The American Legion National Headquarters On this day in 1919 the first American Legion caucus was held by members of the American Expeditionary Force, convening in Paris. War-weary members of the American Expeditionary Forces gathered for a “morale conference” that led to the creation of what would become The American Legion. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=791504009669249&set=pb.100064289725604.-2207520000
National Commander Daniel Seehafer American Legion
An ordained minister from Wisconsin, Seehafer earned his American Legion eligibility through service in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve, where he served as a military chaplain. A member of American Legion Post 157 in Horicon, Wis., Seehafer has served in a number of American Legion offices at every level. https://www.legion.org/commander
American Legion National Commander marks 105th birthday
of nation’s largest veterans organization
https://www.legion.org/legiontv/FLlEg8BvcEH4ZVkK6f9s_Z6Q/X85Q89Oi0e0
DEAR AMERICAN LEGION,
On this very special occasion, we wish you, the AMERICAN LEGION, born on March 15, 1919, in Paris, France and to every Legionnaire in the United States or serving in one of the 12,000 Posts around the World, a glorious 105th Birthday. Good health and Happiness to All!
We also extend our very best wishes for a 104th Happy Birthday commemoration to the women and men of “La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux” aka the “Forty and Eight Society”, born in Philadelphia, PA, in March 1920, thanks to Joseph W. Breen, a member of the American Legion with a dream of his own…
TRIUMPH OF GOOD VS. EVIL: DREW PEARSON & THE AMERICAN LEGION
2024 is indeed a very special year of historic celebrations especially for France and the United States as we, the MDFDE, celebrate this year two other very important Anniversaries:
The celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Merci Train (1949-2024/2025) via the long term French-American project #MDFDEFriendshipMerciTrain75; and, in May 2024, the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy Landing (June 6, 1944 – June 6, 2024) via project #FlammeDeLaLibertéOperationMirror2024, the Liberty Flame, we so enthusiastically joined along with its creator, the French Association “Souvenir du Général LECLERC DE HAUTECLOCQUE” and its major partner, the “Comité de la Voie de la Liberté.”
And so, as the AMERICAN LEGION celebrates this very special Birthday this week-end, it’s impossible for me not to tell you about the HUGE role played by the AMERICAN LEGION, and veteran journalist Drew PEARSON, their very own Legionnaire, avid defender of Democracy and father of the Friendship Train (1947-1948), the people-to-people American Train, which delivered emergency food, clothing, medicine and gasoline for starving France and Italy in Dec. 1947 and January 1948.
The same Legionnaire, Drew PEARSON, who had “total charge” of the “Merci Train” as Secretary of the National Friendship Train Committee to Welcome the French Train of Gratitude in the United States (1948-1949).
Always thinking ahead, ten months after the Merci Train’s arrival in the United States, in early December 1949, Drew PEARSON was having lunch in Washington with George N. CRAIG, then National Commander of the AMERICAN LEGION. As the two men talked about the toll on mental health post WWII for the children in Europe, and with Christmas around the corner, in a matter of minutes they came up with a plan: the “TIDE OF TOYS” campaign was born.
Truly a modern Christmas fairy tale, the idea was that on Christmas morning 1949, every child in America will put aside one of his own brand new toys for the Christmasless children of Europe.
Fired up by Drew PEARSON and the AMERICAN LEGION, the “TIDE OF TOYS,” chaired by the legendary actress Doris DAY, collected in no time (just like for the Friendship Train) over 3 million toys.
TOO MUCH FOR… RUSSIA
3 Millions Christmas gifts — AMERICAN LEGION toys — for 3 millions grateful kids overseas — even in Austria and Germany, our former enemies — who could care less if this was a late Christmas for them as long as they could get something to play with was such horrible news for Russia, they called the toys — are you ready for this? — RUBBISH! No kidding? No kidding!
Fast forward… Seventy four years later, in 2024, Russia’s outrageous reaction about Drew PEARSON & the AMERICAN LEGION’s “TIDE OF TOYS” should really make us all smile, starting with our Finnish friends, NATO’s member since April 4, 2023, whom we salute.
Here is the story as reported by the AMERICAN LEGION (1950):
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Tide of Toys is the latest American Legion activity to be crowned with thorns by PRAVDA, the official Russian newspaper published in Moscow.
The April 13th (1950) edition of the red journal, just received here, printed a long article criticizing the “too favorable” attitude of Finland toward the United States.
“American aid to Finland, both material and spiritual, is constantly increasing,” complained PRAVDA. American benefactors recently sent 120,000 toys for children, which weighed 20 tons. Many people in Finland wonder wether there are enough children to distribute this rubbish too.”
A shipment of 20 tons of toys, part of the American Legion “Operation TOT,” reached Helsinki in Mid-March. It received a rousing welcome from the youngsters of that stout little nation which endured invasions by the Russians and Nazis in turn and expelled both.
Source: No. 181 News Service National Public Relations Division The American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana. April 1950.
Furthermore, to better understand what the AMERICAN LEGION really stood for then, and really stands for today, let’s hear fom my favorite late Legionnaire:
“The world has read a lot of great Christmas stories, from Dickens’ Christmas Carol to Heywood Bronn’s famous column, but this year we have a Christmas story of doing which ranks with any of them.
It’s the story of veterans who have fought our wars, led by the American Legion, who don’t want to fight any more wars and do want to build up friendship abroad. Recognizing that wars have come in cycles of about every 20 years, they have gone out to woo Europe’s children of today—who can be our best friends or the enemy soldiers of tomorrow.
That’s one factor behind the “Tide of Toys” campaign, by which American children who can spare an extra toy immediately after Christmas are urged to send it, via the American Legion, to less fortunate children in Europe.
There was a time when the public thought of Legionnaires chiefly in connection with roughhousing at annual conventions. But a new sense of international responsibility and determination to play a part in world diplomacy is growing in the Legion today. And that is one reason why Legionnaires, at this, the busiest time of the year, have been cutting short their holidays to promote what amounts to a friendship train of toys to Europe.” Drew Pearson, Washington Merry-Go-Round, January 5, 1950.
MORE ACTIONS BETWEEN DREW PEARSON AND THE AMERICAN LEGION:
On Nov. 7, 1947 Drew PEARSON launched the Friendship Train from Los Angeles, the AMERICAN LEGION was there, and EVERYWHERE across the United States, to raise money, to pick up donations, sending them all the way to New York en route to Le Havre.
On Feb. 2, 1949, the SS Magellan carrying the Merci Train, reached the Hudson, the first people to welcome the French to America and guide Commandant George ICARD safely across the Bay was the AMERICAN LEGION.
February 1949, and several months after the arrival of the 49 SNCF “40 & 8” Merci Train boxcars, it was Drew PEARSON who decided the boxcars will rightfully go to the AMERICAN LEGION (and in some cases the boxcar went to the “40 & 8” Society). It was Drew PEARSON who, working in cooperation with the AMERICAN LEGION and the Governor of most States, always made the final decision, solved all kind of problems — and believe me there were lots of headaches since “everybody” concerned about the Merci Train complained to Drew PEARSON, demanding his immediate intervention — about the ceremonies, the boxcars, the gifts (who was getting what) etc…
As already explained in a previus post, this is how, thanks to Drew PEARSON, the DC/Hawaii Merci Train boxcar, currently renovated by our friend Jeff Livingston at the Hawaiian Railway Society (HRS) on Oahu, first given to the AMERICAN LEGION in Honolulu, finally made it to Jeff and his predecessors.
And whenever Drew PEARSON took a vacation, he called on friends like Marilyn Monroe or Frank Sinatra to be guest columnists, to pinch hit for him for his radio program or his Washington Merry-Go-Round column, appearing in hundreds of newspapers nationwide. He even had National Commander Erle COCKE Jr. of the AMERICAN LEGION write a column for him (1951), which I found during my extensive research.
For more exciting info. on the Liberty Flame project and the “Merci Train,” please feel free to join the MDFDE via our brand new FB Page Friends of the Merci Train FRANCE-USA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/700330968840425
And on Twitter: @JElisabeth53901
All the best,
Elisabeth Jenssen Founder & President
Friends of Laperouse USA
Chair, #MDFDEFriendshipMerciTrain75
Le Mouvement des Français de l’Étranger (MDFDE) French and Francophones Abroad
Member of the Liberty Flame Executive Committee, France
Liaison of the American Legion (USA-Europe) for Project Liberty Flame
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