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W E D N E S D A Y
May 29, 2024 Vol. 44, No. 48
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Cicada coloring contest Page 10
Can American Legions, VFWs stay relevant today?
With the closure of Forest Park’s American Legion Post 414, the future is with younger veterans By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
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TODD BANNOR
The 2024 State Champion OPRF High School Track & Field team celebrated by marching in the River Forest Memorial Day Parade May 27. See photos from Memorial Day observances on page 14. See state championship article in Sports, page 37.
Spring
Known for the Friday fish fry, corner bar and dedication to veterans, the country’s American Legions and VFWs, longtime national touchstones, are navigating how to thrive as their memberships shift. Although more than 12,000 American Legion posts and nearly 6,000 worldwide locations of the Veterans of Foreign Wars still exist, membership in these service organizations is dropping as veterans grow older or die. With roots tracing back to the Spanish-American war, VFW reported a decline of one million members between 1992 and 2019. Joe Bartley, state adjutant-quartermaster for the State of Illinois VFW, said there are See AMERICAN LEGION on page 6
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