FORT KENT, Maine — For the first time in the Maine American Legion’s history, its commander hails from the northern Aroostook town of Fort Kent.
Leroy McKenzie was appointed as the 2025-26 state commander during the annual state convention in Brewer on June 7. He is one of only a handful of northern Maine people to hold the office since the Legion’s founding in 1919, according to state records.
He first joined the American Legion’s Thomas O. Cyr Post 147 in Madawaska 10 years ago, when he realized he missed connecting with fellow servicemembers and a coworker prompted him to join. He has become steadily more involved with the Legion’s efforts to help ensure veterans receive benefits, such as health care and tax relief, and are treated with dignity.
Now, he wants to be local veterans’ loudest voice, he said.
“It’s truly an honor to represent Maine’s veterans and the American Legion,” he said. “I grew up here as a foster child and have since dedicated countless hours in the community to raise awareness and give back to our veterans, so this really brings things full circle.”
McKenzie, 51, graduated from Fort Kent Community High School in 1992 and from the University of Maine at Fort Kent in 2022. He lives in Fort Kent with his wife and 7-year-old daughter, and works at Pelletier Motors as a sales consultant.
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, McKenzie worked in aerospace maintenance on the C-5 Galaxy, which he said is the largest cargo plane in the free world. He was stationed at Dover AFB, Delaware, after completing basic training in San Antonio, Texas, and advanced training in Altus, Oklahoma.
At one point following his retirement from service, he felt like his life was missing something that he could only get from his fellow brothers and sisters in arms.
“I missed the camaraderie and the deep understanding of who I was and what I was going through on a daily basis,” he said.
At first, he said he did not get too involved and basically only paid his dues. But he later started going to meetings, which made him want to get involved even further.
“I made a decision that I wanted to be able to give the veterans of our community the biggest voice I possibly could,” he said. “And to get there, I had to get to the biggest stage I could. Now, I just want to amplify that and be the best voice, the loudest voice, the biggest advocate for our veterans as I can.”
He said priorities for veterans in Fort Kent and the St. John Valley are to protect veterans and their families, ensure quality care, and provide meaningful tax relief.
“In speaking with local veterans, I would say most are extremely happy with how The American Legion has continued to advocate without hesitation to stand up for veterans rights, to fight for benefits, and to provide some form of ease for those who need it most,” he said.
On a statewide level, the Legion is advocating several pieces of legislation, McKenzie said. One will provide property tax relief for veterans and their survivors, another would provide per diem payments for MaineCare residents of the Maine Veterans’ Homes, one would allow military medical personnel to become eligible for emergency medical service licensure, and another would require employers to disclose pay ranges and maintain records of employees’ pay histories.
Additionally, the recently passed LD 2259 will protect veterans from predatory “claim sharks,” or unaccredited people who charge veterans excessive fees for help with VA disability claims, he said. The Legion and other veteran organizations already provide this accredited service free of charge.
The law will ensure that veterans are not exploited and that their earned benefits go directly to their families and not predatory businesses, McKenzie said, calling it another huge victory for veteran advocacy.
The Maine Legion will continue to work with state lawmakers on issues that are vital to the financial security and health of the veteran community, helping ensure that veterans are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned, he said.
“It is an honor to be able to represent Maine’s veterans and the American Legion,” he said, “but it is also incredible to see and have the support from so many on my journey that brought me to today.”
