Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry Randall.
Hi Jerry, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The American Legion is a Veterans Organization Chartered by Congress in 1918 following WWI. The St. George Post received its charter in 1923. In other words, we have been serving the veterans of St. George for 103 years. The American Legion services to veterans and their communities are based on four pillars: Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. Various Legion programs support these four pillars.
The Legion has approximately 1.2 million members worldwide. The St. George Post has about 200 paying members.
I joined the St. George Post about 8 years ago for the purpose of joining their Honor Guard that provides military honors for the families of deceased veterans, usually at the graveside service. I assumed other duties as well and in 2025 was elected Post Commander. I have an Executive Board of about 10 people and they administer the various programs that our Post supports. We also work with other veteran service organizations (VSOs) to strengthen the outreach to veterans in need.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. Over half of our member veterans are Vietnam veterans. They are now in their 70’s and 80’s and able to participate less and less. In addition, many of them were “in country” during the Vietnam war, were exposed not only to combat and the tough conditions native to Southeast Asia, were exposed to Agent Orange that negatively affected their health in old age. Therefore, we work hard to get enough of our members to help us sustain our mission to help and support other veterans.
Our principal activity is providing the military honors for the families of deceased veterans during their funeral services. We perform between 100 and 120 of these services each year. We get many cards and letters of appreciation for those services. It is a privilege to honor these veterans in this way.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We work with many other nonprofits to support the cause of veterans: Wreaths Across America, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans, the Marine Corps League. We are often called on to provide flag ceremonies at various events. We also turn out our Honor Guard for various holidays: Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: AmericanLegionPost 9o.org
