A look at the history of the American Legion and Auxiliary

During this year of the 250th United States celebration, following is the establishment of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary.
The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) was founded in 1919 to support the American Legion and honor the service of veterans, evolving into the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world.
The ALA was established following World War I, when women who had supported soldiers at home wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and granddaughters, sought to continue their service in peacetime alongside the American Legion. After the formation of the American Legion in 1919, a committee decided to create a separate organization for women closely associated with Legion members, allowing them to carry out activities more suitably performed by women. Edith Irwin Hobart served as the first president, and within a year, 1,342 local units were organized across more than 45 states. Today, there are close to one million members.
The ALA’s mission is to support veterans, military personnel, and their families while promoting patriotism, good citizenship, and youth mentorship.