I found a few descriptions that should give you a good idea of what the American Legion is: The American Legion's primary mission is to help American veterans and their families, as well as American children and young adults. The United States Veterans Bureau, forerunner of the Veterans Administration (subsequently the Department of Veterans Affairs), was created in 1921 as a result of efforts by the Legion. The American Legion also authored the first draft of the Serviceman's Readjustment Act, popularly known as the GI Bill of Rights, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1944. In addition, the organization continues to press for improved educational and medical benefits for new veterans, and for a complete accounting of all prisoners of war (POWs) and soldiers listed as missing in action (MIAs). The American Legion is an organization of veterans of the United States armed forces who served in wartime. In addition to organizing commemorative events and volunteer activities, the American Legion is active in US politics. Its primary political activity is lobbying for the interests of veterans, including support for veteran's benefits such as pensions and the VA hospital system; in addition, it promotes other patriotic causes such as respect for the American flag, including support for a Flag Burning Amendment. The first national convention of the American Legion was held from 10-12 November 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From their official website: http://www.legion.org Preamble to the Constitution of The American Legion For God and Country We associate ourselves together for the following purposes: to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the great wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community,state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and goodwill on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness. Who We Are The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. 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's national headquarters is in Indianapolis,Indiana, with additional offices in Washington, DC. In addition to thousands of volunteers serving inl eadership and program implementation capacities in local communities to the Legion's standing national commissions and committees, the national organization has a regular full-time staff of about 300 employees