Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The U.S. Congress chartered The American Legion Sept. 16, 1919, and there's no money at the top.
"Sixty years ago there was a corporation and small posts could borrow from it," said Hugh Dagley, Assistant Department of Indiana Adjutant.
"Nowadays posts are independently chartered and pretty much on their own."
Indiana has 411 American Legion posts and 131,505 members in the state.
Both the state and national headquarters help local posts with programs and provide educational videos for elementary schools. Members automatically receive The American Legion Magazine.
The Legion homes were established for interaction with the community. The posts are nonprofit organizations and many fund-raising avenues are open to them, Dagley said.
Not every military veteran can join the Legion. There are certain "open" dates, or war eras, and a vet must have served one day of active service during these times.
The dates include:
• WW I - April 6, 1917, through Nov. 11, 1918; n WW II - Dec. 7, 1941, through Dec. 31, 1946; n Korea - June 25, 1950 through Jan. 31, 1955; n Vietnam - Feb. 26, 1961, through May 7, 1975; n Grenada, Lebanon - Aug. 24, 1982, through July 31, 1984; n Panama - Dec. 20, 1989, through Jan. 3, 1990; n and Persian Gulf - Aug. 2, 1990, until until cessation of hostilities as determined by the United State government.
Delegates to the Legion's first annual convention in Minneapolis voted to locate the Legion's National Headquarters in Indianapolis rather than in Washington, D.C. Nov. 11, 1919.
The National Headquarters of The American Legion is one of several buildings and memorials comprising the Indiana War Memorial Plaza, a five-block area close to downtown Indianapolis.
The building features Indiana limestone and is considered one of the finest structures of its kind in the United States.
The structure is a $2.5 million gift from the people of Indiana. It has two four-story pilastered wings joined by a recessed center section containing the entrance.
The facility is located at the northern end of a two block park, commonly referred to as "The Legion Mall." The mall features a sunken garden with a cenotaph (tomb or monument to a person whose body lies elsewhere) and four Art Deco columns topped with stylized gold eagles.
The cenotaph is a tribute to the men and women from Indiana who gave their lives in World War I. During the summer a variety of community events are staged on American Legion mall, taking advantage of the natural amphitheater landscape.
The address is National Headquarters, Indianapolis Office, 700 North Pennsylvania St., P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Call 317-630-1200 for more information.
The Washington Office is located at 1608 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. The D.C. telephone number is 202-861-2700.
