The nation’s top leader of the American Legion visited Manning on Monday, Feb. 23, bringing a message centered on veteran suicide prevention, community support and advocacy for research into medical cannabis.
American Legion National Commander Dan Wiley, based in Leavenworth, Kansas, made the stop at American Legion Post 68 as part of an extensive national tour that will take him to hundreds of posts across the country during his one-year term.
“We’re never home and never alone,” Wiley said during an interview prior to the event. “We’ll visit about 750 to 800 posts out of the 12,000 nationwide this year. It’s a big deal for those posts when we come through, but it also helps us hear directly from veterans so we can take those concerns back to Washington.”
Wiley said the primary purpose of his nationwide travel is to share the Legion’s priorities and gather feedback from local veterans before testifying before Congress and working with federal agencies.
“Our number one priority is veteran suicide and reducing the stigma associated with mental health,” Wiley said. “We want veterans to know they’re not alone and that it’s okay to ask for help.”
That message was the focus of Wiley’s remarks Monday as he discussed the Legion’s “Be the One” campaign, which encourages members and communities to take an active role in suicide prevention and supporting fellow veterans. The campaign includes training initiatives and outreach programs designed to equip individuals with tools to recognize warning signs and offer help.
He also highlighted the Legion’s “Buddy Check” initiative, which encourages members to regularly contact fellow veterans to check on their well-being and connect them with resources when needed. The program, launched nationally in 2019, encourages Legion posts to conduct wellness checks during Veterans Day week and the organization’s March birthday week, as well as year-round.
Wiley said the organization has trained tens of thousands of people nationwide in suicide-prevention strategies through partnerships with universities and other groups.
Another key topic during Wiley’s visit was the Legion’s advocacy for federal reclassification of cannabis to allow expanded research into its medical use for veterans. Wiley said the organization supports research into cannabis for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain and other issues affecting veterans, while emphasizing that the focus is on medical research rather than recreational use.
State Sen. Jeff Zell, R-District 36, who attended Monday’s event, said organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars play a vital role in communities across South Carolina.
“They’re extremely important,” Zell said. “We have a large and aging veteran population in this state, and these organizations provide support, camaraderie and resources that veterans rely on.”
Zell, a military veteran and member of the Senate Family and Veterans’ Services Committee, said he hopes to support initiatives that improve access to mental-health resources and other benefits for veterans. He pointed to legislation he has filed that would provide free access to South Carolina state parks for veterans and their families for mental-health and wellness purposes, as well as efforts to expand resources for county veterans service offices.
He also voiced support for continued research into cannabis and related products for veterans.
Zell said ongoing debate at the Statehouse over hemp-derived THC products makes the American Legion’s position particularly relevant as lawmakers weigh whether to further regulate or restrict their sale in South Carolina.
Several bills under consideration this session range from stricter regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoids to proposals that could limit or effectively ban some products. Zell said he plans to oppose any measure that would fully prohibit naturally derived THC or CBD if veterans are benefiting from them.
“If there’s a single veteran in this state that claims to benefit from these naturally derived THC or CBD products, I will do everything I can to make sure they remain available,” Zell said. “We can ensure safety, but we shouldn’t take away something that may be helping our veterans.”
Zell added that the American Legion’s national support for expanded research into medical cannabis and cannabinoid therapies could play an important role in shaping future legislative discussions.
“That gives us valuable perspective as we work through these issues,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re supporting our veterans and making decisions based on research and real outcomes.”
At the local level, Post 68 Commander Mark McCormick said the Manning post currently has about 65 members and is working to recruit younger veterans to sustain and grow membership.
“I would say the average member’s age is about 75,” McCormick said. “We try to get out into the community a couple times a year and recruit, and I personally engage veterans whenever I meet them out and about. I tell them, ‘Come eat dinner with us, come to a meeting and see if you like it.’”
The post meets monthly and shares its facility with other veteran organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America. McCormick said members regularly check in on one another, reflecting the same spirit behind the Legion’s national Buddy Check program.
“If someone misses a meeting and we’re used to seeing them, we call and check on them,” he said. “We try to stay involved in the community and support one another.”
Post 68 also hosts community events such as a free pancake breakfast for veterans ahead of Veterans Day and is planning additional outreach activities this year, including a car show and yard sale.
Wiley said local posts like Manning’s are essential to the Legion’s mission.
“As I travel the country, posts like this are an integral part of the fabric of their communities,” he said. “They support not just veterans, but the entire community. That’s what we do — we take care of one another.”
