Illinois Veterans Posts

About Veterans Organizations in Illinois

A deep look at the history, oldest posts, membership process, and notable veterans connected to Illinois.

History of Veterans Organizations in Illinois

Illinois holds a foundational place in American Legion history because the founding caucus of the Legion took place in Paris in March 1919, and the second organizing caucus convened in St. Louis two months later, with Illinois delegates playing pivotal roles in shaping the new organization's structure and purpose. The American Legion Department of Illinois was chartered in 1919 and quickly grew into one of the largest in the country. The department headquarters has long operated from Bloomington, in the geographic center of the state, where the Illinois American Legion has built a substantial administrative operation overseeing the state's many districts and posts.

Illinois's military heritage runs deep. The state mobilized heavily for the Civil War, with Illinois infantry and cavalry regiments forming the backbone of the Western Theater armies under Grant and Sherman, and the postwar Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veterans organization that preceded modern groups, had its strongest membership in Illinois. World War I brought massive industrial mobilization to Chicago and the central Illinois rail corridor, and the 33rd Infantry Division, the Illinois National Guard's federalized formation, distinguished itself in France. Great Lakes Naval Training Station, established in 1911 north of Chicago at what is now Naval Station Great Lakes, has been the Navy's primary recruit training command for over a century and remains the only operating Navy boot camp.

Illinois also hosted Fort Sheridan north of Chicago for over a century, plus historical bases including Chanute Air Force Base near Rantoul, Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East area near St. Louis (still active), and various ammunition plants and depots. The state's veteran population today reflects both the urban Chicago industrial base, where ethnic neighborhood Legion and VFW posts served as community anchors for Italian, Polish, Irish, German, Jewish, and African American veterans across the twentieth century, and the downstate agricultural and small-city base, where Legion posts in towns like Galesburg, Decatur, Springfield, and Carbondale function as central civic institutions.

Oldest and Most Historic Posts in Illinois

American Legion Post 1, the John W. Brock Post in Springfield, was Illinois's first chartered Legion post in 1919, organized in the state capital and named for a Springfield doughboy killed in France. Post 5 in Chicago, the Daniel L. Kelleher Post, was an early Chicago anchor.

Post 8 in Peoria, the Walter L. Boswell Post, has served Central Illinois for over a century. Post 32 in Rockford, the Henry C. Bell Post, anchored the Rock River Valley veteran community.

Post 75 in Decatur, named the Murphy-Wall Post, has been a continuous fixture of Macon County. Post 134 in Aurora and Post 84 in Joliet served the suburban Fox River and Will County corridors. The Chicago area developed an extraordinary density of Legion posts in the interwar period, including ethnic-neighborhood posts like Post 360 (the Polish Legion of American Veterans cooperatively chartered), Post 1314 (the Joseph A. Tilka Post serving the Czech and Slovak community), and the Stephen Decatur Post 758 in Roseland.

African American veterans organized through Posts including the Victory Post in Chicago that served the Bronzeville community in the segregation era. Downstate posts including Post 32 in Rockford, Post 64 in Galesburg, and Post 287 in Carbondale built substantial clubhouses that remain in use today. American Legion Baseball, sponsored by hundreds of Illinois posts, has produced numerous Major League players including some who came up through the Decatur and Springfield programs.

VFW Posts in Illinois: A Closer Look

The VFW Department of Illinois operates from Springfield and oversees several hundred posts across the state, making it one of the larger VFW departments in the country. Illinois VFW posts grew rapidly after both World Wars, with particular post-World War II expansion in the suburban Chicago collar counties as veterans took advantage of the GI Bill to buy homes in Skokie, Berwyn, Cicero, Oak Lawn, and Park Ridge. VFW Post 311 in Chicago is among the older Illinois posts. Post 805 in Aurora, Post 2298 in Joliet, and Post 1493 in Peoria are among the larger and more active posts in their regions.

Illinois VFW members were heavily involved in the postwar GI Bill advocacy that built the modern Veterans Affairs system, and Illinois delegations to VFW national conventions have consistently been among the largest. The department has been active in advocacy for Korean War, Vietnam, and post-9/11 veterans, and several Illinois posts have produced national VFW commanders over the decades. The Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen scholarship competitions in Illinois generate among the highest participation rates nationally given the state's large population of high school students.

AMVETS, DAV, and Other Veterans Organizations in Illinois

AMVETS Department of Illinois maintains over 100 active posts with strong concentrations in the Chicago metropolitan area, the Quad Cities, the Metro East near St. Louis, and central Illinois. AMVETS Post 50 in Decatur, Post 100 in Springfield, and Post 32 in Joliet are among the more active in the state. The Illinois AMVETS has been a leader in homeless veteran outreach, particularly through its Chicago-area programs partnering with the Hines VA Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

The Disabled American Veterans Department of Illinois operates a major transportation network and maintains chapters across the state. DAV Chapter 5 in Chicago and Chapter 22 in Springfield are among the most active. Illinois DAV service officers handle an exceptionally high volume of complex claims given the state's large veteran population, and the department's National Service Officer presence at Hines and Jesse Brown is among the busiest in the country. The Vietnam Veterans of America, the Marine Corps League, and the Korean War Veterans Association all maintain robust Illinois chapters that work alongside Legion and VFW posts on community programs.

Illinois Veterans Posts by the Numbers

Illinois is home to approximately 600,000 to 650,000 veterans according to recent VA estimates, making it one of the top ten veteran populations in the country. The American Legion Department of Illinois maintains roughly 700 active posts with combined membership in the 80,000 to 90,000 range. The VFW Department of Illinois operates around 400 posts. Illinois hosts three VA medical centers: Edward Hines Jr.

VA Hospital in Hines (Chicago suburbs), Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, and the Marion VA Medical Center in Marion in Southern Illinois, plus the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center at the former Naval Hospital Great Lakes which serves both active duty and veterans. The state operates Illinois Veterans' Homes in Anna, LaSalle, Manteno, Quincy, and Chicago. Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery near Joliet is one of the largest national cemeteries in the country, and the Camp Butler National Cemetery near Springfield dates to the Civil War.

Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East area is the primary active-duty installation, hosting U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command headquarters.

How to Join a Veterans Post in Illinois

Joining the American Legion in Illinois requires honorable federal active-duty service since December 7, 1941, under the LEGION Act of 2019. With several hundred posts statewide, finding a local post is easy in any region. Annual dues vary by post and typically run from $35 to $55. The VFW in Illinois requires combat-zone or hostile-fire-area service documented on a DD-214.

AMVETS welcomes all honorably discharged veterans, Guard, and Reserve. The Illinois Legion is unusually accessible because of the dense post network across both urban and rural areas, and it is common for new transferees from out of state to find that there are five or six posts within a fifteen-minute drive. The Sons of the American Legion in Illinois is one of the largest in the country, reflecting the multi-generational service tradition in Illinois ethnic neighborhoods and rural communities. Legion Riders chapters across Illinois are particularly active in honor escort missions for fallen-soldier funerals at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Notable Illinois Veterans in History

Illinois has produced an extraordinary roster of notable veterans. President Ronald Reagan, born in Tampico and raised in Dixon, served as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II making training films. President Abraham Lincoln, while remembered primarily as commander-in-chief during the Civil War, briefly served as a militia captain during the Black Hawk War of 1832.

Senator John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone but had Illinois family ties; the more clearly Illinois-rooted notable veterans include Senator Adlai Stevenson III, an Army veteran. Senator Paul Simon was a World War II Army veteran. General John J. Pershing, while born in Missouri, attended the University of Nebraska and led American forces in World War I with strong Midwest connections.

Major General John A. Logan, the Civil War general and Illinois senator, founded Memorial Day in 1868 in his role as commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Medal of Honor recipient Captain Humbert Roque Versace, killed as a POW in Vietnam, has Illinois connections through family. Astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, was born in Chicago and served as a Navy aviator.

Astronaut James Lovell, of Apollo 13 fame, has Illinois ties and is the namesake of the Lovell Federal Health Care Center.

Frequently Asked Questions: Illinois Veterans Posts

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.legion.org/
• https://www.vfw.org/
• https://www.amvets.org/
• https://illegion.org/
• https://veterans.illinois.gov/
• https://www.va.gov/