American Legion

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The American Legion is an extremist group of radicalized veterans. It has 2.7 million members nationwide.

The first national convention of the American Legion was held from November 10-12, 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the 1930s several of its leaders, including its original bankroller Irenee Du Pont, plotted a fascist coup against the Government of Franklin D. Roosevelt called the Business Plot. The coup was averted thanks to Smedley Butler, who warned Roosevelt of the plan.

1 Early support for fascism
2 Current support for fascism
3 Inconsistency
4 References
5 Sources

Early support for fascism

At its January 1923 Convention, Commander-in-Chief of the American Legion, Alvin Owsley endorsed Mussolini and Fascism:

If ever needed the American Legion stands ready to protect our country's institutions and ideals as the Fascisti dealt with the destructionists who menaced Italy.

Asked whether that meant taking over the government, he replied:

Exactly that. The American Legion is fighting every element that threatens our democratic government -- soviets, anarchists, I.W.W., revolutionary socialists and every other Red ... Do not forget that the Fascisti are to Italy what the American Legion is to the United States.

Owsley also invited Mussolini to speak at almost every yearly convention of the Legion during his time at its helm.

Current support for fascism

The American Legion will stand against anyone and any group that would demoralize our troops, or worse, endanger their lives by encouraging terrorists to continue their cowardly attacks against freedom-loving peoples," Thomas Cadmus, national commander, told delegates at the group's national convention in Honolulu.

We had hoped that the lessons learned from the Vietnam War would be clear to our fellow citizens. Public protests against the war here at home while our young men and women are in harm's way on the other side of the globe only provide aid and comfort to our enemies.

Editor & Publisher
American Legion Declares War on Protestors
August 24, 2005

Inconsistency

Dear Mr. President:

The American Legion, a wartime veterans organization of nearly three-million members, urges the immediate withdrawal of American troops participating in "Operation Allied Force."

The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, meeting in Indianapolis today, adopted Resolution 44, titled "The American Legion's Statement on Yugoslavia." This resolution was debated and adopted unanimously.

Mr. President, the United States Armed Forces should never be committed to wartime operations unless the following conditions are fulfilled:

That there be a clear statement by the President of why it is in our vital national interests to be engaged in hostilities;
Guidelines be established for the mission, including a clear exit strategy;
That there be support of the mission by the U.S. Congress and the American people; and
That it be made clear that U.S. Forces will be commanded only by U.S. officers whom we acknowledge are superior military leaders.

It is the opinion of The American Legion, which I am sure is shared by the majority of Americans, that three of the above listed conditions have not been met in the current joint operation with NATO ("Operation Allied Force").

In no case should America commit its Armed Forces in the absence of clearly defined objectives agreed upon by the U.S. Congress in accordance with Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution of the United States.

Sincerely,

Harold L. "Butch" Miller,

National Commander

American Legion
Letter to President Clinton
May 5, 1999
(via Billmon)

References

Diggins, John P. Mussolini and Fascism: The View from America. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1972.
Alvin M. Owsley, Journal of the National Education Association, 1923.
Glen Yeadon “The Nazi Hydra in America,” The 1930s: Nazis Parading on Main Street Part 1: The Plot Against Roosevelt, http://www.spiritone.com/~gdy52150/1930s.html
Bingham, Alfred M. Insurgent America: Revolt of the Middle-Classes. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1935.
Holhut, Randolph T. The George Seldes Reader. Barricade Books, 1994.
Seldes, George. Facts and Fascism. New York: In Fact, 1943.

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "American Legion".

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This page was last modified 16:21, 16 July 2006 by Chad Lupkes. Based on work by dKosopedia user(s) Daniel. Content is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.