Cold War Veterans Blog

Vet thankful for Legion’s assistance

David Nelson will be forever grateful to the American Legion’s Department of Veterans Affairs and the Sherburne County Veterans Service Office for helping him get back his disability benefits.

Nelson, who served for one year in combat in Vietnam, developed a form of cancer traced to the military’s use of Agent Orange, used to defoliate the combat area.

He chose the American Legion as his advocate after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer in his abdomen and lungs.

For three years he received 100 percent of federal veterans benefits; that was cut 70 percent and finally to 0 percent.

Using his chosen advocate, the American Legion, and with the help of Veterans Service Officer Launette (LaBrie) Figliuzzi, Nelson appealed the entire loss of his benefits. He and the Legion won, and today he is receiving 30 percent of monthly benefit checks.

Last October, after five years, Nelson learned he is cancer free.

Interceding for veterans is one of the benefits for Legion members needing aid at the state level, where legal help is provided for veterans who have claims with the Federal Veterans Administration.


Nelson’s membership entitles him to life insurance, financial and medical help and lobbying for veteran-related legislation at the state and national level.

He belongs to Elk River American Legion Post 112, which is facing financial difficulty for all kinds of reasons. He receives the post’s newsletter and has a chance to be active in the post’s activities. The local organization has over 500 members who pay annual dues of $35, of which $26.50 goes to state and national dues.

Like other members, Nelson is aging and can no longer participate as he once did. Young veterans aren’t joining the Legion or other service organizations, claiming they are too busy to be involved.

The Elk River American Legion Post was chartered in 1919. It attracted World War I and II veterans and later Korean and Vietnam veterans. To belong, a member must have served in the military during war time.

In the 1950s, they built a post home near Main Street and Highway 10, including a hall and a bar, which became the meeting and activity center in the village. Back then, the Legion club was a place for members and auxiliary members to meet, to socialize and in some cases, to share their demons resulting from combat.

They sponsored ball teams, school patrol training, Boys and Girls State (where youth learn how government works), Americanism essays, organized honor guards, officiated at military funerals and donated blood for veterans.

Members also were the bartenders, the custodians and the fixers. They marched in parades, built ball diamonds, sponsored Memorial Day services and participated in Veterans Day observances.

They also became involved in charitable gambling (pull tabs), which at first produced lots of money to give away to community groups, particularly youth groups and the public schools. Flush with gambling dollars, members lost some interest in having fund raisers and staying involved in the post.

At first the Legion donated $130,000 to $140,000 a year from charitable gambling until the state tripled its take from the proceeds. That increase plus 50 percent fewer sales has reduced the donation to community causes to $2,000.

As members grew older they didn’t hang around the club as much, and more stayed away when smoking was banned and the blood alcohol level for driving was lowered to .08.

Last year was a downer for spending because the roof had to be repaired and the parking lot resurfaced.

Property taxes are at $26,000; license fees are $8,000 and now the bartenders and waiters need to be paid. The club’s three operations lost $86,000 and needs a 15 percent increase in revenues to stay open.

Can the Legion club operations be saved?

Organizations continue even when buildings are shut down. What’s happening in Elk River is happening throughout the country. Only Elk River and Zimmerman run club houses in Sherburne County. They’ve been shut down in Princeton, Becker and Big Lake.

At the state level, the membership has dropped from 137,000 to 103,000 since 1991. Still, the state organization has 28 percent of eligible veterans, the highest penetration in the country.

Figliuzzi says the Elk River post is involved and is an integral part of getting benefits for veterans — like David Nelson. It was the American Legion who referred Nelson to Figliuzzi, just as it has counseled and referred many others for benefits in its history.