CHAPLAIN | HAROLD OLSON

A Reflection on Faith, Freedom, and Duty

The American Legion is pledged to service: For God and Country, emphasizing the spiritual foundation of our freedom. To preserve this freedom, we must continue to remind the American people of the spiritual roots upon which our country was built. We must reaffirm our faith in Almighty God and rekindle the spirit of humble reliance on divine guidance that inspired the founders of our nation.

As a people, it is our duty to surround ourselves and each other with the ageless moral and spiritual heritage of America, especially in times of peril. The providence of God was ever in the hearts and minds of those who laid the foundation of our country. Our nation's security was not entrusted to any single individual, class, or moral plan, but to a collective trust in God and individual responsibility—responsibility not only to God but also to each other as citizens of this great nation.

The founders of the American Legion understood that God and Country must go hand in hand if our country was to remain great and enduring. This belief continues to guide the destiny of our organization and remains central to our mission today.

Taken from the American Legion Chaplains Handbook.