Mr. Wessel has been a member of The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) since 1977 and has received many awards for service during that time, including a Legion Life Membership, Legion Meritorious Service Award, and both Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals. In 2015, he was elected President of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command. Mr. Wessel has participated in the Poppy Campaign since returning to Nova Scotia in 1989. In 2000, he helped secure funding to construct the Veterans' Memorial Gardens and cenotaph at Camp Hill Veterans’ Residence in Halifax. That year, Mr. Wessel helped receive approval to rename Highway 102, the Fall River to Truro section, as Veterans Memorial Highway. In 2002, he worked with the Nova Scotia provincial government in the issuance of Veteran’s license plates. This program has since spread to the rest of the country. Since 2005, Mr. Wessel has researched and edited 10 volumes of the “Veteran Service Recognition Book,” a yearly publication which honours the service of Canadian Veterans from Nova Scotia. The project has raised over $800,000 in funds to help support Nova Scotia and Nunavut Command’s Veterans programs. From 2005-2011, Mr. Wessel assisted the Branch in securing funding to purchase equipment for the Veterans in residence at Camp Hill and seven other Veterans Hospital wings/units in Nova Scotia, a new bus for Callow Wheelchair Buses, support to the Canadian Merchant Navy Association, and the set-up of yearly bursaries for descendants of Veterans from the Halifax area. In 2012, he assisted in the formation of the Veterans Outreach Program (VOP) with the mission to extend a helping hand to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Mr. Wessel has been instrumental in securing funding and building supports for Veterans who suffer from operational stress injuries (OSI) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their deployments. His unwavering dedication to homeless Veterans and Veterans dealing with OSIs continues to this day.