THE AMERICAN LEGION AND PARIS, FRANCE
By March 1919, General Pershing’s American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F./AEF), were still in France. With so many brothers-in-arms with wounds of all kinds, a call went out to each A.E.F. unit before they left France for home they must consider what to do. A thousand war-weary servicemen, enlisted and officers together, representing each of the AEF units, were asked to meet in met Paris for this discussion. All were determined to do something about the terrible situation many of these “winners” now faced.
Their deliberations produced The Charter. They wanted to establish a new organization dedicated to helping and supporting soldiers. They also wanted to make sure they continued to honor their country and its flag. Forty-eight men, representing those who came to Paris, signed The Charter on March 15, 1919, and the American Legion was born.
NOTE: The names of those 48 who signed that first Charter can be found on a Wikipedia, “American Legion” entry: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legion#List_of_founding_members>.
From Chaplains and Privates, to Sergeants and Lieutenant Colonels to a Major General and a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, all were determined to serve their brothers-in-arms and their families. Two famous men signing that Charter were Sergeant Alvin York and Lt. Col. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Jr. They represent all who served and now work for others.
ONE OF THE ENLISTED FOUNDERS: SERGEANT ALVIN YORK
A pacifist and conscientious objector, as well as a blacksmith from Tennessee, Corporal Alvin York, didn’t want to kill anyone. Yet, he did “sign up” and served in the Meuse-Argonne campaign. Here, he and 17 others were told to take out a German machine gun emplacement that was firing down on the American Doughboys on three sides, making staying alive pretty difficult.
In their first attempt to wipe out the annoying machine gun nests, Cpl. York soon lost half of his 17 men. Knowing what was needed and he could do, Cpl. York got out his rifle and began sniping the enemy machinegunners with great success. He did not, however, want to see them all die. He began calling out for the German machinegunners to surrender rather than die by his rifle. It did not take long for the German officer and 100 of his men to do so.
As Cpl. York and remaining team, returned to the rear with their prisoners, Cpl. York talked the German officer into calling in 30 other Germans to surrender rather than die. They, too, surrendered. Now, to the amazement of dozens who now were no longer under fire, York, half of the original “17,” with their 130+ captured German soldiers and officer, walked calmly into camp.
For his leadership in this action, Alvin York received the Distinguished Service Cross and promotion to Sergeant. After a quick review of his actions, Sergeant Alvin York, a pacifist who did not want to go to war and kill people, was awarded our Congressional Medal of Honor.
After the war he returned to farm in Tennessee where he also established a Bible school and another school to help rural youngsters.
Sergeant Alvin York wearing his Distinguished Service Medal and Congressional Medal of Honor.
A FOUNDING OFFICER: LIEUTENANT COLONEL THEODORE “TEDDY” ROOSEVELT, JR.
(1877- June 12, 1944)
Lt. Col. “Teddy” Roosevelt did not serve “lightly.” A short biography on his American Legion page tells us that in World War I he was “shot in the leg and gassed nearly to blindness….” His leadership was such that he was offered the job of the American Legion First National Commander. He did not want that office to be seen as politically partisan, so he refused that honor. Just as he led his men through the fields of France, he did continue to lead and serve the American Legion.
NOTE: this short bio of Teddy, Jr. can be found at :(<https://www.legion.org/honor/249166/theodore-roosevelt-jr-%E2%80%9Cwe%E2%80%99ll-start-war-right-here%E2%80%9D>)
BRIGDIER GENERAL THEODORE ROOSEVELT JR. , JUNE 6, 1944.
Teddy, Jr. at age 58, had become a Brigadier General and, not letting a good war go to waste, landed along side his men on Utah Beach at Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944. He was the only General on the beach that day, for his superiors did NOT want any General officers in such danger. He petitioned saying he could better see, then report events from the beach to headquarters. His request was reluctantly granted.
Having arrived with his men in the Higgins Boats to the beach that June 6th, he lead and guided his 4th Infantry Division across the deadly sands “with a cane, pistol, and a map.” It is said the Germans on the cliffs were befuddled as they watched this officer make it to the beach, then walk back and forth to each incoming Higgins Boat. Then, encouraging his troops and reading his map, he’d point with his cane where his men needed to go. He seemed, the Germans said, just to be showing them real estate.
A week after the Utah Beach landing, with his soldiers and now inland, the General who landed with his soldiers and led them to the French hedgerow country, suffered a heart attack and died. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. is buried in Normandy with the men he led. General Teddy Jr. was awarded his Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.
WELL, ONE MORE: General Teddy, Jr was the oldest soldier on Utah Beach that day. He was also the only father and son duo as his son, Captain Quentin Roosevelt II, also made it ashore at Omaha Beach.
GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING IS HONORED
Our Major General John J. Pershing (1860-1948) was honored in September 1919, for his successful leadership in winning The Great War by President Woodrow Wilson. Pershing was promoted to “General of the Armies,” and his 4th star. (He was awarded a 5th star in 1944.)
THE AMERICAN LEGION BACK HOME -1919-1929
Veterans, on their return to Texas, planned their own similar work within their state. They also met in St. Louis, Missouri at this national conference as had been done in Paris. They found strength for their goals as they worked with reps from 47 other states. This universal enthusiasm generated great interest even with national, non-military leaders who rose to support the veterans’ cause.
April 21, 1919, Texas veterans of that Great War met in San Antonio to establish the Texas Chapter. They dedicated their Chapter’s work to providing hospital services to wounded service men. This Texas Division of World War Veterans was soon renamed the Texas Department, American Legion.
On September 16, 1919, the American Legion was formally chartered by the United States Congress. (The three pages of this Charter can be seen at <https://www.legion.org/documents/legion/pdf/legion_charter.pdf>)
In November, 1919, their first national convention was held. With their new charter in hand, members voted to establish their headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Into the 1920s-1930s, though facing economic hardships from the end of the Great War and beginning of the Great Depression, many former soldiers and their dependents joined this new organization. They wanted (1) to continue honoring their country and its flag; (2) to help those who needed various kinds of medical and emotional support; and (3) to involve the country’s youth and veterans’ families with good times through sports and other local entertainments.
LASTING WORK, OLD GLORY, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FUN … INTO THE FUTURE
American Legion members in the 1920s succeeded in those three areas as they:
(1)standardized a code for honoring, protecting, and displaying our flag. This code was adopted by Congress and is in use today as we properly raise, display, salute, and otherwise honor the Flag of our United States of America.
(2) helped bring about the Veterans Bureau, the forerunner of the modern Veterans Administration; and
(3) They also supported the growing Boy Scouts of America movement, and went on to establish American Legion Baseball, and provided scholarships to members, families and their communities. And, they always seemed to be in touch with their community to provide a variety of other important activities, as needed.
IN 1928, SOMERSET VETS ORGANIZE, TOO
Veterans like John Carlile Arvin of “Old” Somerset, and others not yet knows to this explorer, in hearing of the state and national achievements of the American Legion, sought to bring that spirit to the Somerset area.
On February 17, 1928, Somerset’s American Legion Post 443, was granted a Temporary Charter by the American Legion. A Permanent Charter had to wait until 1930. Then, it joined those dedicated veterans of the American Legion who wanted to help other vets as well as the town and country around Somerset they all called “home.”
LASTLY, Part 3: OUR POST #443
