The American Legion Preamble has been the beacon light of The American Legion for more than 100 years.

The following preamble is said at the start of every meeting to remind members of our obligation to serve others for the good.

preamble to the american legion Constitution

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 all 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.

Preamble interpretation:

“We are gathered together for a very high purpose. I want every American through the length and breadth of this land to realize that there is not a man in this caucus who is seeking anything for himself, personally, but that he is simply working for the good of the entire situation.”

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., son of the 26th U.S. President, is often considered the founder of The American Legion. He rejected that description, once saying, “No one man can claim to be the founder of The American Legion.”

Roosevelt was content to serve on a number of national Legion committees, including the Committee on Civil Service Preference, the Committee on Distinguished Guests and the National Defense Committee. In 1949, five years after Roosevelt died of a heart attack after coming ashore at Utah Beach on D-Day, he was named a Past National Commander of The American Legion.

the american legion: four Pillars

In 1919, The American Legion was founded on four pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children & Youth. Each of these pillars encompasses a variety of programs that benefit our nation’s veterans, its service members, their families, the youth of America and ordinary citizens. These programs make a difference in hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Our organization’s positions and programs are guided by resolutions passed by American Legion National Convention delegates, and by committee and commission members who represent over 2.7 million veterans and their families. These programs, and the men and women who take the time to perform them allow The American Legion to make a difference on the local, state and national levels.

It’s who we are and what we do!

1. Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation.

  • Provide free VA Claims assistance through our Network of to veterans to help alleviate the VA Backlog
  • Assist military community in finding and getting access to VA Health Care
  • Support area VA Vet Centers
  • Host Veteran Career Fairs & encourage Veteran Entrepreneurship
  • Educate veterans and families on GI Bill additional Texas Educational benefits
  • Assist VA staff with Homeless Veterans needs to ensure they understand they are not alone
  • Encourage Veterans With Special Needs through recreational therapy options
  • Fulfilling our sacred duty in Final Respect & Military Honors to U.S. military veterans
  • Heroes to Hometowns can provide financial assistance with modifications, not covered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

2. National Security.

  • Continue Prioritizing the accounting of our POW/MIAs = NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
  • Provide Support for our Troops during welcome home events, military holidays and events
  • Homeland Security must be maintained to fulfill the mandate for a strong national defense
  • Address and help Quality of Life for our active duty servicemembers with needs such as childcare, healthcare, base housing, spousal employment, financial security, food security and more.
  • Operation Comfort Warriors provide nonessential items that help wounded warriors recover but don’t usually show up as a budget line on government spreadsheets.

3. Americanism.

  • Respect for the U.S. Flag and observance of the US Flag Code
  • Promotes obedience to law and order
  • Help people Exercise their Constitutional Responsibility to Vote through education
  • Encourage others to Get Out The Vote
  • The Pledge of Allegiance
  • Promote education and speeches about the U.S. Constitution in the Oratorical Contest
  • Boys State/Boys Nation encourages those seeking a future in public service
  • American Legion Baseball
  • Legion Riders
  • Illegal Immigration

4. Children & Youth.

  • Family Support Network
  • Temporary Financial Assistance
  • Child Welfare Foundation
  • Samsung Legacy Scholarship
  • Assist those suffering with a Catastrophic Childhood Illness and Intellectual Disabilities
  • Combat Child Pornography & Child Sexual Exploitation
  • Immunization
  • Help those going through the real addiction of Drug Abuse
  • Combat those instigating Media Violence & Bullying