Our NEW National Commander and BE THE ONE
Our new American Legion National Commander, Jay Bowen, is A Paid-Up-For-Life member of Neal Thomas Jr.-Centennial Post 209 in Colorado Springs and a retired U.S. Army warrant officer. Commander Bowen is a staunch supporter of The American Legion’s Be The One suicide awareness and prevention message.
“The past four national commanders’ themes have been of Be The One. Be the one to help prevent veteran suicide,” Bowen said.
National Commanders have done such an amazing job getting that message out, letting our veterans know that it’s OK not to be OK. They encourage getting our members and the community educated, getting them to be able to recognize a veteran in crisis and then helping them find a place to go to get help.
He went on to say, “They have done such a great job that it’s no longer a theme. It’s a mission. It’s the No. 1 mission of The American Legion … and it needs to stay that way. It’s got to stay that way because when you have approximately 17 to 22 veteran suicides a day, or any other number greater than zero, it’s too many. So, we’ve got to continue that conversation.”
Congratulations to Commander Bowen, and we are grateful for his support!
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