The American Legion, formed in 1919, is a voluntary, fraternal organization of men and women who have served in the United States military during times of military conflict since World War I. The American Legion's objectives, as outlined in the preamble of its original constitution, are: 1) To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; 2) To maintain law and order; 3) To foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; 4) To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the great wars; 5) To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; 6) To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; 7) To make right the master of might; 8) To promote peace and good-will on earth; 9) To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; and 10) To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.
In particular, the American Legion has focused on patriotism and community service. It sponsors the Boys State program, in which high school boys are selected by their local Legion to attend a camp that teaches civic duty and responsibility. The American Legion baseball program, started in 1925, sponsors local high school teams and encourages teamwork, leadership, and good sportsmanship. The American Legion operates oratorical contests and leadership conventions for America's youth, and has been a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts since 1919.
The American Legion is organized at both the state and national level. Each participating state is considered a department, which is divided into local posts. The local posts are numbered and named, usually after the first serviceperson from the area to die in combat. The Kuoni-Reuter Post 167 was formed in 1922 in the Sauk City and Prairie du Sac areas.
