MY LEGION
2026 National Convention of The American Legion
August 28 – September 3, 2026
Louisville, Kentucky
Information packets will be handed out to Delegates/Alternate Delegates after the remaining slots are filled on Sunday, June 21st during Department Convention. Please watch for more information at Convention.
The Department of South Dakota Delegates and Alternate Delegates are selected through an election process that starts with each of the eight South Dakota American Legion Spring District meetings and ends at the Department Convention in June where all remaining Delegates and Alternate Delegates are nominated and elected to attend the National Convention of The American Legion.
2026 National Convention Resources
Information on the 2026 National Convention will be updated as we receive it.
Delegates / Alternate Delegates / Guests of the 2026 National Convention.
Here is a link to resources you need for the upcoming National Convention:
It is STRONGLY recommended to download an app onto your smart phone called "The American Legion National Convention" this app will give you updates on what is happening during convention with daily updates.
Convention Dates
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2026 National American |
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2027 National American |
2028 National American |
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Delegates & Alternates
Department Convention information will be updated as it becomes available.
The following is the list of all Delegates and Alternate Delegates elected to represent the Department of South Dakota at the 2026 National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, August 28 - September 3.
Note: All 2026 delegates and alternate delegates are elected during the annual 2026 Spring District Meetings and from the floor of the 2026 State Convention in Aberdeen, SD, June 1, 2026.
2026 DELEGATES: |
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| NEC - Fred Nelson | Delegation Chairman - Kevin Hempel |
| State Commander - Bill Peters | Adjutant - Chris Van Delist |
| Dist. 1 - Carol Howitz (moved to Call-In) | Dist. 2 - Rick MacDonald |
| Dist. 3 - Jeff Hrabanek | Dist. 4 - Bruce Babcock |
| Dist. 5 - Mike Kraft | Dist. 6 - Annette Dunham |
| Dist. 7 - Rod Smith (withdrew) | Dist. 8 - none selected |
2026 ALTERNATE DELEGATES: |
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| Dist. 1 - Buck Deweese (moved to Del) | Dist. 2 - Chris Rendon (moved to Del) |
| Dist. 3 - none selected | Dist. 4 - Vern Prickett (withdrew) |
| Dist. 5 - Noel Cummins (moved to Call-In) | Dist. 6 - Hugh Holmes (moved to Call-In) |
| Dist. 7 - Dale Hill (withdrew) | Dist. 8 - none selected |
Elected from the Convention Floor: |
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| Charemon Dunham | Ryan Skjoldal |
| Kate Schmidt | Barry Andres |
| Mark Parsley | Melanie McDonald (withdrew) |
| Andy Lyngen | Linda Brugger (withdrew) |
| Michael Howitz (added later) | |
2026 National Call-Ins: |
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| Paul Evenson | Warren Aas |
| Terry Hanson | Jim Huls |
| Doug Feltman | Noel Cummins |
| Carol Howitz | Hugh Holmes |
| Tim Jurgens | Brian Dean |
Convention Committees
There are a combined total of 9 National Convention Committees and Sub-Committees that meet during the 2026 National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The Department of South Dakota is authorized to have one delegate on each of the National Convention Committees and Sub-Committees.
The National Convention Committees and Sub-Committees meet on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at various times and locations.
Convention Agenda
Note: The agenda for the 2026 National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky has been posted on the National Website and has been sent in the 2nd packet of Convention information.
National Convention 2026 Schedule
Here is the newest version of the National Convention Schedule of Events. It is subject to change.
National Convention Schedule (PDF)