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Below, you'll find General and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about The American Legion’s USA 250 Challenge, benefitting The American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation.
If you can't find your answers below, please see the section on Who to Contact for assistance
ALA members: Please share the following information with your units, districts/counties/councils, and departments.
From Mark Seavey, The American Legion’s national judge advocate: Effective immediately, the adjutant or secretary at each American Legion Auxiliary unit shall verify a member’s eligibility by reviewing documentation such as a DD214, then promptly return the document to the individual. No copies or electronic records containing Personally Identifiable Information shall be retained. Some units currently maintain decades of archived DD214s, including those of deceased members. These records should be securely destroyed to reduce exposure to identity theft and mitigate potential legal liability.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced an increase in the expenditure cap for in-home and community-based services for veterans with certain complex medical conditions.
VA’s skilled home health care program will now cover the costs of in-home and community-based services for Veterans with spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and other complex medical conditions at 100% of the cost of similar care in a VA Community Living Center. This is an increase from the previous rate of 65%.
The rate increase will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for eligible veterans and their families for services like home health aide, home respite, community adult day health care, Veteran Directed Care, and skilled home health. This will make it easier for Veterans to continue residing in their homes.
VA estimates 200 veterans will take advantage of the higher expenditure cap in fiscal year 2026. The skilled home health care program has enrolled approximately 1,800 veterans since it was established in 2019.
“This important change will enable veterans with complex medical conditions to continue receiving high quality care while remaining in their homes, surrounded by friends and family,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said. “By matching the expenditure cap for home and community-based services with the cost of care in our Community Living Centers, we are enabling veterans to maintain their independence and home connections.”
The rate increase is the result of Section 120 of the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025. VA encourages veterans and their families to speak with their VA social worker to learn more about these changes.
Gettysburg American Legion announces essay winners
The Gettysburg American Legion Post 202 recently recognized three outstanding students from Gettysburg Area High School for their essays on the topic, “Why is the 14th Amendment important in today’s America?” First-place winner was Samantha Campbell, second was Henry Russell and third was Ashley Ramirez. From left, Post Commander Lewis Jones, Campbell and Post First Vice Commander Mitch Mummert, essay chairman.(Photo courtesy of Mitch Mummert)
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Great American Road Trip invites Americans to explore the nation’s highways and byways in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The campaign highlights iconic travel routes, historic and widely varied landmarks, and scenic destinations across all 50 states, encouraging families to rediscover the beauty of the country. Visit the Great American Road Trip website for curated itineraries by region, or pick a destination at random to help plan your journey as part of this once-in-a-generation milestone. The campaign’s social media accounts will be updated.
By National Executive Committee resolution, American Legion departments and posts are encouraged to connect with their state and local America250 commissions. An online directory is available to contact these commissions at america250.org/our-partners/state-and-territory-commissions. Share your stories of involvement on Legiontown.
The Science of the Samsung Scholarship
When: Feb. 25 @ 7 p.m. ET
Join us for an informative webinar that provides an overview of the Samsung Scholarship component and the application process.
Overall goal: to review the key components of the Samsung Scholarship and information for ALA members assisting ALA Girls State/American Legion Boys State citizens in completing the application.
To register, click here!
AEF Disaster Preparedness: Resources, Readiness, and Relief
When: March 10 @ 7:30 p.m. ET
This session is designed to empower ALA members with practical knowledge and resources to prepare for potential disasters and emergencies. The webinar will highlight ways to increase personal and community resilience, navigate emergency response, and access assistance through the Auxiliary Emergency Fund (AEF) in times of need.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
To register, click here!
Cemetery has a newly placed monument to an American war hero, one who left 75 years ago to serve his nation but never returned.
A memorial stone for Milton Wesley Bailey was recently placed alongside his Gold Star Mother Beatrice Bailey's final resting place. SFC Bailey was born on April 14, 1931. He left Milford High School (MHS) before graduation to join the Army while still a teen. As a soldier in the Korean War, he had just turned 20 when he went missing during heavy battle in North Korea on July 17, 1951. While his family always held out hope that he would one day return, Bailey remains MIA.
The new memorial stone remembers this missing soldier and reserves a place beside his mom should he one day be found.
Now in their 90s, a few MHS classmates recently recalled the missing soldier as fun, athletic, smart and just a regular hometown kid. Most of all, they remember how much he loved the mom and grandma who raised him, and how deeply they loved him. Beatrice kept every letter her young soldier son wrote home (nearly daily) from Korean battlefield locations.
The effort to memorialize Bailey with a stone near his mom was initiated by Lisa Drake, daughter of Milton's classmate and friend Godrey Drake and wife Norma. Lisa, her parents and others have placed flags at veteran graves in Milford Cemetery over many decades. Lisa recalls her interest in the missing soldier peaking more than 15 years ago, while her father was still living. “It occurred to my brother Ric that year that there was no stone for Milton. He asked my dad if he could put a flag on Beattie’s (Beatrice’s nickname) grave for Milton. My dad initially said ‘no,’ that doing that was not following protocol,” Lisa recalled. “But after he thought about it, he agreed, most assuredly because of his fondness for Milton. So we’ve been doing it since at least 2010.”
The stone came about after Lisa learned that a stone could be provided for a missing veteran. It had to be accepted and set by a funeral home, so she completed and had all the information on the request form verified. She then took it to Chris Brighton, owner/operator of Stroyan Funeral Home. Brighton received approval from the Milford Cemetery Board, completed a remaining portion of the form and submitted it.
“When the stone came in, Kevin Stroyan – former owner of the funeral home and the one person who knows the cemetery best – set the stone right behind Milton’s mother’s plot. So, should Milton’s remains ever be found, they could be buried there,” Lisa said.
Additional efforts have been underway on behalf of the missing soldier. Lori Strelecki, longtime director of Pike County’s Historical Society and Columns Museum and keeper of the Bailey Family archives, has carefully preserved letters sent home by Bailey, along with other items from the Bailey home. A room displaying these archives has been named in honor of the family.
Strelecki also assisted Drake and has consistently praised the strength shown by Bailey’s family throughout their lives. “Sarah, Phoebe and Beatrice (Bailey’s great-grandmother, grandmother and mother) were fearless in their lives as well, fighting their own battles every day,” she said in past conversations about the family Bailey left behind. “Milton and his family are remembered fondly by those who knew them and the community that greatly mourns their loss. We hope one day to bring Milton home.”
Bailey’s family includes a long line of military service on both sides. He was in America’s last Buffalo Soldier unit, and his maternal great-grandfather, a Civil War soldier, was in the first – the United States Colored Troops. Others in his family have served in various branches of the military and during other war times, including his father, the late Freeman Jeffrey Brown Sr. of Middletown, N.Y.
As witnessed by a comrade, the missing local soldier was last seen holding off heavy enemy fire from a North Korean mountain range. This comrade, Curtis Morrow, was the point man on that mission – charged with leading his unit to locate enemy positions. It was Bailey’s duty as the mission's rear guard to allow the unit to safely retreat if they came under fire. This was what he was last seen doing as the unit scrambled down the mountain. Yet when it was discovered that he had not returned to their base with the rest of his unit, a return and search of the area was conducted later that day. It produced no sign of Bailey at that 38th Parallel Line region, now known as the DMZ.
Bailey's last known location remains a pinpoint.
See more photos on Legiontown.
After a devastating fire torched most of the building, the Simpson-Hunt American Legion Post 107 is already working to rebuild what was lost.
Crews were dispatched to a fire at the Legion around 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30. Ashley Whitesel, commander of the legion, says the first responders were battling the blaze for eight or nine hours. Mount Union Fire Company Chief Michael Quarry deemed the building a total loss.
In the week since, Whitesel has been working to learn more about the extent of the damage. The building was constructed in the 1800’s, and it became the Legion around 1912. She recalls her reaction to the fire as “pure devastation.”
“We lost a lot of our history in the fire. We lost a lot of things that we had as far as our post charter in the fire, so it’s just been devastating,” Whitesel said.
With the legion having been around for over 100 years, its roots run deep in the community. To Ruth Beatty, the wreckage has a special meaning for her.
“This is heartbreaking because this Legion was named after my great uncle, my grandfather’s brother, who was killed in World War I,” Beatty said.
Her great uncle is the namesake of the Simpson part before the legion’s name. Beatty sees it as more than just the loss of a community center.
“There’s a lot of people here that have had brothers, sisters, grandfathers, kids either in the service or passed away during Vietnam, World War II. So it’s a place to share memories,” she said.
While Whitesel has been busy taking inventory of the situation, the community has been busy giving its support. She thanks the American Legions and people in the area for helping with donations and information. Although she does not know how much it will cost to get things back on track, she is determined to get there.
“I hope to restore as much as I can. If that’s not possible, I will salvage what I can of the stone to incorporate into a new legion when we do rebuild,” Whitesel said.
There is no timeline yet on when a potential rebuild could start, but Whitesel says she wants to get it done “as quickly and efficiently as possible.” In the meantime, they have moved operations to the American Legion Country Club, also located in Mount Union.
To find out how you can help, visit the legion’s Facebook page.
Protecting Gold Star spouses benefits, increased compensation for surviving spouses of veterans who passed away from ALS and legislation requiring VA to identify and report instances of fraud with respect to disability benefit questionnaire forms were among pieces of legislation The American Legon expressed support for in a Statement for the Record (SFR) submitted Feb. 3 to a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs hearing.
The SFR was submitted by Sri Benson, a policy analyst in the Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division. Read the entire SFR here.
Among the legislation the statement touched on was an effort to protect Gold Star spouses benefits through H.R. 1004, Love Lives On Act of 2025. Benson wrote that Gold Star spouses face a heartbreaking predicament: choose love and happiness through remarriage before the age of 55 and lose critical benefits or forgo companionship to retain them.
“Some lost their spouses overseas in combat, terrorist attacks, or training accidents. Others succumbed to diseases from toxic exposures,” Benson wrote. “Some returned home only to take their own lives under the weight of their invisible wounds. H.R. 1004 removes the age requirement for retaining benefits upon remarriage and protects our gold star families.
“When a young widow remarries, they are not replacing what was lost. The void left behind, the empty chair at the dinner table, will never be filled. But by passing this bill, we can help them build fuller, more meaningful lives and rebuild strong family units.”
Benson noted he speaks from experience. “I work closely with Gold Star spouses on a regular basis as a policy analyst for The American Legion, but I also am a surviving spouse,” he wrote. “My wife, Katie, succumbed to service-connected mesothelioma on July 9, 2022. She faced this illness with incomparable courage. I was Katie’s caregiver for years, leaving a career I loved to care for her. In her final months I dedicated 20 hours a day to her care. This level of care was both emotionally difficult and left a lasting impact on my body. In March 2022, when we were told her medical options were depleted and we must enroll in hospice care and prepare for her death, I suffered a series of heart attacks caused by stress-induced cardiomyopathy. While I did return home before her death, those weeks in the hospital brought additional pain and uncertainty.”
Benson said he was proud of the care he provided his wife before her death. But it took it’s toll. “My old career is gone, my old body is gone, the life we had built together is gone,” he wrote. “Through years of physical therapy and peer support I have rebuilt my life, and even though I have found love again the empty chair at the dinner table will never be replaced.
“Remarriage penalties force our widows and widowers into an impossible choice between personal happiness and financial stability. It is time to change that. Through Resolution No. 36: Prevent Gold Star Spouses Loss of Benefits, The American Legion has resolved to protect Gold Star Spouses from losing their benefits. They should not be punished for finding love again because they are still the surviving spouses of our fallen heroes. Their sacrifice has not diminished, and they have earned these benefits through service and loss.”
Benson’s SFR also touched on additional legislation that The American Legion supports, including:
· H.R. 1685, Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025, which amends Title 38, U.S. Code, to extend increased dependency and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death. “The additional compensation is intended to compensate families for the hardships and sacrifices which come with serious long-term illnesses. H.R. 1685, Justice for ALS Veterans Act recognizes, the sacrifices families make are not determined by arbitrary timelines,” Benson wrote. “While this bill is focused on making surviving families, who have cared for ALS veterans whole, it requires the VA to identify and report to Congress additional conditions which should be treated similarly.”
· H.R.5339, Susan E. Lukas 9/11 Servicemember Fairness Act, which would establish a presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure to certain toxins at the Pentagon Reservation during certain period beginning on Sept. 11, 2001. “The servicemembers who were at the Pentagon during the attacks and aftermath were at the front lines of the start of the War on Terror. Through the catastrophic damage and fires raging in the rubble, they worked diligently to help with evacuation, recovery, cleanup and more as they witnessed sights that few Americans can imagine,” Benson wrote. “In the process, they were exposed to smoke and fumes from the computers, office supplies, plastics, wiring, plane parts, fuel, insulation, and more that burned for days after the attack. Research has shown consistently that exposure to these kinds of pollutants and chemicals can adversely affect health. These servicemembers deserve to have the same kinds of presumptive service connections that World Trade Center civilians and servicemembers exposed to burn pits have. Anything less is overlooking the first heroes of the War on Terror.”
· H.R. 6698, Board of Veterans Appeals Annual Report Transparency Act of 2025, which amends Title 38, U.S Code, to require the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to include in its annual report an identification of the factors contributing to untimely disposition and remand of appeals, and for other purposes. “The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, also referred to as the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) reimagined how appeal decisions were made. Prior to the AMA, the system only provided veterans with one appeal lane and created an endless remand cycle that delayed claims decisions for years,” Benson wrote. “The AMA created three distinct appeal lanes to provide options for veterans seeking recourse for claims they believe should not be denied. The proposed legislation seeks to require BVA to address AMA cases which are not being adjudicated in the amount of time mandated by the law and provide formal explanations for remanded cases in its annual report to Congress. Medial opinion delays, declining claims quality, an endless remand cycle and increased rework at the regional office have frustrated veterans stuck in the appeals cycle. A 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted that BVA could not verify its accuracy rates for two of the four years that were examined. Also, BVA remanded 80 percent of board decisions, but was unable to provide adequate reasoning. The endless loop of the remand cycle was supposed to be addressed by the creation of the AMA, however, the problem persists. Inadequate C&P exams, poor claim development, legal inconsistencies and the refusal to acknowledge valid medical evidence continue to trend negatively. This is why Congress has introduced H.R. 6698 Board of Veterans Appeals Annual Report Transparency Act of 2025 to improve annual reporting and identify quality issues to deter excessive remands.”
Funds will replace aging bus used for funerals, ceremonies and major community events
Trib Live reported that Members of the American Legion Post 175 Honor Guard travel throughout Washington County and surrounding areas to honor veterans at funeral services and to represent the military at civic and patriotic events across the community.
The Honor Guard’s bus carries members to everything from military funerals and holiday ceremonies to Flag Day and September 11 tributes, as well as major community events like the Pony League World Series. Just a month into 2026, the Honor Guard has already provided military honors at 15 funerals.
As the Honor Guard works to replace its aging, unreliable bus, the community — including strong backing from local businesses — has rallied behind the effort, pushing the fundraising campaign past $90,000. With the final phase of the campaign approaching, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Promotion Agency has agreed to facilitate a challenge grant on behalf of the Honor Guard.
The Honor Guard launched the campaign earlier this summer after its current bus, which has logged more than 228,000 miles, began to fail.
“We started this campaign because the bus was just falling apart,” said Dennis Bailey, commander of the American Legion Post 175 Honor Guard. “Parts were falling off on the way to services, and something had to be done. We can’t risk not being there when families are counting on us.”
