DeKalb American Legion Post Burns | American Flag Saved

TUCKER, GA -- American Legion Post 207 on Pine Valley Road in Tucker burned to the ground early Wednesday morning. Firefighters arrived on the scene around 4 am to find large flames engulfing the building, but the post's American flag was saved from being destroyed.

Tuesday was the 100th anniversary of the American Legion. The legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States.

Membership swiftly grew to over 1 million, and local posts sprang up across the country. Today, membership stands at over 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide. The posts are organized into 55 departments: one each for the 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines.