| R 150 |
| 2024 -- H 8064 Enacted 03/14/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| JOYOUSLY CELEBRATING THE 105TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN LEGION ON MARCH 15, 2024 |
Introduced By: Representatives Vella-Wilkinson, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Perez, Batista, Azzinaro, Kennedy, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, and Corvese |
| Date Introduced: March 14, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, The American Legion is a nonprofit organization representing the interests |
| and needs of America's war veterans. Formed on March 15, 1919, in Paris, France, and chartered |
| by an Act of Congress on September 16, 1919, today the American Legion is comprised of nearly |
| two million members, with more than 12,000 posts across the United States, France, Mexico, |
| Puerto Rico and the Philippines; and |
| WHEREAS, In the aftermath of World War I, with more than two million Americans |
| serving in the military, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., son of President Theodore Roosevelt, felt it was |
| time to create a national organization to represent America's many war veterans; and |
| WHEREAS, Through the years, the American Legion successfully lobbied to attain the |
| passage of many initiatives that made the lives of countless war veterans better and has made the |
| nation stronger militarily, economically and socially. In 1921, the American Legion led the |
| campaign to create the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which later became the Veterans Administration. |
| The first Flag Code was drafted during an American Legion conference and was later adopted by |
| the United States Congress in 1942; and |
| WHEREAS, Perhaps the most famous piece of legislation enacted, thanks to the efforts |
| of the American Legion, was the famous GI Bill, also known as the "Servicemen's Readjustment |
| Act", which was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Six months prior to being |
| enacted, the American Legion wrote the first draft of what would become the "GI Bill of Rights". |
| This landmark legislation was a monumental achievement which benefited our nation |
| immeasurably as it allowed eight million veterans to attend an institution of higher learning, |
| thereby allowing our veterans to attain better jobs, quality housing and raise families; and |
| WHEREAS, Additional examples of the American Legion's civic support of war |
| veteran's issues included their donation of $1 million to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund, the |
| largest single contributor to the project, which helped enable the construction of the wall in |
| Washington, and their sponsorship of an independent study to examine the effects of exposure to |
| Agent Orange on Vietnam War Veterans; and |
| WHEREAS, Thanks to the American Legion, every veteran receives assistance when |
| they file and pursue benefit claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since 1919, the |
| American Legion has sponsored more than 2,500 Scouting Units across the nation, and annually |
| honors an Eagle Scout of the year with a $10,000 scholarship. One of the more popular endeavors |
| the American Legion provides to our nation is its famous American Legion baseball program, |
| which was created in 1925, and today registers more than 5,400 teams in all 50 States, Canada |
| and Puerto Rico; and |
| WHEREAS, Countless great Americans have been members of the American Legion |
| including, Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, |
| Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, and |
| George W. Bush, as well as Generals Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, Theodore Roosevelt, |
| Jr., Medal of Honor winner Sergeant Alvin York, famous aviator and war veteran, Captain Eddie |
| Rickenbacker, and actors, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable, all military |
| veterans; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| joyously celebrates the 105th Anniversary of the American Legion on March 15, 2024, and |
| thanks them for all the great work they do daily on behalf of America's veterans and in |
| maintaining the freedoms and national security of our great nation; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Daniel J. Seehafer, National Commander of the |
| American Legion. |
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| LC003625 |
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