Each year on March 15, American Legion posts across the U.S. celebrate the organization’s birthday while also focusing on one of its most important missions: making sure Veterans are not facing challenges alone.
Alongside those celebrations, many Legionnaires also participate in Buddy Checks, an outreach effort focused on contacting fellow Veterans to check on their well-being.
The Buddy Check program was formally encouraged by the American Legion National Executive Committee through Resolution 18 in 2019. The resolution calls on members of the Legion Family to conduct Buddy Checks around two key times each year: Veterans Day and the week surrounding the organization’s birthday on March 15.
A Buddy Check can be as simple as a phone call, text message, or personal visit. The purpose is not recruitment or fundraising. Instead, it is a way to make sure Veterans are doing well, identify potential needs, and connect them with resources if necessary.
Legion members often ask simple questions during these conversations, such as how the Veteran is doing, whether they need assistance with benefits, transportation, or health services, or if they would simply appreciate someone to talk with. If a Veteran needs additional help, local posts can connect them with accredited service officers or community programs. 
According to The American Legion, the outreach has grown significantly in recent years. Thousands of Legion posts now participate annually, contacting hundreds of thousands of Veterans by phone, email, text, or in-person visits to ensure they remain connected to support networks.
The program is also closely connected with the Legion’s Be the One campaign, which encourages Veterans and communities to watch for warning signs of mental health struggles and take action to help prevent Veteran suicide.
The American Legion traces its origins to March 15, 1919, when members of the American Expeditionary Forces gathered in Paris shortly after World War I to establish a national organization dedicated to supporting Veterans, strengthening communities, and promoting patriotism. That meeting laid the foundation for what would become one of the nation’s largest Veterans service organizations.
Today, more than a century later, the anniversary is observed at local posts with dinners, ceremonies, community events, and programs that celebrate the Legion’s history and its ongoing work supporting Veterans and their families. Some posts hold cake-cutting ceremonies, history presentations, or community gatherings to bring together Legion members and the public.
For many Legion members, Buddy Checks continue the tradition of Veterans looking out for one another long after their military service has ended.
As American Legion posts celebrate the organization’s birthday this March, the message behind Buddy Checks remains clear. A quick call, message, or visit can remind a fellow Veteran that someone is still in their corner.
For veterans in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line is available by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or visiting VeteransCrisisLine.net.
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