We are Legion

FOR GOD & COUNTRY
Texas has supplied personnel to the armed forces in all major wars and conflicts in which the United States of America has been involved. Texas was represented at the birth of the American Legion in Paris in March of 1919 by ten servicemen—including Charles Nimon from Austin. Two Austinites were present at the St. Louis Caucus in May of 1919, Alfred Carrel and John W. Young.
 
On April 21, 1919, a caucus was held in San Antonio to organize a branch of the American Legion in Texas. There were 572 Texas veterans in attendance. The group elected Claude Birkhead of San Antonio as Chairman of this temporary organization, a position he held until the first Department Convention.
 
The St. Louis Caucus of the American Legion recognized this group as the official state organization of the American Legion in Texas at their meeting in May. The first Department Convention for the American Legion, State of Texas, was held in October of 1919 in Dallas.

Mission

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.

Hundreds of local American Legion programs and activities strengthen the nation one community at a time. American Legion Baseball is one of the nation’s most successful amateur athletic programs, educating young people about the importance of sportsmanship, citizenship and fitness. Operation Comfort Warriors supports recovering wounded warriors and their families, providing them with "comfort items" and the kind of support that makes a hospital feel a little bit more like home. The Legion also raises millions of dollars in donations at the local, state and national levels to help veterans and their families during times of need and to provide college scholarship opportunities.

The American Legion is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization with great political influence perpetuated by its grass-roots involvement in the legislation process from local districts to Capitol Hill. Legionnaires’ sense of obligation to community, state and nation drives an honest advocacy for veterans in Washington. The Legion stands behind the issues most important to the nation's veterans community, backed by resolutions passed by volunteer leadership.

The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism. The organization belongs to the people it serves and the communities in which it thrives. 

The G.I. Bill, Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Flag Code, and Social Security all exist thanks to The American Legion.
PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES TO:
  • Uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America;
  • Maintain law and order;
  • Foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism;
  • Preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars;
  • Inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation;
  • Combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses;
  • Make right the master of might;
  • Promote peace and goodwill on earth;
  • Safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy;
  • Consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.
Read more about the Preamble and what it means

The Four Pillars

STILL SERVING. IT'S WHO WE ARE. 
In 1919, The American Legion was founded on four pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children & Youth. Each of these pillars encompasses a variety of programs that benefit our nation’s veterans, its service members, their families, the youth of America and ordinary citizens. These programs make a difference in hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

Our organization’s positions and programs are guided by resolutions passed by American Legion National Convention delegates, and by committee and commission members who represent 2.5 million wartime veterans and their families. These programs, and the men and women who take the time to perform them allow The American Legion to make a difference on the local, state, and national levels.

It’s who we are and what we do.

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