Promoting Patriotism and Honor

The founders of The American Legion, having faced the enemy on foreign soil, had a tremendous appreciation for the America they left behind, the America that too many of their "comrades" died defending. It's no wonder, then, that they held strong the desire to maintain the rights and the liberties that our Nation bestowed upon its citizens, then and now. They realized, too, that exercising the responsibilities of citizenship and enhancing loyalty to America were key ingredients in preserving what they fought for. Today, that effort to create better citizens and cultivate loyalty - patriotism - is carried on in the many programs under the heading of "Americanism."

Americanism is an unfailing love of country, loyalty to its institutions and ideals, eagerness to defend it against all enemies, individual allegiance to the Flag, and a desire to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Our forefathers laid the foundation for a civilization that is the envy of the world. It has brought us greater spiritual and material wealth then any people has ever known. This is our heritage. The many Americanism programs of The American Legion are designed to acknowledge and preserve that heritage, recognizing all of the inalienable rights of man.

Developing good citizens and instilling patriotism in our youngest Americans is a large part of the important work of The American Legion. And it is done through programs like:

• American Legion Baseball began in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota. Today it's a nationwide program for nearly 100,000 young athletes. It teaches lessons of sportsmanship and team loyalty, respect for rules, fair play and physical fitness. Many current and former Major League players developed their skills on American Legion ball diamonds in this program that depends on the local post and its volunteers to promote and conduct.
   
• The American Legion and Scouting [Boy Scouts of America] have enjoyed an exceptional relationship since the Legion's founding in 1919. Support has remained constant through the years with local American Legion posts, today, chartering more than 2,500 units serving more than 75,000 young people.
   
• American Legion Shooting Program is a national activity administered through Legion-sponsored clubs organized to provide gun safety and marksmanship training for young people. More than 900 teams are currently affiliated in the program and about 1,500 individual shooters enter national competition each year. The program uses .177 caliber air guns, "fired" on targets at 10 meters [33 feet]. By virtue of this program, The American Legion is a member of the United States Olympic Committee.
   
• American Legion Boys State and Boys Nation Programs are two of the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students in the nation. Operating since 1935, 49 states conduct this program annually, which serves more than 25,000 young men. At Boys State, its "citizens" are exposed to the rights and privileges, the duties and responsibilities of a franchised citizen. The training is objective and practical with city, county, and state governments operated by elected and appointed officials duly place in office by citizens of the Boys State. Two of the most outstanding participants in each of the 49 Boys State programs are invited to participate, annually, in American Legion Boys Nation. This activity, held annually in the Washington, DC area also emphasizes citizenship education, but unlike Boys States, it centers on the study of the federal government and its supporting agencies.
   
• The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest is designed to develop in high school students a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Constitution of the United States. Other objectives are those of leadership, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties and responsibilities, the rights and privileges of American citizenship.
   
• The American Legion Flag Education Program is designed to build patriotism in our youth and all Americans and to develop a thorough understanding of proper Flag display and courtesy. A major activity of The American Legion since our inception, thousands of flag education programs are presented each year in classrooms across the country.
   
• The American Legion School and Student Programs focus on promoting the importance of education and encourage American Legion posts to play an active role in the activities of the schools in its community. One means to meet this objective is through the distribution, to schools by posts, of the American Legion's financial aid handbook, "Need A Lift?" The publication features information on scholarships, loans and grant opportunities as well as information about specific colleges and careers.

These are just a few of the myriad of programs carried out by the National Americanism Commission of The American Legion as we continue, as we began, to "foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism."