History
Did you know?: The American Legion was first suggested as a means to improve troop morale. American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) Headquarters in France asked a group of 20 officers to formulate ideas to accomplish this. One of those officers was Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr., eldest son of the 26th president of the United States. The first organizational meeting was held in Paris in March of 1919. The meeting was known as the Paris Caucus. It was here that they adopted a temporary constitution and the name The American Legion. The first organizational meeting held in the United States was in St. Louis, MO. in May of 1919, where plans were made for a permanent organization. Temporary headquarters were set up in New York City, and its programs of relief, employment, and Amercanism began. It wasn't until September of 1919 that Congress granted the Legion a national charter. We should be proud of our history and should continue to promote job opportunities for returning veterans and work to increase veterans' benefits.
For God and Country,
Jim Hamilton
