Dedicated, blessed and open for business

“Today is a special day for American Legion Post 65, for our veterans, for this community, and most importantly for the memory and legacy of a very special man, Lee Sargent,” Legionnaire Dan Smart’s words echoed down a hot Ennis street treating the crowd of veterans, their families and friends to the beginning of a remembrance of Lee Sargent and a look forward to the future of the post he worked tirelessly to build. 

“Today, you have the honor of naming this American Legion building after Lee, and I can't think of a more fitting way to recognize a man who gave so much of his time, his energy, and his heart to veterans, to his community, to this organization,” he continued. “Lee was very dedicated. He was a go-getter. No matter which post he was on, whether it was Old Faithful, Post 78, or Ennis Post 65, Lee's dedication to the veterans and communities in those areas was above and beyond. When Lee took something on, he didn't just participate; he went after it.”

Through the course of the ceremony, which included the official opening of the building, Sargent’s efforts to not only keep post 65 alive, but to eventually lead it to thrive were recognized and time and again referenced as the manner in which to ensure the Legion takes his legacy and their new facility into the future. Smart punctuated his message about Sargent’s legacy with memories from their time working to build the American Legion together. 

“My first meeting as district commander was, of course, held in West Yellowstone, and I'm pretty sure I looked a little bit nervous,” he began. “Lee came up to me and said, ‘Don't worry. In an hour, most of them will be asleep. One thing you need to remember is to hit the gavel hard enough to wake them for lunch.’ That was Lee. He could make you laugh, but under his quirky humor was a man who understood the legions, understood veterans and understood the importance of helping others.”

“Lee was doing the ‘Be the One’ campaign long before it became the National American Legion slogan,” said Smart. “He would show up at your house, announced or unannounced, check in on you and your family. He wanted to know how you were doing. He wanted to know if you were okay, and if you were a veteran, Lee wanted to know how he could help.”

Sargent was credited by Karyn Milledge, a veterans service officer with Montana Veterans Affairs who worked with him for a decade with bringing millions of dollars into the Madison Valley through his work helping to connect veterans with their benefits. It all came from a genuine willingness to help out anyone and everyone that he could. 

“He was so dependable,” she said. “He would call me and say, ‘I think there's a veteran in need.’ He and I went to veterans' homes. I don't normally do that, but he and I would go there together just to serve the veterans in this valley was quite a privilege. On behalf of myself and the Montana Veteran Affairs Division, I really, really want to thank this entire community for the support because it's been quite incredible. And I want to also just point out a person here. I want to really recognize Jason Lessley for his efforts. 

Lessley has assumed leadership of American Legion Post 65 moving forward and helped to organize the dedication of the new facility in Sargent’s honor. 

“I was having a conversation with Lessley,” recalled Milledge. “I said, ‘Hey, you know what made you kind of decide to take this on?’ And he said, ‘Because if I didn't, I was worried this post would close. That is not what we spent all of this time doing.’ I think that it's important that we support Jason and his efforts here. And the way that we can do that in helping is becoming active and participating with Legion members.”

As the post dedication proceeded, thoughts turned from the past to the future and the legacy that will be Lee Sargent’s.

“Every time a veteran walks through these doors looking for help, you should remember Lee,” said Smart. “Every time you reach out to a veteran who may be struggling, you should remember Lee. Every time you work with your young people, help your community, or try to make this post stronger, you should remember Lee. And I think the second best way to honor Lee, after having this post named after him, is pretty simple: be a Lee.” 

“That kind of commitment, that kind of desire to help everyone they come across. Lee was one of those people. You don't have to become exactly like Lee, but you should take pride in what it stands for. You can carry forward his endless desire to help veterans, help the community, and help the community you. You can work every day to make the American Legion an organization that stands out as a community organization. Things, those are things Lee invested his time in. Those are the things that matter here. Now those are the things that should matter to us. Lee helped build something here. Invested his time, his energy, his heart into the American Legion and into the people around him.” 

“Let's make sure that when someone sees the name Lee Sargent on this building, they don't just think about the man who served; they think about a man who cared, a man who showed up, a man who asked questions, a man who didn't take no for an answer, a man who believed that there was something that needed to be done to simply figure out how to do it.”

A look at the crowd saw the echo of Smart’s words in the faces who remembered Lee Sargent and had gathered to honor him and move his legacy forward. 

“Today we honor Lee,” Smart began his conclusion. “We honor his service. We honor his dedication. We honor his friendship, and most importantly, we honor the example he’s left for all of us. May his name on this building always remind us of what the organization is supposed to be-a place where veterans are welcome, a place where veterans are helped, and a place where community is built, and a place where we never forget that. Thank you for the love. Thank you for the friendship. Thank you for the countless veterans you helped. Thank you for showing all of us what it truly means.”

More information is available about the American Legion at legion.org. The Lee Sargent Post 65 is located at 121 S. First Street in Ennis.