WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEVADA HOME PAGE
2021-2022
Richard Eberly
DEPARTMENT COMMANDER
Veterans Helping Veterans
A Letter from The Commander
We are coming into not only a new year, but a new era, and our troops are returning home.
How will they be received?
What can we do to make the transition from military to civilian life successful in terms of our service members thriving within the communities they choose to live in?
The American Legion has Answers.
Home is the key word here, and “home” is a universal for most of us – we know what that means. We as communal entity are focused on their return from service as being smooth and flawless. Here at the American Legion, we show our support and provide our service members in their times of need. We at the American Legion are active listeners, open to innovative ideas and are ready to answer any potential concerns our fellow veterans may have regarding our organization.
We are here to listen to you, as we understand that our legacy depends on future generations of servicemembers. Getting involved within our community and other veteran related services is something we pride ourselves on and want to continue doing. If you have ideas, we are here to listen.
Lastly, by promoting these programs locally, we can demonstrate to our communities that The American Legion is not just a veteran’s organization, but an organization that inspires and supports our communities – a communal family. We need you! I am encouraging every post and every Legionnaire to participate in our homeless initiatives. By way of demonstration, we can rally the support of our fellow veterans with the work we will be doing throughout our communities, recruiting them into our organization, and spreading a common good throughout. Together, we can enact remarkable things.
Let us make The American Legion Family just that,
A Veteran helping Veterans – A Family organization.
One Community
Since our charter, our American Legion Department of Nevada has been welcoming VETERANS from all branches of our Armed Forces. Today, we continue to welcome all military personnel serving our country. Joining a Post in our state enables you to continue serving your God, Country and Community. Our mission is to implement the goals, aspirations, dreams, peace and blessings for our country, friends and families embodied in our preamble.
Paul E. Dillard was elected national commander of The American Legion on Sept. 2, 2021, in Phoenix during the organization’s 102nd national convention. His theme as national commander is “No Veteran Left Behind.” He first joined The American Legion in 1969.
A native Texan, Dillard graduated from Whitesboro High School in 1965 before joining the U.S. Navy and serving in Vietnam through four campaigns including the Tet offensive. He later received an honorable discharge as a radarman second class petty officer from the Navy Reserve before attending Grayson County Junior College and East Texas State University.
Dillard worked several years in the manufacturing business as an engineer, plant manager and director of manufacturing in Tennessee. Upon returning to Texas, he accepted a sales representative position with Sherman Foundry and became its airplane pilot. A career change was made when he and his wife, Donna, began their family and he entered the insurance business specializing in employee benefits and later forming Dillard & Gann Insurance.
As a paid-up-for-life member of American Legion Post 265 in Lake Kiowa, Texas, Dillard served as post commander, vice commander, adjutant and judge advocate. He coached American Legion Baseball for more than 10 years and served as his post’s Boys State chairman.
Dillard served the 4th District as commander and vice commander and served the department as sergeant-at-arms, Membership & Organization chairman, National Security chairman, Uniformed Organization chairman, Board of Trustees chairman, and he served on the Finance Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee. He was elected as Department of Texas commander in 2007.
On the national level, Dillard has served as Alternate National Executive Committeeman, consultant to the Insurance Committee, Distinguished Guest Committee, Children & Youth Committee, and Media and Communications Council. He has served as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, chairman of the Veterans Employment & Education Commission and chairman of the Legislative Commission. He was elected as national vice commander in 2013.
Dillard married Donna in 1983. They have two sons, William and his wife Allison, and Jonathon and his wife Karri, and two grandsons Jarrett and Lukas. All are members of the American Legion Family. Donna has been an active and dedicated member of The American Legion Auxiliary for several years and has served in numerous positions of leadership at all levels of the organization, including department president in 2017-2018.
To Visit the Western Region Web Site Click here
~To our World War II & Korean Veterans who are interested in visiting War Era Memorial
please click on link to apply~
What The American Legion Does:
- Processes more than 600 disability claims appeals per month for veterans trying to get their VA medical benefits.
- Gives emergency financial assistance to Legion Families hit by Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other disasters.
- Urges Congress to provide enough VA funding to take care of veterans' medical needs - and provide it in advance.
- Awards college scholarships to children whose mothers or fathers have sacrificed their lives in the global war on terrorism.
- Volunteers about one million hours every year at about 160 VA Medical Facilities nationwide.
- Helps familes of deployed troops through the Family Support Network and Operation Military Family Outreach.
- Through its Temporary Financial Assistance program, helps the children of veterans who are suffering hardships.
- Donates about 100,000 pints of blood annually to the American Red Cross.
- Lobbies Congress to upgrade and improve Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits (Legion wrote the original 1944 GI Bill that educated 8 million veterans).
- Through its Heroes To Hometowns program works with communities to welcome back their returning veterans and help them make the transition to civilian life.
- Sponsors more than 5,000 American Legion Baseball Teams, which are made up by more than 100,000 ballplayers.
- Raises funds to improve quality of life for active duty troops with the Wounded Warrior Recognition Program and Operation Comfort Warriors.
- Offers community programs that encourage the intellectual and social growth of America's children (Boys State, National Oratorical Competition, Boy Scouts).
To find out much more about what The American Legion does, please visit www.legion.org
To the wonderful patriotic citizens of Nevada Thank You. Join in the support of a Post as a Booster or sponsor. 100% of the monies raised are given back to the community. Help us to continue sponsoring Scholarships for our children; give aid and assistance to our local needy Veterans and their families. Help us to continue to support financially worthy community programs and projects.
