Why Join?

If you value patriotism, responsible citizenship, volunteerism and advocacy for veterans and their families, you will feel right at home in the American Legion Auxiliary. You can teach school children about our nation's flag, assemble care packages to send to our troops, or volunteer at your local VA Medical Center. As a member of a local unit, you'll have a ready made support system and many hands-on opportunities to serve in ways that truly make a difference.

Patriotism and veterans advocacy are so important to us that for more than nine decades we've been serving, educating, and giving to America's finest - our servicemen and women. We're individuals who answer the call of Service, Not Self.

We are more than 850,000 grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female decendants of veterans who served our great country during times of war. Some of us are veterans ourselves. We are the American Legion Auxiliary, and we are passionate about making a difference. You will find us in more then 9,500 communities in the USA - 434 units in Illinois alone, and 11 foreign countries.

Founded in 1919 during the first National Convention of The American Legion, we have grown to be the largest women's patriotic organization in the world. We would love for you to be a part of our outreach.

Types of Membership

Auxiliary Member
Membership is offered to anyone over the age of 18 who is an immediate family member of an American Legion member or a deceased veteran.

Junior Member
Junior membership is offered to anyone under the age of 18 who is an immediate family member of an American Legion Member or a deceased veteran.

Paid Up for Life (PUFL)
These members demonstrate their "I'm All In" commitment to the Auxiliary by paying their dues for life. They never have to worry about paying their annual dues, losing their continuous years of service, or facing a dues increase. This is a group of distinction, and you can apply once your dues are paid in the current year.

* The membership year runs from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31. The payment of your dues secures your membership for a given year. You can pay your dues at any point during the year, but many choose to pay ahead.

Eligibility Requirements

Membership in The American Legion Auxiliary shall be limited to :

(1) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of members of The American Legion; and

(2) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of all men and women who served in either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918 and any time after December 7, 1941 who, being a citizen of the United States at the time of their entry therein served on active duty in the Armed Forces of any of the governments associated with the United States during either eligibility periods and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge;

(3) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of all men and women who were in the Armed Forces of the United States during either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918; and any time after December 7, 1941 who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States during either eligibility periods and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge; and

(4) to those women who of their own right are eligible for membership in The American Legion.*

* A woman who is eligible for American Legion membership is eligible to join the American Legion Auxiliary regardless of whether or not she is a member of The American Legion. However, eligibility of her female relatives (sister, mother, direct descendants) and/or spouse depends upon her membership in The American Legion.

Additional Considerations

A woman who is eligible for American Legion membership is eligible to join the American Legion Auxiliary regardless of whether or not she is a member of The American Legion. However, eligibility of her female relatives (sister, mother, direct decedents) or spouse depends upon her membership in The American Legion.

If a request for membership is based on a family member who is living, that person must be a member of The American Legion.

Individuals eligible for membership through a veteran who, now deceased, was not a member of The American Legion must submit the veteran's Proof of wartime service documentation with their application to verify eligibility.

Proof of wartime service documentation : (https://www.alaforveterans.org/Joining/)

If the person who provides your eligibility is deceased, acceptable eligibility documents include:
a. DD-214 Discharge Papers (not issued/called this until after the Korean War)
b. Official Military Orders (or a military ID)
c. Official Military Service Citations/Awards
d. Letters related to the veteran’s military service. Must be on official government letterhead
e. Certificate from the VA records center (National Archives & Records) in St. Louis**
f. Data from the back of older discharges

**Military records can be requested FREE online from the National Archives and Records Administration (in St.
Louis) by visiting their website (see below for detailed instructions) or calling 866-272-6272.
Note: There was a fire at this building in 1973 and some records were destroyed, but they will inform you if this occurred with your veteran’s records.

**The preferred method of submitting a request to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is via the Internet. In some cases using a browser other than Internet Explorer may create problems with data entry. The NPRC provides copies of documents from military personnel records to authorized requesters. The web-based application will provide better service on these requests by eliminating the mailroom processing time. You may access this application at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/. Click "Launch E Vet Records", click "Continue" and follow the prompts.
At the end, there is a form to print and then fax or mail to the fax number or address listed.

The following resources may be of additional assistance in locating these kinds of records.
 Please be advised that many certificates of discharge prior to 1979 may not appear to be “official” documents and may have been typed onto a sheet of paper. If you are unsure, please ask your local American Legion Post Adjutant or a service officer. Locate your American Legion Department Service Officer at www.legion.org/serviceofficer or download The American Legion Claims Coach Mobile App through Google Play or ITunes App Store.

 The County Clerk and Recorders Office where the veteran resided (veterans used to have to register with their county before or after they returned home from service)

 A funeral home may have kept a copy if military honors were provided. If buried in a National Cemetery, the cemetery will likely have a copy. You can locate the national cemetery where they are buried here: https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/

 Monument companies if VA headstone or marker was ordered.

 If the veteran had utilized a VA Home Loan there may be a copy of the DD214 with the title documentation.

 Veterans who have signed up for EBENEFITS through the Veterans Administration may be able to obtain a printable copy. www.ebenefits.va.gov

 The State Director of Veterans Affairs may have received a copy of the veterans DD214 at the time of discharge from military service. This will be specific to the state in which the veterans home of record.

*Obituaries are not sufficient proof of service as family members write the obituary themselves so dates of service and military-related information in them may not be accurate. Ancestry.com and other similar reports aren’t as well. Some Posts may accept these as part of multiple documents that might together all serve to show “due diligence” was taken in providing proof of eligibility.

*Pictures of headstones, even if in a national cemetery, and dog tags are generally not accepted unless other documents from above are included with it.