June 25, 1925: The American Legion assists with patrols to provide order and relief amid the chaos and destruction of a massive 6.8-magnitude earthquake that rocks Santa Barbara, Calif., claiming 13 lives.
June 27, 1919: Combat-wounded veteran U.S. Rep. Royal C. Johnson of South Dakota introduces the House bill, and Sen. Josiah Wolcott of Delaware introduces the Senate version, to grant The American Legion its federal charter.
June 27, 1944: The Veterans Preference Hiring Act is signed into law after fierce lobbying from The American Legion. The battle to give veterans additional points when pursuing federal employment had gone on for several years, dating back to the 1920s. The Veterans Preference Hiring Act is seen as a breakthrough and a foundation for future veteran employment policy by the U.S. government.
June 27, 2006: By the closest margin to date, the Senate comes just one vote short of the necessary supermajority to pass a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag from deliberate desecration. The tally is 66 for the flag amendment and 34 against. In the effort by The American Legion and the Citizens Flag Alliance to pull the supermajority, former Major League Baseball star Rick Monday, the American Legion Baseball alum from California who saved a flag from burning by demonstrators during a game in 1976, brings the flag he rescued to Capitol Hill and testifies in support of the constitutional amendment.
