The American Legion turns 99 years old

The American Legion is turning 99 years old. It was created in 1919 following the first world war after there was a need to help veterans returning from the war. It was instrumental in starting the veterans administration and helping veterans across the nation.

“The commander actually wrote the GI bill that’s out there that enables veterans to get home loans, school assistance, work education, things like that,” Abe Abrahamson, Department Adjutant for the American Legion Department of Idaho, said. “That was actually started at the American Legion.”

The Idaho Falls branch is turning 99 as well. It is one of the original chartered posts by the American Legion Department of Idaho. They focus on veterans funerals and military rights.

“We advocate for veterans benefits on a regular basis,” Darrel Homer, Post Commander for the Idaho Falls American Legion, said. “And we do that at the national level. We have a legislative arm of the American Legion that goes up to the state capital, or the national capital, and tells them what we need as far a veteran’s benefits.”

The American Legion doesn’t just help veterans, but the community as well. They sponsor blood drives, scholarship programs and American Legion baseball. They also help high school students learn more about the government.

“We send juniors from local high schools to boys state, girls state,” Homer said. “There’s two from each department that actually go to national, boys nation and girls nation. They get a chance to learn all about civics. They get to learn how to write amendments to the constitution, how to make bills, things of that nature. So it’s a really great learning experience for them.”

There are about 8,300 American Legion members in the state of Idaho. The Idaho Falls branch does about 125 veteran funerals every year, free of charge.