[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 96 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE AMERICAN LEGION ON THE CELEBRATION OF THEIR CENTENNIAL 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 10, 2019

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today 
to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the American Legion as they 
mark their 100th Anniversary. As we mark this extraordinary milestone, 
I am honored to have this opportunity to extend my deepest thanks to 
the American Legion Posts across Connecticut's 3rd Congressional 
District whose members work so diligently to both support our veterans 
and ensure that our communities never forget the sacrifices made by 
those who chose to serve in our nation's military branches.
  Chartered by Congress in 1919, the American Legion has evolved into 
one of the most influential and effective veteran advocacy 
organizations in the country. Over the course of the last century, the 
American Legion has left an indelible mark on our nation. In 1921, the 
Legion's efforts resulted in the creation of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, 
forerunner of the Veterans Administration and in 1923 the first ``Flag 
Code'' was drafted during a Legion conference in Washington--a code 
which Congress adopted in 1942. In 1946, the Legion and the American 
Legion Auxiliary presented a small, struggling organization called the 
American Heart Association with a $50,000 grant. That grant became the 
catalyst for the success of the now nationally respected organization 
focused on prevention and treatment of rheumatic heart disease. It was 
the American Legion that partnered with the Smithsonian Institute's Air 
and Space Museum to develop an exhibit for the bomber Enola Gay, which 
dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and it was the Legion who 
donated the single largest contribution to the construction of the 
Vietnam Memorial.
  From financing and implementing a study of the effects of Agent 
Orange on soldiers to the creation of the Family Support Network to 
assist families of servicemembers deployed for operations Desert Shield 
and Desert Storm; from the formation of the Persian Gulf Task Force to 
enhance service for a new generation of wartime veterans, thousands of 
whom suffer from illnesses linked to their service in the region, to 
the launch of the national ``I Am Not A Number'' campaign to identify 
and document the delays veterans face in obtaining medical care from 
VA, decade after decade, the American Legion has strived to ensure that 
veterans are receiving the care and respect they have so rightfully 
earned.
  The American Legion has shaped the way our country treats its 
veterans. That was perhaps best demonstrated in 1943 when Past National 
Commander Harry W. Colmery started to write in longhand, on Mayflower 
Hotel stationery in Washington, the first draft of what will later 
become the ``GI Bill of Rights.'' Signed in 1944 by then President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the original GI Bill, or Servicemen's 
Readjustment Act, is appropriately considered the Legion's single 
greatest legislative achievement.
  And it is not just in Washington where the American Legion has made 
its mark. With over two million members in more than 13,000 posts 
worldwide, the Legion works to ensure that our servicemembers--their 
achievements and their sacrifices--are both remembered and celebrated. 
Whether through sponsorship of local sports organizations, scholarships 
for young people, organizing and participating in parades and community 
events, the Legion is making a real difference in community after 
community across the country. I want to extend a special note of thanks 
to the more than 200 American Legion Posts in Connecticut, and 
particularly the 28 located in my District, whose members' invaluable 
contributions make our communities better places to live, learn, and 
grow. My heartfelt congratulations on your centennial celebration and, 
as the Italian saying goes, Cent' Anni--to another one hundred years.

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