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In the fall of 1993 Chuck (Tramp) Dare shared a dream with then Post Commander Bill (Polka) Kaledas, American Legion Post 396, Garden City, Michigan, to start a motorcycle association that would operate within the American Legion. The idea was to provide an atmosphere where Post, Auxiliary and SAL members, who shared an enthusiasm for motorcycles, could come together as a family oriented group. At the Post meeting, the members voted to sponsor the group to be known as the “American Legion Riders”. The Riders started with just a small group, but within a few months grew to nineteen members. They developed a set of by-laws and designed an emblem containing, within its design, the emblem of the American Legion. This emblem is worn today by American Legion Rider groups throughout the country. The Riders soon found their membership grew, not from current Legion members, but many who joined the American Legion to become members of the American Legion Riders. It is estimated that over half of the current membership joined the American Legion to enable them to join the Riders. In 1996 we had an article published about the American Legion Riders in the American Legion National publication of the “Dispatch”. An article in the American Legion Magazine soon followed up this article. In about 1996 “Tramp” moved to Texas, where he did a great job of promoting the Legion Rider program there. Today, there are groups of American Legion Riders throughout the country. |
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ALR History |
