Jeff Daly, Department Historian
Another year in The American Legion is coming to an end and now is the time for Historians to gather up assets for a History Book. If you haven’t started the book, it’s not too late.
You can still gather agendas and minutes. If you haven’t taken a bunch of photos, ask your fellow Legionnaires if they have some photos to share with you. Don’t forget to give them photo credit.
In addition to the hardcopy book, you now have the option to go completely digital. Doing it digitally can help the organization is several ways:
- When a prospective member asks what does The American Legion do, you can show them exactly what you’ve been up to. You can end the conversation by sending them a PDF or link to your most recent book. Done well, the History Book can add value to membership, drawing new people in.
- Your events committee can be inspired by seeing what types of activities have been popular and seeing how they looked.
- Your engagement with the community can be enhanced. You will have the opportunity to showcase your Post in scenarios like:
- Seeking donations
- Approaching schools for programs like Boys & Girls State, and Oratorical
- Introductions to elected officials, Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood associations
The bottom line is that a well done History Book can project all of the great things that Legionnaires are doing. This can help give an accurate perception of the benefit we have to veterans, as well as to “Community, State, and Nation”.
On the Historian Center page, you will find resources to help you make this History Book happen. 4x Department Historian Fred Shacklett has put together a great resource “The American Legion Historian’s Toolkit”. We also have a download of the 2026 version of the Historian’s Guide.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Jeff Daly at historian@calegion.org. Please also let me know if you would be interested in a Zoom discussion on the History Book and I will try to line up some experts to share some tips, tricks, and inspiration!!
Have fun and keep making history…for the good of the Legion!
Author: Jeff Daly
Jeff Daly grew up in Kalamazoo, MI before joining the Marine Corps. After his service he went to the small, private, liberal arts school Kalamazoo College, where he studied Economics and Political Science. Jeff serves The American Legion in several capacities. He is the Department Historian (2025-2026), on the Department Training Committee, and is an instructor for California Legion College. He is junior/immediate past Commander of Hollywood Post 43. He has been a District officer and served two terms as the Department Membership Director. He is also the immediate past President of the National American Legion College Alumni Associate. Outside of the Legion, Jeff serves on the Military Affairs for Los Angeles Local SAG-AFTRA. You can keep up with Jeff's thoughts on veterans issues by subscribing to his podcast. That is hosted at http://anchor.fm/dalydose. From there you can get links to b subscribe on your favorite music & podcast app.
