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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Marks of History: American Legion Baseball
PIERRE, S.D. – The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 a as patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. Six years later, on July 17, 1925, the American Legion Baseball program was created in Milbank, South Dakota.
By action of the South Dakota Department of the American Legion, the nationwide organization of Legion Junior Baseball was first proposed as a program of service to the youth of America.
According to the American Legion website, today more than 60% of professional baseball players are graduates of The American Legion Baseball program, and about 89,000 high-school-age youths play on Legion-sponsored teams each year.
A monument erected by Birch-Miller Post No. 9 can be viewed along US Hwy 12 near Milbank.
The Marks of History series is a project of the South Dakota Office of Tourism designed to highlight historical markers all across South Dakota. Click on the special “Marks of History” link at www.MediaSD.com to access the complete list of articles.
The Marks of History series is part of Goal 1 of the 2010 Initiative to double visitor spending in South Dakota and Goal 4 to enhance history and arts as a tool for economic development and cultural tourism in South Dakota. The Office of Tourism serves under the direction of Richard Benda, Secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development.
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Media Notes:
- Information for this release was obtained from “Brevet’s South Dakota Historical Markers”.
- The South Dakota Office of Tourism is not responsible for the text included on these markers. Some of the language used at the time of production may not be appropriate by today’s standards. Please view the markers at your own discretion.