|
Mar. |
15-17 |
1919 |
The American Legion
is founded in Paris by Members of the American
Expeditionary Force. |
|
Sept.
|
16,
|
1919 |
The U.S. Congress charters The American Legion |
|
Nov.
|
10-12, |
1919 |
First national convention of
The American Legion convenes in Minneapolis, Minn.
Organization's Constitution and Preamble are adopted.
resolution adopted supporting the Boy Scouts of America
as first youth program. |
|
Aug.
|
9, |
1921 |
The U.S. Veterans Bureau,
forerunner of the Veterans Admnistration, is created as
a result of efforts by The American Legion. |
|
June |
15, |
1923 |
First "Flag Code" is drafted
during conference called by The American Legion.
congress adopted the code in 1942. |
|
July |
17, |
1925 |
American Legion Baseball is
created |
|
June |
23, |
1935 |
First American Legion Boys
State convenes in Springfield, Ill. |
|
June
|
1, |
1938 |
First American Legion National High School Oratorical
Championship held in Norman, Oklahoma. |
|
Sept. |
19-21, |
1942 |
Preamble to the Constitution of
The American Legion is changed for the first and only
time since it was written in 1919. The word "War" is
changed to "Wars". |
|
Dec.
|
15, |
1943 |
Harry w. Colmery, past
national commander of the American Legion, writes in
longhand on hotel stationery the first draft of what
will become the "GI Bill of Rights." |
|
June
|
22, |
1944 |
President Franklin Roosevelt
signs The GI Bill into laws. |
|
May
|
29, |
1946 |
A $50,000 grant from The
American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary is
presented to a small, struggling organization - the
American Heart Association - to inaugurate a nationwide
program for the study, prevention and treatment of
rheumatic heart disease. |
|
May |
4 |
1950 |
The American Legion votes to
contribute funds to the field of mental health with the
provision that the three major mental health
organizations then in existence be amalgamated into
one. They accepted this provision and the National
Association for Mental Health was born. |
|
July
|
9, |
1954 |
The American Legion Child
Welfare Foundation is formed. |
|
Sept. |
1, |
1966 |
The American Legion voices
great concern over the fate of POWs in Vietnam.
|
|
Aug. |
26, |
1982 |
The American Legion presents a
$1 million check to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
toward the construction of 'The Wall' in Washington,
D.C. |
|
July
|
21, |
1983 |
The American Legion announces
its sponsorship of an independent study of the effects
of exposure to Agent Orange on Vietnam veterans. (The
results of "The American Legion-Columbia University
Study of Vietnam-era Veterans" were presented to
Congress in 1989.) |
|
Jan. |
1, |
1989 |
The Department of Veterans
Affairs begins operations. The American Legion fought
for the VA to become a cabinet-level department, arguing
that veterans deserved representation in the highest
councils of government. |
|
Oct. |
16,
|
1989 |
Longstanding objective of The
American Legion is achieved as the U.S. Court of
Veterans Appeals begins operations. |
|
Oct.
|
11, |
1990 |
The Family Support Network of
The American Legion is formed to assist the families of
military personnel deployed during Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm. |
|
June |
15,
|
1991 |
The American Legion's first
Junior Shooting Sports National Air Rifle Championships
are held at the Olympic Training Center at Colorado
Springs, Colo. |
|
April
|
5, |
1993 |
The first class of recently
discharged veterans begins training in Sterling, VA, for
eventual placement in well-paying jobs in the
construction industry. The landmark training and job
placment program is a joint effort by The American
Legion and the Laborer's International Union of North
America.
|
|
Aug. |
24, |
1994 |
The American Legion announces
creation of the Citizens Flag Alliance to work for a
constitutional amendment to protect the American flag
from physical desecration. |
|
Sept. |
24,
|
1994 |
The Americana Legion announces
partnership with the Smithsonian Institute's Air and
Space Museum to develop an exhibit for the bomber Enola
Gay, which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
Previous museum plans had drawn intense criticism from
veterans, scholars and the public. |
|
Jan. |
30, |
1995 |
The American Legion announces
acceptance of a scaled-down exhibit "without political
commentary" for the Enola Gay, ending the greatest
controversy in the Smithsonian Institute's 149-year
history. |
|
Oct. |
1,
|
1995 |
The American Legion forms a Persion
Gulf Task Force to enhance the organization's service to
these veterans. |
|
Sept. |
16, |
1996 |
The first $20,000 postsecondary
scholarships i n the Samsung-American Legion High School
Scholars program are granted to 10 students. |
|
June |
11, |
1997 |
The American Legion National
emergency Fund exceeds the $1 million mark in grants in
1997 to flood victims in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,
Minnesota and North Dakota. |
|
Sept. |
3, |
1997 |
The first National Law Enforcement
Officer of the Year award is presented during the 79th
National Convention in Orlando, Fla. |
|
March |
28, |
2000 |
The American Legion, the American
Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of The American Legion
donate $2.7 million to the World War II Memorial Fund.
Donatins exceed $3.4 million by year end. |
|
Sept. |
5, |
2000 |
The American Leigon presents the
first "Spirit of Service" Awards to active duty service
members for their off-duty volunteer activities.
|
|
Aug.
|
28-30, |
2001 |
The American Legion passes resolution
to rekindle the Blue Star Service Banner pgogram. |
|
Sept.
|
12, |
2001 |
The American Legion reactivates the
Family Support Network following terrorist attacks in
New York City and Washington, DC. |
|
Oct., |
10-11 |
2001 |
The American Legion creates the
American Legacy Scholarship Fund for children of
military members killed on active duty on or after Sept.
11, 2001. |
|
Sept.
|
11, |
2002 |
The American Legion takes lead in
conducting "A Day to Remember" events to mark the
anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the nation.
|
|
Nov.
|
|
2002 |
The American Legion launches national
"I Am Not A Number" campaign to identify and document
the delays veterans face in obtaining earned medical
care benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
|
|
April |
|
2003 |
The American Legion turns up the
effort to eliminate the Disabled Veterans Tax, known as
'Concurrent Receipt' in political circles. As the last
quarter of the year begins lawmakers continue to search
for a solution as they feel pressure from their
consituents. |
