Bucking tradition, the mayor of the host city is not invited to open the American Legion's annual national convention, which will be held later this month in Salt Lake City.

Instead, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon will help kick off the 88th annual convention's three days of general session that begin Aug. 29 at the Salt Palace.

"He'll welcome the people attending the convention," said Greg Rowley, state adjutant for the American Legion Department of Utah. "Since it's a county facility, we broke with tradition."

The American Legion's National Commander, Tom Bock, lets local organizers decide who will represent a host state in officially greeting veterans at an annual convention.

It's not unheard of for a county mayor to welcome Legionaries, according to Joe March, spokesman at the Legion's national headquarters in Indianapolis. The last national convention that the Legion held in Salt Lake City was in 1996.

March said a meeting was set up Tuesday for Bock and Anderson to talk in person on the morning of Aug. 24. "Essentially, it's a courtesy call," March said.

The meeting is looked upon as a chance for Bock to say thanks to the mayor of the host city. "They will probably be discussing some of the issues making the news," March added.

Those issues may include Anderson's public opposition to the war in Iraq and his actions last year when he protested the war during a visit by President Bush to the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Salt Lake City.

March said that Bock will want to remind Anderson of the Legion's support for the military.

Phone calls to Anderson's office for comment Tuesday were not returned. Anderson and his spokesman, Patrick Thronson, have refused to comment to the Deseret Morning News for the past 54 days.

Salt Lake City's Democratic mayor was also excluded from a list of distinguished guests who have been invited to attend the convention. Rowley forwarded his list to the headquarters in Indianapolis for review. The list included state and national elected officials from both parties.

Anderson's protest last year influenced Rowley's decision to leave the mayor off the list.

"I don't think there's much question that he used the VFW convention as a semi-stage for his views," Rowley said. "He has the right to protest — that's his own personal opinions."

Rowley anticipates that 10,000 to 12,000 veterans will travel here from all over the United States and from allied countries. President Bush is expected to address them on Aug. 30.

One goal of the annual convention is for delegates to pass resolutions that will develop the American Legion's agenda for the next year in Washington.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com