The American Legion Department of New Hampshire unveiled a plaque commemorating its Centennial anniversary at the New Hampshire Veterans Association headquarters at the Weirs on Aug. 18. The Weirs was the site of the first department convention in 1919.
Members of the Legion, Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the Legion and Legion Riders from across the state were in attendance. Appearances from officials included Department Commander Emil Ouellette, Laconia Mayor Ed Engler, Jane Hirsch presenting a proclamation from Gov. Chris Sununu and a congratulatory message from Sen. Maggie Hassan.
The American Legion was founded in Paris in March 1919 by veterans of World War I. That same year it was chartered by the U.S. Congress as a patriotic veterans organization dedicated to serving veterans, active-duty service members and their families. New Hampshire was one of the first departments created in what has since grown to be 55 departments and 13,000 posts worldwide. There are over 15,000 members in New Hampshire.