An attempt to write The American Legion at this time is very
much like an effort to tell of the past, present and future of
a babe which stands at the threshold of what all, interested,
hope will be a career of successful accomplishment.
The experiences incident to our entry into the armed forces
of the United States fostered a quick formation of friendships
and subjected the new-found friend to tests which in civilian
life would come only to the most intimate of acquaintances. the
man who gave a lift on your heavy pack and your rifle when it
almost seemed that you could not stand to stick with the bunch
any longer on the hike, the man whose serges, stock, good hat
and leggins, yes and perhaps the last "two-bits" out
of that "thirty dollars deducting twenty-nine" were
yours for the asking, that is if you got 'em before the other
fellow borrowed them - that buddy, whether he was with you for
only a few short weeks in camp here, or whether you were in the
outfit together in Texas, Port of Embarkation, and then through
the show together, that buddy certainly earned a place in your
heart.
The desire to form some association - a society or a new
G.A.R. - to perpetuate these friendships and to aid in the
shouldering of the responsibilities which it was felt our
military experiences placed upon us manifested itself shortly
after the Armistice. A small group rather casually together in
Paris issued a call for a convention to be composed of representatives
from all divisions and S.O.S. units. Troops were even then in
the process of leaving France for demobilization, and experiences
abroad had taught the necessity for viewing with suspicion.
This convention cleared away the atmosphere of suspicion,
outlined some policies for the organization to be formed,
elected a temporary committee to carry on the work, and adjourned
to tell the world, and particularly their own outfits, of the
project.
A little later the less cohesive "silver stripers"
got into action in the St. Louis convention which elected an
executive
committee which fused with that elected by the Paris committee
and the period of temporary organization began which ended with
the first national convention at Minneapolis beginning November
11, 1919. Within the year an organization had been formed which
enrolled about one million out of the five million men and women
who were in the military or naval service, and a weekly magazine
with about 750,000 subscribers started and put upon a self-supporting
basis.
The Legion has stood for law and order, former service men
aiding in restoring order during disturbances throughout the
country but observing strict neutrality in cases where the
disturbance arose out of labor trouble. It has stood for a better
Americanism, and has an Americanization Committee which is studying
the problem and working to aid in its solution by action of The
Legion. It has given its advice to Congress upon the question
of military preparation. In many and less striking ways, the
organization is attempting to secure the functioning of its members
as good citizens of the government for which we fought.
While the effort that been made, and is being made, to secure
adjusted compensation for men who were in the service
and thereby lost the rewards that were given in civilian
life during that time, that effort has always been subordinated
to what has been repeatedly emphasized as a sacred trust and
a duty which should be unhesitatingly met, - the caring for him
who suffered even more than they who gave the full measure of
their devotion, our wounded comrade. The Legion has been in the
thick of the campaign to secure a better functioning of the agencies
for the care and aid of these men. This campaign which ranged
through a course of constructive criticism of the bureaus when
they seemed unable or unwilling to perform their duty, a frank
conference resulting where suggestions were made after which
The Legion co-operated in aiding the bureaus to clear up the
accumulated cases where care and compensation were due, then
efforts to secure enactments from Congress to increase that aid,
an example of which is the Sweet bill which gave the totally
disable veteran an increase from him minimum compensation of
$30 a month to $80. Now the next immediate objective is the increasing
of the efficiency of the bureaus by their consolidation, which
is now before Congress, and the providing of facilities for the
government to take care of in its own institutions those injured
and maimed in its service instead of farming them out to anyone
willing to take the task. Until the sick and injured service
men shall be adequately cared for as the government which insured
him bound itself to do so, The Legion has a task. After that,
our undivided attention can be given to what we consider of almost
equal importance, our civic program.
Pausing for a moment to cast our eyes back to the two short
years so crowded with achievement, we feel that we should
accomplish much for our country in the vast future which
lies before us.