S.A.L. Membership

Becoming a Member of Squadron 281

Membership in The Sons of the American Legion is open to male descendants (includes stepsons and adopted sons) of:

1.	A member of The American Legion; or
2.	A veteran who died in service during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, or the Persian Gulf War (See chart below for periods of eligibility); or
3.	A veteran who died subsequest to service during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, or the Persian Gulf War (See chart below for periods of eligibility)

Eligibility Dates (Periods of War) Include:

World War I	April 6, 1917 — Nov. 11, 1918
World War II	Dec. 7, 1941 — Dec. 31, 1946
Korean War	June 25, 1950 — Jan. 31, 1955
Vietnam War	Feb. 28, 1961 — May 7, 1975
Lebanon/ Grenada	Aug. 24, 1982 — July 31, 1984
Panama	Dec. 20, 1989 — Jan. 31, 1990
Persian Gulf War	Aug. 2, 1990 — until cessation of hostilities

Membership applications for The Sons of the American Legion are available through Post 281 or at any American Legion post.

Please note: If you are not a male descendant of a member of The American Legion, you will need to provide a copy of your relative's discharge papers.

To obtain military records of veterans (DD214/discharge papers), you will need to contact the National Archives & Records Administration. NARA maintains records from all branches of the military on individuals who are discharged, retired, or deceased.

If you are the next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, you may now access the vetrecs.archives.gov section of the NARA site to order copies of military records electronically. All others must use Standard Form 180 or request the information in a letter. Standard Form 180 is available also as a PDF file on the NARA website. The NARA site provides complete information on information required to process your request.

Or write directly to the:
     National Military Personnel Records Center
     9700 Page Blvd.
     St. Louis, MO 63132
     (800) 801-0800