American Legion members don’t stop serving when they leave the military

Do you know what or who the American Legion is?

The short answer is that it’s a veterans organization devoted to helping other veterans in need. But that can’t be all of it, can it?

I have found only a few people who really know what the American Legion does. Most think the Legion is some kind of cult with secret handshakes and private meetings behind closed doors. This is far from the truth. You can only truly know or understand the Legion by understanding its history.

The American Legion was formed in March 1919 after World War I. The reason was after the war, the United States left it up to the troops to find their own way home. Three generals from the American Expeditionary Force formed the group alongside The French. In August 1919, it was chartered by Congress. Shortly after being chartered, the American Legion teamed with the Boy Scouts of America.

In the early 1920s, the American Legion was instrumental in pushing the federal government to consolidate three different federal bureaus involved in benefits for veterans into one, creating the Veterans Bureau. Among other things, this new bureau provided life insurance, disabilities compensation, prosthetics and hospitalization. In 1930, the bureau was elevated to a federal “administration.”

In the 1930s, Boys’ State was created. This program allows high school youths to gain an understanding of how local and state government operate.

In 1942, the Legion wrote the current U.S. flag code and started the American Legion baseball program. About 82,000 young boys and girls now play each year.

Later in the 1940s, National Commander Harry W. Colmery drafted the “GI Bill of Rights” and the American Legion and the Auxiliary gave the American Heart Association a $50,000 grant to start a nationwide study of heart disease.

In 1954, the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation was formed. Today more than $11 million has been awarded to youth organizations and projects to help children.

In the 1970s, the Legion implemented a Halloween safety program for children; it remains the only national program of its kind today. The Legion also sponsored the Freedom Bell, which toured the country for the 1976 Bicentennial.

In the 1980s, the Legion presented a $1 million check to the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Fund to build the Memorial Wall in Washington.

The Legion created the Family Support Network to assist families of deployed service members during. The network provides everything from financial assistance, to lawn mowing to baby sitting and more.

In this century, the Legion has passed a resolution to rekindle the Blue Star Service Banner program and create the American Legion Scholarship Fund for children of military members killed in active duty.

In October 2012, the VA guaranteed its 20 millionth home loan as part of the original GI Bill of Rights.

Last June, the Whistleblower Protection Act was passed by Congress with the backing of the Legion, giving the VA Secretary authority to terminate employees who do not uphold the standards of the Veterans Administration.

Last August, the Legion worked with Congress to create the Henry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act Named, after the author of the original GI Bill. This new GI Bill improves on the foundation, removing the burdensome cap for the use education benefits.

Meanwhile, the Legion blood program is the largest blood donor program in the country. Legion members donate over 2.25 million times per year, helping everyone in need of that precious lifesaving resources.

We’re not just an organization devoted to helping veterans in need.

If you counted all the military veterans and active duty personnel in the country, we account for only 3 percent of the population. But we do a lot that helps everyone. That ethos is built into our motto: For God and Country.

This story was originally published February 3, 2018 at 10:16 AM with the headline "American Legion members don’t stop serving when they leave the military."