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Purpose of the American Legion
The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. A
community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion
Posts worldwide. These Posts are organized into 55 Departments -- one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, France, Mexico, and the Philippines
Our Mission
The American Legion's primary mission is to help American veterans and their families, as well as American children and
youth. The United States Veterans Bureau, forerunner of the Veterans Administration (subsequently the Department of Veterans
Affairs), was created in 1921 as a result of efforts by the Legion. The American Legion also authored the first draft of the
Serviceman's Readjustment Act, popularly known as the GI Bill of Rights, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1944. In addition,
the organization continues to press for improved educational and medical benefits for new veterans, and for a complete accounting
of all prisoners of war (POWs) and soldiers listed as missing in action (MIAs).
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