans Stand Off Podcast with Jerry All Hands. It's a production of All Hands Media, LLC, all rights please.