Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
“American Legion” is a well-known name to veterans and supporters of our nation's military. The name carries weight as one of the considerable social influencers for veteran benefits and aid in the United States as well as a place of networking and social gatherings for veterans.
The American Legion is only 101-years-old but already possesses a rich and cultured history of providing aid and seeking powerful change in how American veterans are cared for.
The legion was created in March of 1919 when members of the American Expeditionary Force (a formation of the United States Army that was stationed on the Western Front of World War I) gathered in Paris, France to hold the first American Legion Caucus.
Select soldiers were picked as delegates from the various units of the American Expeditionary Force and then gathered together to adopt a tentative constitution that would become the future guidelines of the American Legion.
Several months later, in May of 1919, a similar caucus was held in St. Louis, Mo.
The Paris caucus appointed a committee of 17 officers and men to represent the troops in France in the conduct of the Legion. In a similar fashion, the St. Louis caucus appointed their own committee.
These two executive committees would later be consolidated into one group and converted into the first governing body of the American Legion that is known today.
The list of men who initiated the forming of the American Legion carries several well-known names, such as Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt), William “Bill” Donovan (the “founding father” of the CIA) and Alvin C. York (one of the most decorated Army soldiers of World War I).
The United States Congress chartered the American Legion on September 16, 1919, and then in November the legion held its first convention in Minneapolis, Minn. During that convention, the legion passed its first resolution in support of youth programs by stating that they would provide backing for the Boy Scouts of America.
That support for the Boy Scouts continues today, as American Legion Posts sponsor over 2,500 scouting units in the United States and legion veterans are often present to offer service-learned skills and experiences to the scouts.
It is also thanks to the American Legion that the United States Veterans Administration (VA) exists. In 1921, the legion's efforts brought about the creation of the U.S. Veterans Bureau which was the forerunner to the current VA. The legion continues to lobby for funding that will cover veterans' medical, disability and educational needs, as well as the other benefits that are earned and offered to veterans of our military.
The mark that the American Legion has left on history has been deeply etched – its membership is primarily veterans and servicemen who have fought to the protect the American people and their safety, and the legion itself has been a proponent of change in American society, politics and worldview since its 1919 creation.
Other American Legion contributions:
The Flag Code: Members of the American Legion wrote the original United States Flag Code in 1923 and lobbied for government protections of the United States Flag. Prior to the writing of The Flag Code, no federal or state government had official guidelines on how the nation's flag should be displayed and treated. The code became law in 1942.
American Legion Baseball Program: The legion created the American Legion Baseball Program in 1925. Today, more than half of the players in Major League Baseball are graduates of this legion-created program and thousands of youth play on Legion-sponsored teams each year.
GI Bill: The Servicemen's Readjustment Act (also known as the GI Bill) brought great change to the United States treatment of veterans following wartime by paving the way for veterans to attend a higher education school through the bill's funding. This educational opportunity allowed veterans to obtain more desirable jobs, buy homes and further support their families. The first draft of the bill was originally written by the current American Legion National Commander at the time, Harry W. Colmery.
POW Accounting: In 1966, the legion voiced concern over the fate of prisoners of war in Vietnam. Today, the legion continues to request a full accounting of POWs and troops who have been missing in action.
Agent Orange: In 1983, the American Legion sponsored its own independent study of the effects of exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. This study was eventually received by the United States Congress in 1989. In 1990, the legion filed suit against the federal government for its failure to conduct a Congress-mandated study on the effects of Agent Orange on veterans.
Family Support Network: Understanding the weight that military families carry when their service-members are deployed, the legion created the Family Support Network in 1990 in order to provide assistance to families left stateside while their family members served in Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm. The legion continues to offer assistance to families separated by deployment.
The current legion in Jefferson County is the Otto M. Walker American Legion Post 49 and can be found at 1065 S. Water St. The post is named after a Jefferson County World War I veteran, Otto Walker.
Post 49 is led by its current Commander Ken Faircloth. Post 49 is open to veterans of all ages, genders and races. Post 49 sponsors Boy Scout Troop 803 in Monticello and also has a woman's Auxiliary Unit which support Jefferson County's veterans.
For more information, contact Commander Faircloth at (850) 509-2628.
You must be logged in to post a comment.