International Legions of Honor
Who We Are and What We Do
Our Mission
"To foster a Spirit of Patriotism, Love of Country and Flag; To perpetuate the memory of our Comrades in Arms who made the Supreme Sacrifice by giving their lives for their country while members of the Armed Forces; To devote our efforts as individuals, and Legion of Honor Units to strive for an increase in Friendship and Cooperation between our Legion of Honor Units and other Units of Shriners International."
First, we are all members of Shriners International and its network of Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners International comprises 195 Shrine Temples (chapters) across the United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Panama.
Many of these Shrine Temples have a uniformed unit called the Legion of Honor (LOH). Legion of Honor members are Shriners who have served or are still serving in the Armed Forces of our countries. Honorably discharged or retired, volunteer or draftee, officer or enlisted; we are all proud to be doing or having done whatever our countries needed to keep our countries safe. This includes service in our countries' Armies, Navies, Air Forces, Coast Guards, and in the National Guard and Reserve components. Some of us are in our twenties or thirties, who returned from the middle-east, a peaceful state-side tour, or somewhere we don't talk about. Some of us are in our forties or fifties, and may have spent time in Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East, Viet Nam or southeast Asia. Others are older, having served in Korea or even surviving Pearl Harbor or D-Day. Some of us are retired but many of us work full time supporting families. Still, we find the time to carry "Old Glory" whenever and wherever it's required, with full military dignity and honor, for parades, ceremonies, and other special occasions.
The International Legions of Honor (ILOH) is made up of nearly 150 of the Temples Legion of Honor units which can be found throughout the United States of America, Canada, and Germany with a total membership of about 3,000 men. The Association provides overall coordination of and guidance for the member units.
Additionally, but just as importantly, being members of Shriners International and the Legion of Honor means that we are also Masons. Every Shriner must first be a Mason and Freemasonry teaches a series of moral and spiritual lessons and obligations designed to make us better men.