The American Legion 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. Its origins date back to February 15, 1919 when a group of twenty Army officers, still stationed in occupied Germany, met to plan an organization for veterans of the Great War that would be on par with the already existing Grand Army of the Republic and United Spanish War Veterans.
The meeting led to a caucus, held March 15-17 in Paris, at which delegates from each Army division met to vote on the organization. It was quickly decided that a more formal meeting, to take place in the United States, should be held to permanently decide on matters of importance. The temporary name “The American Legion” was adopted and another caucus, May 8-10 in St. Louis, was approved.
In St. Louis, the name American Legion was officially adopted, a preliminary constitution was drafted, and the first national convention set for November 10-12 in Minneapolis. Congress chartered the American Legion in September 1919, and at the convention the membership approved a constitution and decided to place the national headquarters in Indianapolis.
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. Each department holds an annual convention, which includes meetings, elections, formal dinners, entertainment, and memorial events. The national organization holds a national encampment in a different city each year; two have been held in Wisconsin, both at Milwaukee (1941 and 2000). Wisconsinite Keith A. Kreul served as national commander from 1973-1974.
