A moment in time

What item in The American Legion’s virtual tour of its museum actually predates the Legion itself?

A stone from a bridge over the Marne River in France. In late May 1918, French and American forces used the bridge to repel the last big German offensive of World War I as they tried to cross the last natural barrier protecting Paris. On May 30, American machine gunners blocked the advance; on June 1, French engineers blew up the bridge. The Legion, of course, was formed in 1919.

The stone was presented to the Legion by the mayor of nearby Château-Thierry in August 1920. It is currently on loan to, and on display at, the Indiana War Memorial near National Headquarters in Indianapolis. April 6 marks the anniversary of the date in 1917 when the United States formally declared war on Germany. See the stone in the virtual tour here.

Which Legion founder took the first step toward what would become the Tomb of the Unknowns?

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What cause close to the Legion’s heart has a day devoted to it in September?

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