March 15-17, 1919

The American Legion is founded in Paris by members of the American Expeditionary Force. 

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Sept. 16, 1919              

The U.S. Congress charters The American Legion.

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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.

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August 9, 1921             

U.S. Veterans Bureau, forerunner of the Veterans Administration, 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 program is created.

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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, Okla.

 

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 law.

 

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.

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July 9, 1954                 

The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation is formed.

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Sept. 1, 1966                

The American Legion voices great concern over the fate of POWs in Vietnam. 

 

Aug. 26, 1982               

The American Legion presents a $1million 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.

 

Oct. 16,1989                

Longstanding objective of The American Legion is achieved as the U.S. Court of Veterans  Appeals begins operations.

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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.

 

 

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 American 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 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 Persian Gulf Task Force to enhance the organization’s service to these veterans.

 

Sept 16, 1996              

The first $20,000 postsecondary scholarship in 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 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.  Donations exceed 3.4 million by year end.

 

Sept. 5, 2000               

The American Legion 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 Blue Star Service Banner program.

 

Sept. 12, 2001             

The American Legion reactivates the Family Support Network following terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.

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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.  8, 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.

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Oct. 17, 2003              

 American Legion efforts on Capitol Hill break the deadlock on the Disabled Veterans Tax when Congress creates a 10-year phase-in for service-connected disabled retirees to receive military retired pay and VA disability compensation without subtraction from either.  Legion efforts also result I passage of the Military Family Tax Relief Act.

 

Sept. 3, 2004               

American Legion lobbying leads to more progress in elimination of the Disabled Veterans Tax  with passage of PL 108-375 that eliminates the 10-year phase-in for 100 percent service- connected retirees, allowing them to immediately begin receiving both retired pay and VA disability payments.

 

Sept 19, 2004              

The American Legion launches a national program, the Blue Star Salute, where posts across the country hold public events to recognize troops, their families and local businesses on Armed Forces Day.

 

May  7, 2005               

The American Legion lobbied successfully to remove from VA funding legislation administration-proposed increases in VA prescription co-payments and institution of user fee for Priority Group 8 veterans using VA health facilities.  Efforts focus on legislation to provide mandatory, vice discretionary, funding of VA health care.

 

June 30, 2008             

President George W. Bush signs the Post-911 Veterans Education Assistance Act, a modern GI Bill strongly supported by The American Legion, which lobbied on its behalf.

 

Oct.  22, 2009             

President Obama signs the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act of 2009, guaranteeing  “advance funding” for VA appropriations, a formula that The American Legion has strongly supported for many years. The new law sets funding for VA one year in advance.

 

Feb. 1-28, 2010           

The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors finishes in first place in Pepsi’s Refresh Everything Project, a national Internet voting competition.  As the top vote recipient, Operation Comfort Warriors won a $250,000 grant to purchase gifts and recreational items for U.S. military members recovering in hospitals and warrior transition units around the globe.