The American Legion is rapidly approaching its 100th Anniversary. You may not know that the founders did not expect the American Legion to last more than a few years, maybe a decade or so. The founders, of which president Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Theodore Jr was one, believed that The Great War (what we have come to know as World War I) was the “War to end all wars”, and that the world would live in peace in the future. We now know their belief did not come to fruition as we endured World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon-Grenada, Panama, and what we now know as the Global War on terrorism.
While our founders did not foresee our veterans requiring assistance into the coming decades due to future armed conflicts, they did foresee future veterans needing to rely upon the four pillars of which the American Legion was chartered. That vision subsequently grew into the largest veterans’ organization in the world.
For those of us who are members in the Department of Pennsylvania, this anniversary will take on even greater meaning as our own civil war was fought and won here in Pennsylvania, and we are members of the largest Department (150,000 members strong).
There is currently a House Bill (H.R.2519) and Senate Bill (S 1182) being sponsored and cosponsored to call upon Congress to approve the U.S. Mint to create an American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative coin(s).
If you are familiar with the commemorative coin programs, a portion of the sales of the collectible coins goes to the organization that is being honored. Those funds would provide needed financial support for our national and state programs. This is of particular importance to us all as the Pennsylvania legislature and Governor Tom Wolf are currently considering cutting approximately $3.7 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).
Please join us to inform our elected officials that we are part of 150,000 members statewide, and we are larger than many Political Action Committees, labor unions, and "special interest" groups. We are veterans, and we will not be ignored.
Please sign our petition. We intend to deliver the petition and its signatories in revised form on 8/7/17, 9/5/17, 10/2/17, and 11/11/17 (Veterans Day)
