LEGION?

THE AMERICAN LEGION

CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

RESOLUTIONS

LEGION FACTS

WHAT THE PUBLIC PRESS THINKS

COMMITTEES

ROSTER

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE ST. LOUIS CAUCUS

HENRY D. LINDSLEY

THE PARIS CAUCUS

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR.

GROUP AT ST. LOUIS CAUCUS

BENNETT C. CLARK

ERIC FISHER WOOD

CASPAR BACON

STATE CHAIRMEN HERBERT,[A] MATHEWSON, AND WICKERSHAM

"JACK" SULLIVAN

CHAPLAIN J.W. INZER

FRED HUMPHREY

P.C. CALHOUN

[Footnote A: Photo by Gray, Worcester, Mass.]

THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

CHAPTER I

LATTER WAR DAYS IN FRANCE

I believe that the army of to-day, when it goes back to citizen
thinking and citizen acting, will be capable of so contributing
to the commonwealth of the United States as to change the
character of the whole country and lift it up to a higher plane.

BISHOP BRENT, _Senior Chaplain, A.E.F_.
Paris, March, 1919.

On a midsummer morning in 1918, ambulance after ambulance unloaded its
cargo of wounded humanity at a base hospital in Paris. The wounded
were being conveyed rapidly from the front and the entire hospital was
astir with nurses, surgeons, and orderlies. A major, surgeon, almost
staggered out of an operating room where he had been on duty for
twenty-two hours and started for his quarters when a colonel arrived
on an inspection trip.

"Pretty busy," remarked the colonel as he acknowledged the major's
salute.

"Busy? Busy!" replied the major. "Good Lord, the only people about
here that aren't busy are the dead ones. Even the wounded are busy
planning to hobble around at conventions when the Big Show is over.
Already they are talking about how they intend to take a hand in
things after the war when they get home."

Over across the street a sergeant, limping slightly, stopped under a
shade tree and leaned against it to rest. He was almost well of his
wound and eagerly awaited the word that would send him to join his
regiment, the Twenty-sixth United States Infantry. As he paused under
the tree another soldier with a mending wound in the knee and just
able to be about stopped to speak to him. The sergeant's hand rose in
quick salute for the newcomer was an officer.

"Expect to get back soon, sergeant?" said the officer.

"Yes sir," he replied. "Anxious to go back and get the whole job over,
sir."

"So am I," responded the