American Legion
American Legion
Organization of U.S. war veterans. Founded in 1919, it works for the care of disabled and sick veterans and promotes compensation and pensions for the disabled, widows, and orphans. Nonpolitical and nonsectarian, its membership requirement is honourable service and an honourable discharge. It was instrumental in establishing veterans' hospitals, and it sponsored the creation of the U.S. Veterans Administration in 1930. In 1944 it played an important role in the passage of the GI Bill. The American Legion claims about three million members in some 15,000 local posts, or groups.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on American Legion, visit Britannica.com.
Seen & Heard 
What made you look up American Legion? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.
