Bill Text: NY K00790 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorating the 101st Anniversary of The American Legion
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-6)
Status: (Passed) 2020-02-25 - adopted [K00790 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-K00790-Introduced.html
Assembly Resolution No. 790 BY: M. of A. Barrett COMMEMORATING the 101st Anniversary of The American Legion WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize veterans organizations which have positively impacted and substantially contributed to the vitality of their communities; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 101st Anniversary of The American Legion; and WHEREAS, The American Legion is a veteran's organization founded in Paris on March 15, 1919, by three officers of the American Expeditionary Forces, who fought in World War I; and WHEREAS, On May 8, 1919, the St. Louis Caucus was held to organize the soldiers and sailors in every state to become members of this new organization known as The American Legion; about 97 delegates from New York State organized the Department of New York while at the St. Louis Caucus; and WHEREAS, On May 24, 1919, the national organization issued the Department of New York American Legion its charter, recognizing New York's founding roots to both Paris and St. Louis Caucus; and WHEREAS, The Department of New York issued its first Post charter on June 2, 1919, and exactly two months later, issued a charter for its 200th post; and WHEREAS, On September 16, 1919, the United States Congress charted The American Legion; and WHEREAS, Nine New Yorkers were among some 20 "founders" at the organizational meeting in Paris on February 15-16 1919, which set the stage for the Paris Caucus (March 15-17) and the St. Louis Caucus (May 8-19); they included Theodore Roosevelt Jr, the son of the 26th United States President; and WHEREAS, The focus of The American Legion is on securing services and benefits for veterans, the families of service members, and the communities where the veterans live and work; and WHEREAS, Among the programs The American Legion sponsor include baseball teams, Boys State, Legion Riders, Operation Comfort Warriors, National Emergency Fund, and Oratorical Contest for students under the age of 20; and WHEREAS, The American Legion has departments in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines; and WHEREAS, Starting in the late 1930s, The American Legion was instrumental in prodding the federal government to create the United States Veterans' Bureau, which later became the Veterans Administration, and in 1989, the Department of Veterans Affairs, a cabinet level department to give veterans representation at the highest level of government; and WHEREAS, In 1944, The American Legion was the moving force behind the drafting and enacting of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, which is commonly known as the GI Bill; and WHEREAS, This landmark legislation provided for low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, cash payments to attend high school, college or vocational/technical school and one year of unemployment compensation; and WHEREAS, Since World War II, The American Legion has been in the forefront of supporting additional veterans' benefits including in the 1950s mental health treatment which led to the National Association of Mental Health, and in the 1980s the Legion sponsored and funded studies assessing the effects of Agent Orange; and WHEREAS, The American Legion created the American Legion Scholarship Fund for children of military members killed in active duty on or after September 11, 2001, and in 2016, the scholarship criteria were amended to include the children of veterans with 50 percent or greater disability ratings granted from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and WHEREAS, In August of 2018, The American Legion began its centennial recognition at the 100th National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of the first American Legion National Convention; and WHEREAS, The American Legion Department of New York State will have its 102nd Annual Convention in Binghamton, New York on July 16-18, 2020; Binghamton will be hosting at the same time the 100th Annual Auxiliary Convention and the 46th Annual Sons of The American Legion (SAL) Convention; and WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowledges this important milestone in the history of The American Legion; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 101st Anniversary of The American Legion; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The American Legion Department of New York Commander Michael McDermott, New York Past Commanders Gary M. Schacher and Rene Nessler, Department of New York Adjutant James W. Casey, and Department of New York Historian Frank Carletta.