The American Legion will observe its 91st birthday and Legionnaires of the Virgin Islands will hold a celebration of this significant milestone, according to a press release from Commander Melbourne Clarke of American Legion District 10, Department of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
District No. 10 has planned an open house at the American Legion Headquarters at No. 2 Hospital Street, St. Croix, starting at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 15. All veterans are invited to this affair.
The festivities in the territory are part of a celebration at the more than 14,000 American Legion posts located throughout the United States and in many parts of the free world.
The American Legion was founded March 15-17, 1919, in Paris, France, at the close of World War I. Representatives of the various units of the American Expeditionary Force of World War I were present for the first meeting. The organization now includes veterans of World War II; the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Grenada, Panama, Bosnia as well as those involved in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since its founding, the Legion has strived to assist veterans, their widows and children, and their fellow citizens. The organization was responsible for the creation of the GI Bill, used by millions of veterans to obtain assistance in education and home loans.
The nation’s largest veteran’s organization, it fought for passage of legislation creating a Department of Veterans Affairs and for passage of the Veterans Reassurance Act, designed to correct existing inequities in veterans’ claim procedures. The work of The American Legion to support the nation’s youth continues to grow, as more young people become involved in Legion-sponsored programs. The Boys Scouts, American Legion Baseball and the National High School Oratorical Contest are just a few examples of how it continues to strive to provide a solid foundation on which the youth of America may grow.