Age gap depletes Legion posts

As oldest veterans die, few who served in recent wars replenish the ranks

Contrary to the line famously quoted by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, old soldiers do die. And as they do, the organizations they kept alive are fading away. Veterans of World War II are dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day, thinning the ranks in veterans halls, changing the roles of veterans groups and forcing some organizations to bequeath their buildings and property.

One of them is American Legion Pou-Parrish Post 132 in Smithfield. The post has made plans to turn over its assets before it dissolves, as many of its members think it will.

In December, Johnston Community College agreed to take over the post's building, the fields once used by its baseball program, some land and a substantial bank account. The assets are valued at more than $1 million.

"It keeps our legacy going," said Bill Wilkins, 73, a 26-year member of the post. "We're getting older and won't be around much longer, and the younger vets aren't joining."

The Legion is trying to stay vibrant -- and the wars in Iraq and elsewhere are creating a new pool of veterans to help. But a wide generation gap between current members and new veterans threatens the existence of the Legion and many other veterans groups.

"You've got to constantly recruit, because we lose members every day," said Jerry Tart, adjutant of American Legion Post 109 in Benson and commander for the district that covers Wake and Johnston counties. "If we don't recruit new people, then the American Legion will fade out."

At about 700 members, the Benson post remains one of the state's most active, holding weekly social dances and several charity events throughout the year. But even it has seen a drop from a peak of more than 1,000 members. Tart said his post loses 30 to 40 members a year, many of them to the grave. He estimated that 40 percent of his members are veterans of World War II, while fewer than 10 percent served in the Persian Gulf or more recent conflicts.

Younger vets aren't interested in polka dances and the old-fashioned post bars frequented by older vets. And the differences extend beyond age. Many veterans of earlier conflicts were drafted, while newer vets were volunteers and career soldiers.

The Legion and similar groups may have sowed the seeds of their demise when they failed to attract many Vietnam-era veterans amid controversy over that war. Although Vietnam vets are now the largest group in the American Legion, about 36 percent of membership, they never joined in the numbers or with the enthusiasm of older veterans.

Now, the American Legion is dominated by veterans of World War II and the Korean War, conflicts that ended half a century before the post-Sept. 11 wars began. World War II and Korean War veterans make up more than 40 percent of members, many of them in leadership roles.

"The recent veterans don't see that they have much in common with the people who run organizations like the American Legion," said David R. Segal, a military sociologist at the University of Maryland. "I'm not sure that common bond of experience is there."

Segal said he has seen several groups turn over their assets so that aged members can avoid upkeep on buildings, including one Veterans of Foreign Wars group in Delaware that turned its building over to a Jewish synagogue.

'War always with us'

American Legion leaders downplay the problem, noting that new posts are still forming, particularly near military bases.

"We've been told that before -- that if you lose a generation, your group will go down," said John Raughter, communications director for the national office. "Unfortunately, war is always with us, it seems."