Members of the Mad River Valley American Legion Post 75 received word this week that the state’s American Legion chapter has asked the local chapter to close because its membership has dropped below 15 members.
The local chapter’s membership is currently 10 according to post commander Fred Messer, Waitsfield who sent the letter to membership at the end of last month. Specifically, that number of members means that the chapter is no longer considered an active post.
Messer explained that American Legion chapters were created to advocates for veterans’ rights after World War I and really expanded after World War II. Messer became commander of the Mad River Valley post in 2000 and there were 70-80 members. At one time there were over 100 members.
It’s a double-edge sword, he said, that awareness of veterans’ needs and programs to meet those needs have expanded to the point that some of the work is no longer needed. That’s good, but the other side of the sword is what is lost.
And part of that is another avenue of community connection for members. So much of living in 2025 conspires to force us into private silos where we don’t interact with each other and our community. Last month’s We Are MRV demonstrated how critical community connection is and what we lose when we don’t have it.
But there are other losses. Our local American Legion Chapter reminds us of the role of service to country in a very tangible way. Until recently, American Legion Color Guard members led the Warren Fourth of July parade every year.
To this day, local members manage raising and lowering the American flag throughout The Valley if there is a national or state proclamation calling for it. They keep the flags flying at prominent local locations, keeping them in good order and replacing them as needed.
But our American Legion post members and those throughout Vermont and the country remind of us of the military conflicts that have shaped the nation. It’s important that we remember that and that we do not lose sight of that. Losing our local chapter reflects aging veterans and social trends that do not favor joining and it may be inevitable, but it’s still a loss.
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