By Cathi Taylor, ALA National Headquarters Archivist 
 
My mother and I recently returned from a road trip to California. While flying may be preferable for some, we enjoy seeing the country and visiting new places. And while this trip was no different in that regard, I did learn to see the world from a different perspective.
 
Traveling through Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska revealed numerous signs for museums and memorials dedicated to the military and veterans, such as the memorial in North Platte, Neb. (you can learn more about it here). Similar to other such projects, it took a community of people to make it happen. And what sets this memorial apart is the homage it pays to the North Platte Canteen, which served 6 million troops during World War II. The online exhibit is hosted by the Lincoln County Historical Museum. You might also want to check out the canteen of World War I webpage, as the society is looking for relatives of the women who worked it.
 
The mountains along Interstate 15 through Utah and Nevada were astounding, but it was Yosemite National Park that triggered my awakening — the realization of how nature, with all its diversity, works together. 
 
Mountains, formed by the collision of two massive, irregularly shaped slabs of rock, provide fresh water and shelter for flora and fauna. Flora provides food and shelter for the fauna, that, in turn, contributes to pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling — essential processes for plant growth and reproduction. It’s a cycle that has been in place since the world began. In protected expanses, there’s the human element — those who work to protect the ecosystems, the imperiled species, as well as human access and activities. 
 
But sometimes the best-laid plans go awry, and nature is forced to adjust. It has an answer for that as well.
 
Stretches of standing black tree trunks, felled trees, and scorched ground remind visitors of the fire that struck the Mariposa Sequoia Grove and other areas in the park just two years ago. But within inches of the damage were signs of recovery: new plants and trees sprouting through the dirt. It was a sign of hope and resilience. It was then that I saw similarities with The American Legion Family.
 
It was born out of a collision between countries — the war that was to end all wars. American servicemembers amassed in March 1919 to create a veterans organization that would provide service to veterans, servicemembers, their families, and the communities in which they lived. At its first National Convention in November of that same year, American Legion delegates voted to create an auxiliary for the mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives of Legion members, as well as the servicemembers who died. 
 
Over the years, two additional members were added to the Family: the Sons of The American Legion and The American Legion Riders. Whether working together as one or as separate entities, throughout our history, the Legion Family has taken on numerous issues, causes, and concerns: There’s the Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, polio, tuberculosis, disaster relief, donations of food and clothing to the orphans of France, the Wooden Church Crusade, muscular dystrophy, and Wreaths Across America, just to name a few.
 
And this list doesn’t even include all the projects the departments, districts/counties/councils, and units shoulder. 
 
Our Family at all levels, like nature, falls prey to adversity. Whether caused by outside forces or from within, the workings of the natural world show us that everyone and everything are necessary for recovery, resolution, and moving forward. 
 
So as the American Legion Auxiliary celebrates its 105^th birthday Nov. 10, may we all ponder on the role we play in this great organization, how each of us can make it greater, and work together as one. As Mother Teresa once said, “I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot. Together, we can do great things.”