BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

AMERICAN LEGION

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Whatever else war is – and it has been described in every way, from one slightly profane work to countless pages of histories and novels – it is a unique and memory-stirring experience for those who were most intimately involved as members of the armed forces.  From the shared experiences and the quickened feeling of kinship have sprung many organizations of ex-servicemen.

While George Washington’s army was still in the field, officers of the Continental Army formed the nation’s first veterans’ association – the Society of the Cincinnati. 

Today there is no accurate record of the total number of veterans’ organizations, but among them all, none has grown so large or has exercised such wide influence as has The American Legion. None is so intimately identified with the word “veteran.”  Since its origin in 1919 this largest of all veterans’ organizations has become as integral and accepted a part of the American scene as hot dogs, baseball, and Presidential elections.

How did The American Legion achieve such a meteoric rise? The following articles will trace the story of this giant of veterans’ organizations from its conception on a foreign soil.

(more history to come later)