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Department of Wisconsin American Legion Birthplace

     Birthplace of the Department of Wisconsin American Legion plaque

Location:

 On the exterior wall of the We Energies Public Service Building, on
Michigan St. between N. Old World 3rd St. and N. 2nd St.
231 W. Michigan St.  See location in Google Maps.
Features & Materials:  Bronze tablet
Aldermanic District:  4th

 

The Story

The American Legion, Inc. is a veterans' organization formed in Paris on March 16, 1919, by members of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.3  Today, membership is numbered in the millions, with thousands of posts worldwide. The posts are organized into 55 departments: one each for the 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines.2

The American Legion was chartered by Congress on September 16, 1919.3  Before this Congressional charter, some vets home from the war had already taken the initiative to create their respective Legion "Departments" within their own states.  Wisconsin's World War I vets were among the early establishers.

On Sunday, August 8, 1937 at 4:30 pm, this tablet was dedicated and installed as part of a city-wide celebration commemorating the creation of the Department of Wisconsin American Legion in the City of Milwaukee on September 3, 1919, 13 days before the Congressional charter.1

Reference links can be found below in More Info.
 

Gallery

north entrance of the WE Energies Public Service Building where the plaque is installed Milwaukee Journal cartoon dated August 8, 1937, the day the plaque was dedicated
The tablet is installed on the right side of the main north entrance of the WE Energies Public Service Building. A cartoon from the day the tablet was dedicated as a part of the larger celebration by the American Legion. (Milwaukee Journal, August 08, 1937)

 

More Info

  1. American Legion Birthplace Memorial - HPC Inventory Sheet

  2. American Legion History web page

  3. Wikipedia page

 

City Hall
200 E. Wells St., Room B-4
Milwaukee, WI 53202

(414) 286-5712

hpc@milwaukee.gov
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War Memorial Web Site Credits

Nader Sayadi compiled a majority of the photos and information seen here.  Laura Vanderbilt contributed writing and supporting information for "The Story" sections.