Photo Courtesy of American Legion
New American Legion Commander Gary Schacher
By Forum Staff
Gary Schacher, a 26-year U.S. Navy veteran who served in Fallujah from 2004 to 2005 and has dedicated his post-military career to supporting Empire State veterans, was sworn in last weekend at the Centennial Celebration of the American Legion Department of New York as the 100th commander of the state’s largest veteran organization.
The Cobleskill, N.Y., native succeeds Commander Rena Nessler, a fellow Navy vet who was also the first female commander of the American Legion.
During his military career, Schacher received numerous personal awards, including four Navy Commendation Medals, three Navy Achievement Medals, the Navy Expert Pistol Medal, the Navy Expert Rifle Medal and several campaign, service and unit awards. He is a recipient of the New York Conspicuous Service Star and the New York Medal for Merit. And in 2017, he was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.
“It is an incredible honor to have the opportunity to lead this incredible organization as we pursue another 100 years of making a meaningful impact in the lives of veterans and their families,” Schacher said. “I joined the American Legion more than 25 years ago because of its commitment to service members of all ages and backgrounds and I am proud to say our commitment to all veterans is unwavering and stronger than ever before.”
According to American Legion, Schacher joined the American Legion in 1991 and has held a number of leadership roles within the organization. He has previously served as New York vice commander from 2014 to 2015 and, most recently, as membership chairman from 2015 to 2018. He is a member of the American Legion Riders and an instructor at the American Legion Family College of New York.
Among his goals, Schacher said he’s hopeful that the department can attract more female and minority veterans, as well as service members from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, over the next year.
