Legion Riders History
In Garden City, Mich., in 1993, Chuck "Tramp" Dare and Bill "Polka" Kaledas,
commander of
American Legion Post 396, shared an idea to start a motorcycle enthusiasts association within
the organization. The two
longtime riders wanted an environment where Legion family
members could come together to share a common love for motorcycles.
Dare and Kaledas wrote a letter to Michigan Department Adjutant Hubert Hess, sharing their
idea. Hess replied
that he liked the concept and wanted to pursue it. Later, he gave Kaledas and Dare
instructions for managing the program at the post
level. He also explained how they could be
approved to use the American Legion emblem, and how to gain Membership's support and
recognition.
At a regular meeting, Post 396 members passed a resolution for a new program
to be known as the "American Legion Riders."
Joined by 19 other founding members from their post, Dare and Kaledas were flooded with
requests for
information about their organization. They agreed to establish a central source
for the Riders to ensure that chapters formed not as motorcycle clubs
or gangs, but as
Legionnaires and Auxiliary and SAL members joining to ride as Legion family.
Legion Riders Today
Currently, 106,000 American Legion Riders meet in over a thousand chapters in every
domestic department and
in at least three foreign countries. Riders in Iowa have formed an
honor guard called The Five Star Freedom Riders, and Riders in Mulvane, Kan., founded the
Patriot
Guard to protect the sanctity of military funerals from protesters. Riders in all states
have escorted military units returning home from combat tours overseas, conducted massive
cross-country fundraising events for wounded warriors from all services, and have raised
millions of dollars for countless local, state and national charities.