JACKSON — American Legion Post 504, which was chartered in 1976, is welcoming all wartime-era veterans to join in on a partnership that will benefit past and present veterans and their families, as well as increase community service.

Post 504 meets at 7:30 p.m. every other month on the second Monday at the Knights of Columbus hall, 401 Bartley Road. The next meeting will be held on Sept. 13.

The post’s officers want everyone who is eligible for membership in the American Legion to take advantage of the opportunity and to join the ranks of those who have served the nation.

“Recently, membership director Barry Kakos and I received a list of American Legion members who were unaffiliated, and we attracted about 15 new members from that group who we are going to welcome,” Post 504 Commander Peter Collins said.

Welcoming those 15 new members will bring the post’s total membership to 78, he said. Collins and Kakos are now specifically aiming to sign up veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past several years.

Kakos noted, however, that Post 504’s membership includes honorably discharged veterans who have served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War, as well as the War on Terrorism.

Veterans from any of these theaters of combat are eligible to join Post 504.

On a national basis, the American Legion strives to improve veterans’ rehabilitation, build Americanism and improve national security and child welfare.

Heroes to Hometowns is a national program focused specifically on providing care to veterans who are in need of extra help. This program is extended to returning service members through state and local American Legion posts.

Welcome to Legiontown is an initiative that attempts to educate the citizens of New Jersey to the overall workings of the American Legion.

Collins said the American Legion’s state office has identified several projects as being worthy of the post’s attention.

“We will provide 46 new bedrooms at Veterans Haven (a vocational/transitional housing program for homeless veterans),” said Collins. “And Senate resolution SR-28 urges Congress to establish a South Jersey Veterans Center as soon as possible.”

Past Commander Marty Marzullo said the members of Post 504 work with Junior ROTC students at Jackson’s high schools.

Post Chaplain Joe D’Angelo said that with the assistance of local businesses and organizations, as well as by using proceeds from the annual Buddy Poppy sale, the post was able to send six high school students to the American Legion’s Boys State and Girls State programs at Rider University and Georgian Court University.

The week-long program held at the universities enables the participants to develop a hands-on understanding of how government works, D’Angelo said.

The post officials said people may not be aware that Post 504, along with other local service organizations, has accepted the responsibility of placing American flags on the graves of Jackson veterans.

“This year Post 504 placed 142 flags on the graves of veterans in the Cassville, Holmansville and Pleasant Grove cemeteries,” Marzullo said. “We do this every year just before Memorial Day.”

The post also participates in Jackson’s Memorial Day parade and ceremonies.

“We are attempting to increase our visibility in the township,” said Collins. “We are also attempting to generate interest in an Air Force memorial stone to be placed at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Cemetery in Wrightstown. There are similar memorials from all of the other services, and I am trying to get McGuire Air Force Base interested in this project.”

As the post moves forward, “Our goal is to change the traditional 10 percent of the members that do 90 percent of the work by getting our existing and new members involved in programs they can relate to,” said Kakos.

Eligible men and women are invited to attend the next meeting to obtain more information about the rejuvenation of American Legion Post 504 in Jackson. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD-214 or current military identification.

For additional information, call Peter Collins at 732-364-2301 or Barry Kakos at 732-370-0562.