TRUMBULL, CONN. (July 11, 2025)–Department of Connecticut Commander Charles M. Pickett addressed the Department of Connecticut American Legion Annual Convention on the topic of “mutual helpfulness” at the Trumbull Mariott.

“For God and Country…

For God and Country we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: We recite this, the preamble of our constitution, dozens of not hundreds of times. If not thousands!

Today, I am honored to have the opportunity to speak on the final purpose: To consecrate and sanity our comradeship by our devotion to “mutual helpfulness.”

I speak to you as a dual member of our Legion, but also as the Commander of the Department of Connecticut Veterans of Foreign Wars [switch hats].

As leaders, we wear many hats. Unfortunately, many times these hats don’t mix, or work together in “mutual helpfulness.”

Commander John DeBisschop suggested I speak on the concept of “mutual helpfulness” between our two great organizations.

As we all know, we can be focused inside out own silos; focused on the day-to-day; focus on what’s right in front of us; focused on the next meeting, the next ceremony, the next event. Leaders provide vision, direction and motivation. Leaders, are you doing that? At the post, district, and at state? Are you doing the mundane and muddling through, or are you doing “obituary-worthy stuff?”

To wrap up, I challenge you, the leaders of our Legion to provide that vision, direction, and motivation to your posts, and I suggest building ties to your VFW, DAV, MCL, CWV, is fertile ground to do “obituary-worthy stuff.”

For example, dozens of Legion and VFW posts adopted the Save Our Cemetery (SOC) Resolution, in an effort to expand and save our Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery. Your state leadership spearheaded the creation of the America 250 Connecticut Veterans Coalition, a joint Legion and VFW venture to develop and coordinate veteran programs to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

As an aside, ask yourself what is my post doing to celebrate America’s 250th? If you don’t have an answer, I bet over the next two days you could come up with something and bring back to your post. I’m old enough to remember the Bicentennial. Do not. Do NOT, miss this opportunity of a lifetime.

On a local level, two of Connecticut’s newest veteran posts, VFW 12150 and Legion 210 have a joint social committee; we march together under one banner in the New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade; we plan city-wide patriotic ceremonies together for Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

We can no longer “sequester ourselves” in our silos. We need to work together “to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.”

Now, I didn’t say it would be easy, but that’s where you come in, that’s where you—a room full of veteran leaders—that’s where you provide that vision, direction, and motivation and make our posts, our Legion, and our nation, that much better.”