The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the LegionWheat, George Seay
History
The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion
Wheat, George Seay
American Legion; World War, 1914-1918 -- Societies, etc.
United American War Veterans, Warren S. Fischer, Commander-in-Chief
Comrades in Service, Bishop Brent, President,
National Legion of America, Major Elihu Church,
American Army Association, Lt. Haywood Hillyer, General Secretary.
* * * * *
Just about this time it became most necessary to properly present the
Legion to those men who had remained at home and who had gotten out of
the Service, and to those who were incoming from France and rapidily
being demobilized, as it was upon them that the success of the Legion
depended. Furthermore, their opinions were the soil upon which the
various State organizations had to work, and at that particular time
it was vital that the Legion should be widely known and thoroughly
understood; that its aims and ambitions should not be misconstrued
either willfully or unintentionally, nor its precepts perverted. To
this end the temporary Chairman proceeded to publicize it in the most
thorough fashion. One-page bulletins briefly outlining the Legion's
aims and ambitions were distributed in every center where soldiers and
seamen gathered. Such places as Y.M.C.A. and K. of C. huts and War
Camp Community recreation centers were thoroughly informed, and
bulletins also were sent to every ship in the navy with the request
that they be placed on the ship's bulletin board.
Literature about the Legion was placed on transports when they left
empty for France so that the men might read it in their leisure hours
returning home. In order to make sure that every soldier and sailor
would have the opportunity to know about the Legion this literature
was again placed on the transports as they arrived in New York harbor.
Various demobilization camps throughout the country were widely
placarded and in each instance the names of the Temporary State
Secretaries were given, and service men were invited to write to the
Secretaries in their particular States. Camp publications, newspapers,
and periodicals published for service men throughout the country were
bountifully supplied with Legion information and scores of them
carried special stories in regard to it. Bulletins and pamphlets were
distributed in hospitals, placed on bulletin boards, and given to the
patients. Every mayor of a town or city with a population above nine
hundred got a letter containing literature about the Legion with a
request that it be given publicity in the local press and then turned
over to the Chairman of the Welcome Home Committee. Certain national
magazines devoted a great deal of space to special articles explaining
the Legion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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