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American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic mutualhelp wartime veterans organization. A communityservice organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members men and women in nearly 15000 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. Since its chartering in 1919 the Department of Maryland has continued The American Legions commitment to community state and Nation through programs dedicated to Veterans Affairs Americanism Children Youth and National DefenseHomeland Security.