American Legion

For other uses, see American Legion (disambiguation).

The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a patriotic organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, in turn, made up of local posts. It was established in March 1919 at Paris, France, by officers and men of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.).^[1] In September 1919, it was chartered by the U.S. Congress.^[2]

American Legion

Emblem
American Legion National Headquarters Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Established	March 15, 1919 (105 years ago) (1919-03-15)
Founded at	Paris, France
Type	501(c)(19), war veterans' organization
Tax ID no.	35-0144250
Headquarters	700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana
Coordinates	39°46′37″N 86°09′22″W / 39.7770°N 86.1562°W / 39.7770; -86.1562
Area served	Worldwide
Membership (2018)	~1,800,000
National Commander	Rev. Daniel Seehafer (WI) Since August 2023
National Adjutant	Daniel Wheeler (VA) Since October 2008
National Executive Committee	61 voting members 6 national officers 55 committeemen
Key people	National Headquarters Executive Director James Baca Washington Office Executive Director Chanin Nuntavong
Publication	The American Legion
Subsidiaries	Sons of The American Legion
Secessions	Forty and Eight
Affiliations	American Legion Auxiliary American Legion Riders
Website	legion.org

The Legion played the leading role in drafting and passing the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the "G.I. Bill". In addition to organizing commemorative events, members assist at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics. It is active in issue-oriented U.S. politics. Its primary political activity is lobbying on behalf of interests of veterans and service members, including support for benefits such as pensions and the Veterans Health Administration.^[3] It has also historically promoted Americanism, individual obligation to the community, state, and nation; peace and goodwill.^[4]

History

Main article: History of the American Legion

 

The Paris Caucus

The American Legion was established on March 15, 1919, in Paris, France, by delegates to a caucus meeting from units of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.), which adopted a tentative constitution. The action of the Paris Caucus was confirmed and endorsed by a similar meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, from May 8 to 10, 1919, when the Legion was formally recognized by the troops who served in the United States. The Paris Caucus appointed an Executive Committee of seventeen officers and men to represent the troops in France in the conduct of the Legion. The St. Louis caucus appointed a similar Committee of Seventeen. These two national executive committees amalgamated and were the initial governing body of the Legion. The temporary headquarters was located in New York.^[5]

List of founding members

The men who initiated the formation of the Legion:^[6]

• Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., of the First Division
• Colonel Henry D. Lindsley, formerly Mayor of Dallas, Texas
• Sergeant John J. Sullivan, of Seattle
• Lieutenant Colonel Franklin D'Olier, of Philadelphia
• Ex-Senator Luke Lea, of Tennessee
• Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Huidekoper, of Washington, D.C.
• Major Redmond C. Stewart, of Baltimore
• Wagoner Dale Shaw, of Iowa
• Lieutenant Colonel George A. White, of Oregon
• "Bill" Donovan, of the "Fighting 69th"
• Major Thomas R. Gowenlock, of Illinois
• Lieutenant Earl B. Dickerson, of the 92nd Division
• Sergeant Alvin York, of Tennessee
• Colonel John Price Jackson, of the S.O.S.
• Lieutenant Colonel "Jack" Greenway, of Arizona
• Sergeant Roy C. Haines, of Maine
• G. Edward Buxton, Jr., of Rhode Island
• Eric Fisher Wood, of Pennsylvania
• Chaplain John W. Inzer, of Alabama
• Lieutenant Colonel David M. Goodrich, of Akron
• Chief Petty Officer B. J. Goldberg, of Chicago
• "Tom" Miller, of Delaware
• Major Alex. Laughlin, Jr., of Pittsburgh
• Major Henry Leonard, of the Marine Corps
• Dwight F. Davis, of the 35th Division
• Corporal Charles S. Pew, of Montana
• Brigadier General William G. Price, of the 28th Division
• Bishop Charles H. Brent, Senior Chaplain of the A.E.F.
• Major General John F. O'Ryan, of the 27th Division
• Stewart Edward White, of California
• Private Jesus M. Baca, of New Mexico
• Brigadier General Charles H. Cole, of the 26th Division
• Sergeant E. L. Malsbary, of Nevada
• Lieutenant Samuel Gompers, Jr., of New York
• Colonel Henry L. Stimson, Ex-Secretary of War
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey, Commander of the "Lost Battalion"
• Roy Hoffman, of Oklahoma
• Lieutenant Colonel A. Piatt Andrew, of the American Ambulance in France
• Brigadier General Harvey J. Moss, of the State of Washington
• John MacVicar, Mayor of Des Moines before the War
• Sergeant George H. H. Pratt, of New Orleans
• Colonel F. W. Galbraith, of Cincinnati
• Corporal Joseph H. Fountain, of Vermont
• Devereux Milburn, of the 78th Division
• Lieutenant Colonel Wilbur Smith, of the 89th Division
• Sergeant Theodore Myers, of Pennsylvania
• Colonel Bennett C. Clark, son of Champ Clark
• Robert Bacon, Ex-Secretary of State
• Major Horatio N. Jackson, of Vermont

Headquarters

 

Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, home of the National Headquarters

The national headquarters, informally known as American Legion headquarters, is located on the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza at 700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the headquarters for the National Commander of The American Legion and also houses the archives, library, Membership, Internal Affairs, Public Relations, and The American Legion magazine's editorial offices. The national headquarters has expanded multiple times since its establishment.^[7]

Emblem

The World War I Victory Button on a narrow circular band of blue enamel, containing the words "American Legion" in gold letters, forms the central element of the American Legion Emblem.^[8] The Legion emblem or "button" was officially adopted by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion on July 9, 1919.^[9]

Eligibility

Membership in The American Legion was originally restricted to soldiers, sailors, and marines who served honorably between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.^[10] Eligibility has since been expanded to include personnel who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or armed forces associated with the U.S.,^[11] between December 7, 1941, through a date of cessation of hostilities as determined by the federal government, and was an American citizen when they entered that service or continues to serve honorably.^[12] U.S. Merchant Marines who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, are also eligible.^[13] Honorary, associate, social, or guest memberships in the Legion are not permitted. Members must be eligible through the nature and timing of their military service.^[14]

The following is a list of eligibility dates the American Legion uses to determine membership eligibility.^[11][12]

Eligibility dates
War era Start date End date World War I April 6, 1917 November 11, 1918 World War II – present December 7, 1941 Open

Publication

The official publication, originally known as The American Legion Weekly, launched on July 4, 1919.^[15] In 1926, the Legion Weekly reduced the frequency of publication and was renamed The American Legion Monthly.^[16] In 1936, the publication's name and volume numbering system changed again, this time to The American Legion.^[17]

The American Legion Digital Archive online offers scans of "American Legion magazine, national meeting digests, newsletters, press releases, and other publications published by the national organization."^[18]

Notable members

See also: List of notable members of the American Legion

Notable members of The American Legion have included:

•  
  Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States
•  
  Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States
•  
  Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States
•  
  John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
•  
  Lyndon Johnson, 36th President of the United States
•  
  Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States
•  
  Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States
•  
  Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
•  
  Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States
•  
  George Bush, 41st President of the United States
•  
  George Bush, 43rd President of the United States
•  
  General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Medal of Honor recipient
•  
  General George Patton, Jr., two-time Distinguished Service Cross recipient
•  
  Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
•  
  Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Medal of Honor recipient
•  
  Sergeant Alvin York, Medal of Honor recipient
•  
  Humphrey Bogart, Academy Award winner
•  
  Clark Gable, Academy Award winner

List of national commanders

1. Franklin D'Olier, of Pennsylvania, 1919–1920
2. Frederic W. Galbraith, Jr., of Ohio, 1920–1921
3. John G. Emery, of Michigan, 1921
4. Hanford MacNider, of Iowa, 1921–1922
5. Alvin M. Owsley, of Texas, 1922–1923
6. John R. Quinn, of California, 1923–1924
7. James A. Drain, of Washington, 1924–1925
8. John R. McQuigg, of Ohio, 1925–1926
9. Howard P. Savage, of Illinois, 1926–1927
10. Edward E. Spafford, of New York, 1927–1928
11. Paul V. McNutt, of Indiana, 1928–1929
12. O. L. Bodenhamer, of Arkansas, 1929–1930
13. Ralph T. O'Neil, of Kansas, 1930–1931
14. Henry L. Stevens, Jr., of North Carolina, 1931–1932
15. Louis A. Johnson, of West Virginia, 1932–1933
16. Edward A. Hayes, of Illinois, 1933–1934
17. Frank N. Belgrano, of California, 1934–1935
18. Ray Murphy, of Iowa, 1935–1936
19. Harry W. Colmery, of Kansas, 1936–1937
20. Daniel J. Doherty, of Massachusetts, 1937–1938
21. Stephen F. Chadwick, of Washington, 1938–1939
22. Raymond J. Kelly, of Michigan, 1939–1940
23. Milo J. Warner, of Ohio, 1940–1941
24. Lynn U. Stambaugh, of North Dakota, 1941–1942
25. Roane Waring, of Tennessee, 1942–1943
26. Warren H. Atherton, of California, 1943–1944
27. Edward N. Scheiberling, of New York, 1944–1945
28. John Stelle, of Illinois, 1945–1946
29. Paul H. Griffith, of Pennsylvania, 1946–1947
30. James F. O'Neill, of New Hampshire, 1947–1948
31. S. Perry Brown, of Texas, 1948–1949
32. George N. Craig, of Indiana, 1949–1950
33. Erle Cocke, Jr., of Georgia, 1950–1951
34. Donald R. Wilson, of West Virginia, 1951–1952
35. Lewis K. Gough, of California, 1952–1953
36. Arthur J. Connell, of Connecticut, 1953–1954
37. Seaborn P. Collins, of New Mexico, 1954–1955
38. J. Addington Wagner, of Michigan, 1955–1956
39. Dan Daniel, of Virginia, 1956–1957
40. John S. Gleason, Jr., of Illinois, 1957–1958
41. Preston J. Moore, of Oklahoma, 1958–1959
42. Martin B. McKneally, of New York, 1959–1960
43. William R. Burke, of California, 1960–1961
44. Charles L. Bacon, of Missouri, 1961–1962
45. James E. Powers, of Georgia, 1962–1963
46. Daniel F. Foley, of Minnesota, 1963–1964
47. Donald E. Johnson, of Iowa, 1964–1965
48. L. Eldon James, of Virginia, 1965–1966
49. John E. Davis, of North Dakota, 1966–1967
50. William E. Galbraith, of Nebraska, 1967–1968
51. William C. Doyle, of New Jersey, 1968–1969
52. J. Milton Patrick, of Oklahoma, 1969–1970
53. Alfred P. Chamie, of California, 1970–1971
54. John H. Geiger, of Illinois, 1971–1972
55. Joe L. Matthews, of Texas, 1972–1973
56. Robert E. L. Eaton, of Maryland, 1972–1973
57. James M. Wagonseller, of Ohio, 1974–1975
58. Harry G. Wiles, of Kansas, 1975–1976
59. William J. Rogers, of Maine, 1976–1977
60. Robert C. Smith, of Louisiana, 1977–1978
61. John M. Carey, of Michigan, 1978–1979
62. Frank I. Hamilton, of Indiana, 1979–1980
63. Michael J. Kogutek, of New York, 1980–1981
64. Jack W. Flynt, of Texas, 1981–1982
65. Al Keller, Jr., of Illinois, 1982–1983
66. Keith A. Kreul, of Wisconsin, 1983–1984
67. Clarence M. Bacon, of Maryland, 1984–1985
68. Dale L. Renaud, of Iowa, 1985–1986
69. James P. Dean, of Mississippi, 1986–1987
70. John P. Comer, of Massachusetts, 1987–1988
71. H. F. Gierke III, of North Dakota, 1988–1989
72. Miles S. Epling, of West Virginia, 1989–1990
73. Robert S. Turner, of Georgia, 1990–1991
74. Dominic D. DiFrancesco, of Pennsylvania, 1991–1992
75. Roger A. Munson, of Ohio, 1992–1993
76. Bruce Thiesen, of California, 1993–1994
77. William M. Detweiler, of Louisiana, 1994–1995
78. Daniel A. Ludwig, of Minnesota, 1995–1996
79. Joseph J. Frank, of Missouri, 1996–1997
80. Anthony G. Jordan, of Maine, 1997–1998
81. Harold L. Miller, of Virginia, 1998–1999
82. Alan G. Lance, Sr., of Idaho, 1999–2000
83. Ray G. Smith, of North Carolina, 2000–2001
84. Richard J. Santos, of Maryland, 2001–2002
85. Ronald F. Conley, of Pennsylvania, 2002–2003
86. John A. Brieden III, of Texas, 2003–2004
87. Thomas P. Cadmus, of Michigan, 2004–2005
88. Thomas L. Bock, of Colorado, 2005–2006
89. Paul A. Morin, of Massachusetts, 2006–2007
90. Martin F. Conatser, of Illinois, 2007–2008
91. David K. Rehbein, of Iowa, 2008–2009
92. Clarence E. Hill, of Florida, 2009–2010
93. Jimmie L. Foster, of Alaska, 2010–2011
94. Fang A. Wong, of New York, 2011–2012
95. James E. Koutz, of Indiana, 2012–2013
96. Daniel Dellinger, of Virginia, 2013–2014
97. Michael D. Helm, of Nebraska, 2014–2015
98. Dale Barnett, of Georgia, 2015–2016
99. Charles E. Schmidt, of Oregon, 2016–2017
100. Denise H. Rohan, of Wisconsin, 2017–2018
101. Brett P. Reistad, of Virginia, 2018–2019
102. James W. Oxford, of North Carolina, 2019–2021
103. Paul E. Dillard, of Texas, 2021–2022
104. Vincent J. Troiola, of New York, 2022–2023
105. Rev. Daniel J. Seehafer, of Wisconsin, 2023–2024

List of honorary commanders

• Marshal Ferdinand Foch, of the French Army^[19]
• General John J. Pershing, Commander in Chief of the A.E.F.^[19]

List of past national commanders by vote of national conventions

• Henry D. Lindsley, of Texas, 1919
• Milton J. Foreman, of Illinois, 1921
• Bennett Champ Clark, of Missouri, 1926
• Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., of New York, 1949^{[citation needed]}
• Eric Fisher Wood, of Pennsylvania, 1955
• Thomas W. Miller, of Nevada, 1968
• Maurice Stember, of New York, 1975
• Hamilton Fish III, of New York, 1979
• E. Roy Stone, Jr., of South Carolina, 1987
• Robert W. Spanogle, of Michigan, 2008

See also

• Freedom Bell, American Legion
• List of members of the American Legion
• List of American Legion buildings
• List of veterans' organizations

References

Citations

1. Wheat 1919, pp. 14–15, 206
2. "American Legion Day". The American Legion Magazine. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 2016. p. 8. ISSN 0886-1234.
3. Burtin, Olivier (2020). "Veterans as a Social Movement: The American Legion, the First Hoover Commission, and the Making of the American Welfare State". Social Science History. 44 (2): 329–354. doi:10.1017/ssh.2020.5. ISSN 0145-5532. S2CID 218778378.
4. Wheat 1919, pp. v, vi
5. Wheat 1919, pp. 206–207
6. Wheat 1919, pp. 207–208
7. American Legion: "Office Locations, accessed December 30, 2010
8. "The Insignia of the American Legion". The American Legion Weekly. Vol. 1, no. 5. New York: The Legion Publishing Corporation. August 1, 1919. pp. 1, 24. ISSN 0886-1234 – via Internet Archive.
9. Rumer 1990, p. 156
10. Wheat 1919, p. 206
11. Amer. Legion Const. art. IV, § 1.
12. "11 key things to know about the LEGION Act". The American Legion. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
13. "Membership in The American Legion". The American Legion Magazine. Indianapolis, IN. September 2016. p. 5. ISSN 0886-1234.
14. Amer. Legion Const. art. IV, § 2.
15. The American Legion Weekly, OCLC 1480272. Master negative microfilm held by University Microfilms, now part of ProQuest.
16. The American Legion Monthly, OCLC 1781656.
17. American Legion Magazine, OCLC 1480271.
18. "American Legion Digital Archive". archive.legion.org. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
19. The American Legion Ninth Annual Convention: Official Program and Guide Book. Indianapolis, Ind.: The American Legion. 1927. p. 115 – via Internet Archive.

General sources

• American Legion 40th National Convention: official program [1958]. American Legion. 1958 – via Internet Archive.
• Ceplair, Larry (2011). Anti-communism in Twentieth-century America: A Critical History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1440800474. OCLC 712115063.
• Heale, M.J. (1990). American Anticommunism: Combating the Enemy Within, 1830–1970. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0801840500. OCLC 21483404.
• Rumer, Thomas A. (1990). The American Legion: An Official History, 1919–1989. New York: M. Evans & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0871316226. OCLC 22207881.
• Wheat, George Seay (1919). The Story of The American Legion. The Birth of the Legion. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. LCCN 19012694. OL 7238700M – via Internet Archive.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Further reading

• Littlewood, Thomas B. (2004). Soldiers Back Home: The American Legion in Illinois, 1919–1939. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 080932587X. OCLC 54461886.
• McFarland, Keith D. & Roll, David L. (2005). Louis Johnson and the Arming of America: The Roosevelt and Truman Years. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. pp. 24–26. ISBN 978-0253346261. OCLC 1023102538. OL 22709936M.
• Moley, Raymond (1966). The American Legion Story. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. ISBN 978-0809325870. OCLC 712139.
• National Executive Committee of The American Legion (October 17, 2019). (PDF). The American Legion Digital Archive. Indianapolis, Indiana: The American Legion. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
• Pencak, William (1989). For God & Country: The American Legion, 1919–1941. Boston: Northeastern University Press. ISBN 1555530508. OCLC 18682663.
• Spencer, Dewey, ed. (1979). History of The American Legion, Department of Arkansas, 1919–1979. Little Rock.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to American Legion.

 

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921): "American Legion"

Official

• Official website  

General information

• American Legion at Curlie
• "American Legion photographs". University of Missouri–St. Louis.
• American Legion politician members at The Political Graveyard
• The American Legion Centennial Celebration
• Works by or about American Legion at Internet Archive

Archives

• Washington American Legion Records, 1919–1920. 4 microfilm reels. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Stephen Fowler Chadwick Papers, 1917–1974. 21.1 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.