Serving those who served before us.
Home Legion
Ladies Auxiliary SAL
Legion Riders Events
|
Serving those who served before us.
|
| Home
|
American Legion Post 356, District 12 Meets at: Eagle Mountain VFW Post 2137 in Azle, Texas, 11875 FM 730 North, Azle, Texas 76020 American Legion Post 356 Mailing Address: PO Box 1181, Azle, TX 76098-1181
More than 78,000 Americans are still unaccounted for from World War II; 8,100 from Korea; 120 from the Cold War; 1,810 from Viet Nam; and 3 from the Gulf War. These courageous Americans, who dedicated their lives to preserving and protecting our freedom, will never be forgotten. Please Note: American Legion Membership is annual with the year being from January 1 to December 31. Dues are payable October 30th in advance. If dues are not paid by January 1st of each calendar year, the member is delinquent. If dues have not been paid by Feb. 1, the member is suspended, but nevertheless a member with no privilege except that of reinstatement by vote of the Post and payment of dues; and dues not being paid, such membership continues for a period of 5 months, to June 30, at which time the member is dropped from the roll by constitutional mandate and the membership forfeited.
Preamble to the Constitution of The American Legion American Legion PowerPoint Presentation History Of The American Legion The American Legion was chartered as a patriotic, mutual-help, and community-service organization. Originally four line officers of the American Expeditionary Forces met in Paris in late January 1919 to renew acquaintance. They were combat tested veterans and each had led battalions or regiments into battle during WWI. These four decorated veterans were Lt. COL. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (his father was the 26th President), Lt. COL. George White, Lt. COL. William Donovan and Major Eric Fisher Wood. Through their efforts and the support of General Black Jack Pershing The American Legion was founded and chartered by Congress in 1919. The American Legion is the largest service organization in the world. The American Legion family totals over 5 million members consisting of nearly 3 million Legionnaires and 2 million members in The American Legion Auxiliary and SONS OF The American Legion (SAL). Worldwide there are nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts. These posts are organized into 55 Departments - one each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines. The National Headquarters of The American Legion is in Indianapolis, IN with offices in Washington, D.C. The Executive Office Staff in Washington, D.C. has a primary responsibility of National Security, Veterans Affairs and monitoring Congress on veterans' issues. Through the initiative of our members, The American Legion contributes on a continuing basis to the Nation's quality of life through a variety of youth programs and endeavors to make American communities better places in which to live. The primary goal of The American Legion is to maintain an ongoing concern, support and commitment to all veterans and their families. Maintaining a strong national defense will always remain a major concern of The American Legion and includes the authorized number of military troops, adequate pay with periodic pay raises, the best equipment available, medical care for active and retired soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. The American Legion will continue to lobby for a mandatory budget for the Veterans Affairs, with emphasizes on improving local Veteran Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. The American Legion in 1920 was instrumental in creating the U.S. Veterans Bureau, forerunner of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The American Legion continues to be a watchdog as well as an advocate of veterans programs and benefits. The mission of The American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation (VA&R) Commission is to ensure veterans, survivors and eligible dependents receive appropriate health care, education, training, and delivery of benefits. A strong national defense, functioning as a deterrent to foreign aggression, will always remain a major objective of the Legion. Actions of the Congress and the Executive Branch of the government will be closely watched and their actions reported to the voting public. Near the end of WWII, The American Legion stepped forward with a piece of legislation that helped America for generations to come. It was called: The Servicemen's Readjustment ACT of 1944 commonly known as the GI Bill. Drafted entirely by The American Legion, the GI Bill expanded VA treatment and provided other hard-earned benefits for veterans. Through the years, it has educated more than 20 million Americans and has helped them buy 14 million homes under its VA home loan program. Thanks to the GI Bill generations of Americans became tax-paying, productive citizens. In 1943 Past National Commander of The American Legion Harry W. Colmery drafted the GI Bill in Room 507 of Washington's Mayflower Hotel on hotel stationary, later his draft was compiled into resolutions and used to propose the GI Bill. The GI Bill that Harry Colmery drafted on behalf of The American Legion helped millions of veterans immediately after they returned home from war. They went to school, purchased homes, and created new suburban communities. In 2002 President George Bush awarded "Posthumously" the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian honor) to Legionnaire Harry W. Colmery. In one decade following WWII, more than 2 million eligible men and women went to college using these educational benefits. The result was an American workforce enriched by 450,000 engineers, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 67,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and another million received college degrees, plus another 5 million men and women received other schooling or job training using the GI Bill. It is a fair question to ask, do you know a veteran that has ever purchased a home through the GI Bill (VA), or attended a school (vocational, high school or college) as the result of the GI Bill (VA)? The American Legion is an active participant in community Youth Programs. These Legion Youth Programs are intended to help mold responsible leaders for tomorrow.
|
