The American Legion was chartered in 1919 by Congress as a patriotic, war-time veterans organization and has since grown to be the nation’s largest organization founded on the values, contributions and sacrifices of those who answered the country’s call to arms. We continue to reach out to our community to serve America by standing true to the four principles, or pillars, or the Organization.

The American Legion believes that freedom is not free, so we continually seek ways to help the veterans and their families who have responded to our country’s call.

We do everything possible to help with veterans affairs and rehabilitation.

We mentor, counsel, guide, teach and assist young people with their daily lives as well as provide numerous scholarships to help secure their future.

The American Legion was designed to acknowledge and preserve the heritage that our forefathers laid out for us by recognizing all of the inalienable rights of a man and preparing each generation to carry on the true American values.

Some 14,000 American Legion posts are now chartered worldwide, with more than 2 million men and women as members. These Posts are organized into 55 Departments – one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines. The American Legion has its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in Washington, D.C. In addition to thousands of volunteers, serving in leadership and program implementation capacities from the communities to the Legion’s standing national commissions and committees, the national organization has a professional staff of about 250 employees.

Membership eligibility in The American Legion, originally based on honorable service within the U.S. Armed Forces during periods of wartime, is now open to all veterans who served honorably at any time between Dec. 7, 1941, and the present.