The American Legion of Montana

09/15/2026

REGISTRATION IS OPEN — 2026 MONTANA FALL LEGION COLLEGE!

It’s time to get registered! The American Legion Department of Montana Fall Legion College is coming to Fort Harrison in Helena, October 1–2, 2026.

This year we’re focusing on practical training you can actually take home and use in your Post — whether you’re a current officer, preparing to step into leadership, or simply want to become a more knowledgeable and involved Legionnaire.

COLLEGE REGISTRATION — $70 PER PERSON

Your registration includes:
✅ Legion College classes and training materials
✅ Dinner & class activity Thursday evening
✅ Working lunch on Friday
✅ Water and soft drinks throughout College
✅ Graduation Friday afternoon

Please note: Lunch on Thursday, October 1 is on your own and is not included in the registration fee.

ADD PAINT & PINT NIGHT — $25

Coming into Helena Wednesday? Join us September 30 at 6:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 2 for an optional Paint & Pint Night!

The $25 fee includes the painting activity and supplies. Beverages are purchased separately from Post 2.

💲 $70 — Legion College only
💲 $95 — Legion College + Paint & Pint

📅 College: October 1–2
📍 RTI Building 68, Fort Harrison — Helena
🎓 Graduation: October 2 at 2:30 p.m.
⏰ Registration deadline: September 25, 2026

👉 DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM:
2026 Montana Fall Legion College Registration Form
mtlegion.org/assets/files/2026_Montana_Fall_Legion_College_Registration_Form_UPDATED.docx

Commanders and Adjutants: Don’t just send the people who already hold leadership positions. Think about the member who keeps showing up, the newer Legionnaire asking questions, or the person you see becoming your Post’s next leader. Invest in them and send them to College.

🇺🇸 Learn it. Practice it. Take it home. Build a stronger Post.

09/14/2026

09/12/2026

At the 2026 American Legion National Convention, delegates adopted new membership eligibility language for the American Legion Auxiliary — expanding eligibility and allowing more family members to join the ALA. Check out the ALA blog to read the official language changes and what it means for Auxiliary membership recruitment:
www.ALAforVeterans.org/Blog/New-eligibility-resolution-expands-ALA-membership

09/11/2026

🇺🇸 SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 — 25 YEARS LATER 🇺🇸

Twenty-five years.

For some of us, September 11, 2001, remains a memory so vivid that we can still remember exactly where we were when we heard the news.

For others, 9/11 is now history—an event they know only through photographs, classrooms, memorials, and the stories we choose to tell.

That is why remembrance matters.

Twenty-five years ago, nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken in acts of terrorism that forever changed our nation. Firefighters, police officers, first responders and ordinary Americans ran toward danger. In the days and years that followed, a generation of American servicemembers answered our nation’s call.

Some never came home.

Others returned carrying wounds both visible and unseen.

And countless military families carried the weight of more than two decades of war alongside them.

But September 11 also showed us something about America that deserves to be remembered.

In the hours after the attacks, we weren’t divided by politics, geography, age or background. We were Americans.

We flew our flag.
We checked on our neighbors.
We thanked our first responders.
We stood behind our military.
We mourned together.
And we promised that we would never forget.

Twenty-five years later, that promise belongs to us.

As Legionnaires, veterans, families and communities gather across Montana today, we remember those who were lost on September 11. We honor the first responders who ran toward danger. We honor the men and women who raised their right hands and served our country in the years that followed.

And we remember those who are still carrying the cost of that service today.

A quarter-century has passed, but remembrance cannot simply be about looking backward.

It must also be about what we carry forward.

Service. Patriotism. Community. Sacrifice. Unity.

Today, lower the flag. Attend the ceremony. Say their names. Tell the story to someone too young to remember.

And when September 12 comes, carry a little of September 11 with you.

Look after your neighbor.

Thank a veteran.

Support a first responder.

Serve your community.

Remember what it felt like when we understood that despite all our differences, we were still one nation.

Twenty-five years later, we remember.
Twenty-five years later, we honor.
Twenty-five years later, we will never forget.

🇺🇸 September 11, 2001 – September 11, 2026 🇺🇸

09/10/2026

🚨 **DISASTERS DON’T MAKE APPOINTMENTS. IS YOUR FAMILY READY?**

September is **National Preparedness Month**, and here in Montana, being prepared matters.

Last year alone, **Montana Red Cross volunteers helped more than 551 people following 179 local disasters** across our state — most of them home fires.

We often think of emergencies as the big events that make the news: wildfires, severe storms and widespread evacuations. But sometimes disaster is much closer to home. A fire can start in the middle of the night. A storm can knock out power. An evacuation order can leave you with only minutes to leave.

A little preparation today can make a BIG difference when those minutes matter.

The American Red Cross recommends a few simple steps:

🎒 **Build a go-kit.** Have at least three days of essential supplies ready to take with you.

🏠 **Prepare to stay home.** Keep about two weeks of food and water available, along with necessary medications when possible.

📍 **Make a family emergency plan.** Decide where you'll meet, how you'll communicate and where you'll go if you can't return home.

🐾 **Plan for your pets, too.** Keep food, carriers, leashes and other necessities ready.

📱 **Download the free Red Cross Emergency app** for weather alerts, preparedness information, shelter locations and emergency guidance.

🔥 **Check your smoke alarms.** Home fires remain one of the emergencies Montana Red Cross volunteers respond to most often.

And don't forget the little things that become VERY important during an emergency — medications, chargers, flashlights, copies of important documents, extra keys, cash, first-aid supplies and emergency contact information.

Preparedness isn't about expecting the worst. **It's about making sure you and the people you care about know what to do when the unexpected happens.**

This September, take an hour. Make the plan. Check the smoke alarms. Pack the kit. Talk to your family.

Because when an emergency happens, the best time to prepare has already passed.

🇺🇸 **Take care of your family. Take care of your neighbors. Be ready to take care of your community.**

09/10/2026

https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/convention/2026/august/legion-family-spruces-up-neglected-veterans-cemetery

After several decades without ownership and regular maintenance, Greenwood Cemetery in Louisville, Ky., had deteriorated to a state of despair and neglect.

09/10/2026