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The American Legion (TAL) was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, war-time veterans’ organization, devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is a community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members, men, and women, in nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide. These posts are organized into 55 departments — one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The American Legion’s national headquarters is in Indianapolis, with additional offices in Washington, DC. The Department of Iowa headquarters is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The Department Service Office is located in the Federal Building in Des Moines.