Sons of The American Legion

Detachment of Connecticut

Welcome to the Connecticut Sons of The American Legion Detachment website. We hope you will stop for a while and look over the wealth of informationthat we have placed here for both current members of our organization and thosewho are considering joining a local squadron. Before you leave, please take afew minutes to express your comments in our feedback section. We certainly wouldlike to hear from you.

Our Mission

To provide support and guidance to Connecticut's existing Squadrons and to foster the continued growth of the Sons of The American Legion within the Constitution State.

About The Sons of The American Legion

The Sons of The American Legion (SAL) was established by the American Legion as a non-political, non-sectarian civilian organization through action of the 14th National Convention of The American Legion held September 12-15, 1932, in Portland, Oregon.

Back in 1939, the SAL was riding the crest with some 72,000 members or about seven percent as large as the parent organization - The American Legion. However World War II changed all that. The sons now found themselves of age to join the Armed Services.

Many never returned and those that did found that their service had made them eligible to join The American Legion itself. By 1953 the SAL had only 5,631 members. The SAL saw many lean years until the early 60s when membership again began to swell to nearly 17,000.

The American Legion took a number of actions over the next decade that gave the SAL national direction and stimulation for further growth. Then the Legion's National Executive Committee (NEC) in May of 1972 approved the creation of a National SAL organization under its full supervision and control. The SAL conducted its first National Convention in Chicago in August of that year.

A year later the Legion's NEC assigned supervision of the SAL to its Internal Affairs Commission.

Connecticut's SAL also got its start in the 1930s, saw similar ups and downssuch as experienced by the National organization and finally, in 1986, beganwhat is now a snowballing effect among the state's American Legion Posts. Just15 years ago there were only eight Squadrons with a total of about 228 members.Right now there are 37 Squadrons with a membership in excess of 1,400. And,there are several more Squadrons being organized with the state at present.

Eligibility for SAL membership is afforded all male descendants, adopted sons and stepsons of members of The American Legion, and such male descendants of veterans who died in service during World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama and the Persian Gulf, during the periods of American Legion eligibility, or who died subsequent to their honorable discharge from such service.

The Sons of The American Legion's purpose is clearly defined in the Preamble to its National Constitution.

Contact Information

 

 

Electronic mail

 

General Information: [email protected]
Membership Support: [email protected]
Webmaster: [email protected]