This story is a part of Branch 25’s on-going National Legion Week campaign.

Bart McLeroy
Affiliate Member since 2012

Both of Bart’s grandfathers were veterans of the United States Army (i.e., one serving in World War II and the other during the Korean War). However, he didn’t have a big history of military service or remembrance in our family.  Growing up in Texas, Bart had an interest in military history (thanks to his father) and in Canada (thanks to his parents taking him to Expo 86 in Vancouver at a very impressionable age). He deepened the latter interest over the years with frequent trips to Canada and eventually graduating from the University of British Columbia.

Bart recalls sitting in a coffee shop in Vancouver in 2010, and a specific conversation with a friend about how the Royal Canadian Legion combined both of his interests.  As an affiliate member, Bart enjoys reading The Legion Magazine, which allows him to learn all manner of interesting things, and being a small part of helping the Legion achieve its mission.  Simply put, Bart joined the Legion because of an initial interest in military history and Canada, and he has maintained his membership because the people and activities of the branch – even if he is physically distant from my “home” branch in San Francisco.

Affiliate voting membership is open to any Canadian citizen or Commonwealth subject (or citizen of a NATO country in the case of non-Canadian branches) who is of federal voting age and who is not eligible for ordinary or associate membership.