Hegseth, VA Chief Collins Set to Address Approximately 9,000 American Legion Members in Louisville

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to address thousands of American Legion members gathered in Louisville on Tuesday, speaking at 11 a.m. as part of the organization's national convention at the Kentucky International Convention Center. VA Secretary Doug Collins is scheduled to speak right after him, giving the sprawling veterans gathering a direct line to two of the federal government's top voices on military and veterans policy.

According to WLKY, the American Legion National Convention opened Friday and runs through September 3, with approximately 9,000 members expected to attend. Tuesday's opening ceremony will include leaders from across Louisville and Kentucky, while the convention's general session runs from September 1 through September 3 at the downtown convention center.

A Federal Spotlight on Veterans Policy

Hegseth currently serves as defense secretary, a role he took on as a former Army National Guard infantry officer who deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, according to Britannica. He was confirmed as the 29th Secretary of Defense on January 24, 2025, following a tie-breaking Senate vote cast by Vice President J.D. Vance, per the same source. Hoodline previously covered impeachment efforts targeting Hegseth in the House earlier this year, as well as his November 2025 visit with the D.C. National Guard.

Collins, who is scheduled to speak after Hegseth, currently serves as VA secretary. He is an Air Force Reserve colonel and chaplain who served in Iraq in 2008 and represented Georgia in Congress from 2013 to 2021 before being confirmed to lead the VA in February 2025, according to Wikipedia. The U.S. Senate confirmed him in a 77-23 vote, as reported by Task & Purpose.

Direct Services and Historical Echoes

Beyond the speeches, the convention functions as an operational hub for veterans themselves. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its Louisville Regional Office partnered with The American Legion to host an on-site Claims Clinic at the convention center from August 28 through 30, offering qualifying veterans direct assistance with disability and pension claims alongside on-site medical examinations, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Attending veterans were asked to bring DD-214 discharge forms and medical documentation to make use of the clinic.

Running concurrently with the main gathering, the American Legion Auxiliary is holding its own 105th National Convention in Louisville through September 3, per the American Legion Auxiliary. It is not the first time Louisville has drawn this kind of national attention from the veterans organization. The city previously hosted the American Legion National Convention in September 1988, when President Ronald Reagan addressed the gathering, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute.

What the Convention Means for Louisville

The American Legion is a veterans service organization. The group is active in veterans policy.

For comparison, last year's 106th National Convention was held in Tampa. Louisville's Kentucky International Convention Center is the downtown site of the convention.

The general session itself runs from September 1 through September 3 inside the convention center. General sessions starting September 1 are expected to be live-streamed on YouTube, giving veterans and their families who cannot travel to Louisville a way to watch the proceedings, according to The American Legion.