ONE-HUNDREDTH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION Minneapolis, Minnesota August 28, 29, 30, 2018

Resolution No. 99: Commission The USS American Legion Origin: Ohio Submitted by: Convention Committee on National Security (Consolidated with Resolution No. 3 (SD))

WHEREAS, The American Legion seeks to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars and is synonymous with National Defense and National Security; and WHEREAS, The American Legion is on the cusp of its centennial anniversary in 2019; and WHEREAS, There was a prior U.S. Navy ship named the USS American Legion launched 11 October 1919; and WHEREAS, The ending of World War I resulted in the ship seeing commercial service until laid up until 1939 with the name “American Legion”; and WHEREAS, The ship was formally transferred to the War Department in December 1939 as USAT American Legion until transfer to the U.S. Navy commissioned USS American Legion (AP-35) and later reclassified as attack transport (AP-17); and WHEREAS, As the conditions worsened in Europe the U.S. president directed the American Legion to proceed to Petsamo, Finland and embark Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her party and also embark a host of American nationals and refugees from Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands for a total of 897 passengers including young Danish comedian/musician, Victor Borge; and WHEREAS, The American Legion also took on board a twin mount 40-millimeter Befors antiaircraft gun which was adopted by the U.S. Navy and proved significant in upgrading antiaircraft capability on U.S. Navy ships; and WHEREAS, The ship completed its Atlantic Theater operations and was transferred to the Pacific Theater in 1942 where it participated in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Bougainville for which the USS American Legion was awarded two battle stars for its World War II services; and WHEREAS, The ship became an amphibious warfare training ship in 1944 until 28 March 1946 when its name the “American Legion” was struck from the Naval Vessel Register; and WHEREAS, The U.S. Navy has a long standing tradition of continuing the reuse of historic names of its ships, another “American Legion” named vessel would honor and commemorate both organizations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of The American Legion; and WHEREAS, The United States Navy proposed FY2019 budget requests funding for 10 new ships, one of which is an Expeditionary Sea Base ship (ESB), which is a highly flexible platform that may be used across a broad range of military operations; and WHEREAS, Many members of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, and American Legion Riders feel that in observance of the American Legion's 100th year of organization, it is time that another United States Navy ship bear the name of The American Legion; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, By The American Legion in National Convention assembled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 28, 29, 30, 2018, That The American Legion urge the Department of the Navy to name the newest Expeditionary Sea Base ship the U.S.S. American Legion to recognize and honor the legacy of The America Legion's centennial of service to the nation, and to perpetuate its commitment to the future strength of our national defense and national security for generations of Americans to come.