Important Numbers Don’t Face the VA Alone! Use an American Legion accredited Veteran Service Officer. Find one near you by calling 313-964-6641. Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency: 800–mich-vet (642-4883) Veteran Suicide Hot-line— 988 VA Veteran Homeless resources—877-424-3838 American Legion Department of Michigan: 517-371-4720 American Legion Joseph B. Westnedge Post 36: 269-348-0220
American Legion Joseph B. Westnedge Post 36 has proudly served veterans, their families, and the greater Kalamazoo community since receiving our charter on June 5, 1919. For more than a century, we have remained committed to supporting veterans and their dependents by helping them access the benefits, resources, and care they have earned. We promote patriotism and civic engagement through community service, public events, and educational outreach, while also mentoring and empowering local youth to become responsible, service‑minded citizens. Post 36 continues to honor its legacy by standing ready to serve our veterans, strengthen our community, and uphold the values of the American Legion.

The American Legion Preamble

“For God and Country, we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a 100-percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."