American Legion commander visits
American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford visited the veterans memorial maintained by American Legion Post 86 at Sisters Village Green Park.
photo by S. Flynn Phillips
By Sue Stafford
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photo by S. Flynn Phillips
James W. “Bill” Oxford is on a mission to strengthen the American Legion.
Oxford, national commander of The American Legion, was in town last week and attended a special Post 86 dinner in his honor at Brand 33 restaurant. While in Oregon, Oxford was scheduled to visit 12 posts besides Sisters including Redmond, Bend, La Pine, Grants Pass, Roseburg, and Cottage Grove.
The national commander generally serves for one full year, but because of COVID-19 causing the cancellation of numerous trips and conferences across the country, as well as the 2020 national convention in Louisville, Oxford is serving a second year in order to visit all 55 departments. He was elected to his national office in August 2019, and in his first six months in office he was able to visit 31 departments. In March 2021, he resumed his travels and after being in Oregon, Oxford will visit Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, North Dakota, West Virginia, and finish up in Idaho. He has also traveled out of the U.S. in Europe as well as Taiwan and Australia.