The average age of an American Legion member in New Hyde Park is near 70. The group’s members say that needs to change if the organization is to survive.
“It’s getting difficult,” said Rainer Burger, the commander of the American Legion’s New Hyde Park chapter, adding that some members are in their 90s with health and mobility problems that prevent them from being able to attend meetings or participate in events. “Sooner or later, it’s going to get to the point where we’ve got the parades, and there’s nobody there to carry the flag.”
“We were in the hundreds,” Burger said of their membership count. “Now, we’ve gotten down to being in the sixties.”
What’s additionally concerning to Burger and other members is the lack of attendance at meetings among the already low membership.
“We may have 60 members, but if you go to any one of the meetings – even the county meetings – you probably get anywhere from eight to 12 members that actually come to the meetings,” Burger said.
He added that in some cases, this was due to the veterans not being able to drive or experiencing health issues.
Burger and other members said that if they don’t get more members in the coming years, the chapter might be in danger of closing.
It would seem they have a lot of people to recruit from. There are over 33,000 veterans in Nassau, according to 2023 census numbers.
Burger said the group is working to raise awareness about its existence and the services it provides while reducing any stigma associated with asking for help or being part of the organization.
He and other members emphasized the importance of legion meetings to veterans and how the legion is frequently the one who provides assistance to veterans, whether it be financial, emotional, or logistical.
“It’s not just a bunch of guys talking war stories,” Richard Bletsch, another member, said of their meetings. “It’s far from that.”
“We’re one big family. We help each other,” he added. “Benefits change all the time. You find out more of it faster through the Legion.”
Burger said the chapter helps veterans navigate access to VA services to obtain medical care, hearing aids, glasses and emergency financial assistance. Members who are able to drive will also work to coordinate with those who can’t to help get them to appointments when possible. But their capacity is stretched thin.
“It’s the same eight to 12 people that are always doing all the wake services, doing all the parades, doing the officership, in terms of trying to run the post,” Burger said.
He said meetings can frequently involve the group researching how to get medical coverage for themselves and other members. “If a veteran needs help, we’re the ones who would run out.”
“The more members you have, the easier it is, because you can delegate the work,” Burger said. “So, we’re really trying to get the younger generation.”
The meetings also provide veterans with emotional support and camaraderie after their time serving, which has left many with PTSD.
“There’s a certain camaraderie about this,” Bletsch said.
He said many veterans never or rarely open up about their experience while serving.
“You can’t explain it unless you’ve been in it,” he added.
“We as veterans, belonging to an organization where we carry the flag, we’re representing all the veterans, not just ourselves. Unless we have somebody that can carry the flag, a lot of times, the community forgets about the veterans,” Burger said.
He emphasized the legion’s role in veteran memorial and funeral services.
“Unless we have an organization like the American Legion that has members that are organized, all those nice events and services will be lost,” he said.
Veterans interested in joining the legion can fill out an application on their website at https://www.americanlegionpost1089nhp.org/, contact Burger over email at rburger107@aol.com, or attend the group’s next meeting at the New Hyde Park Village Hall on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
