KEY EVENTS
Key Events in AMVETS History
- 1944 American Veterans of World War II (AMVETS) founded in Kansas City
- 1945 First national convention held in Chicago/World War II ends
- 1946 National Ladies Auxiliary formed in Pittsburgh
- 1947 AMVETS charter legislation signed/Sad Sacks hold first scrimmage
- 1948 National Service Foundation becomes corporate subsidiary
- 1949 First memorial carillon dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery
- 1950 Charter amended to accept Korean War veterans as members
- 1951 Elliot Newcomb assumes top post in World Veterans Federation
- 1952 First headquarters dedicated on Rhode Island Ave. in Washington, DC
- 1953 Economy plan goes to Congress/Korean War Armistice signed
- 1954 First Silver Helmet award presented to Gen. George C. Marshall
- 1955 Action spurred on reburial of WWII unknown at Arlington Cemetery
- 1956 National Veterans Day Program hosted at Arlington Cemetery
- 1957 National Safety Program initiated
- 1958 First science scholarship presented
- 1959 Scholarships added for physical education study
- 1960 Harold Russell elected to third term as national commander
- 1961 Civil Defense assigned to DOD after nationwide awareness campaign
- 1962 USS Arizona Memorial and AMVETS Memorial Wall dedicated
- 1963 Final respects paid to President John F. Kennedy
- 1964 JFK Memorial Sports Fund honors late president
- 1965 Ground broken for new headquarters on Rhode Island Ave.
- 1966 Headquarters dedicated/Vietnam veterans accepted as members
- 1967 Drivers Excellence Program started
- 1968 First Gold Helmet Award present to President Lyndon B. Johnson
- 1969 AMVETS 25th Anniversary
- 1970 NEC meets in Berlin—seeks support for POW effort
- 1971 First thrift store open opens on Georgia Ave. in Washington, DC
- 1972 Ladies Auxiliary hosts Women’s Forum on National Security
- 1973 The National AMVET resumes monthly publication as tabloid
- 1974 Ladies Auxiliary adopts John Tracy Clinic as national program
- 1975 Vietnam era ends/Amnesty-for-draft evaders legislation defeated
- 1976 Rep. Corrine C. Boggs receives First Auxiliary Humanitarian Award
- 1977 Stand taken in support of Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
- 1978 New carillon dedicated at Arlington Cemetery
- 1979 Ground broken for headquarters on Forbes Blvd. in Lanham, Md.
- 1980 Appeals made to elevate VA/Third headquarters dedicated
- 1981 Gramm-Latta Amendment endorsed
- 1982 Because We Care Day started/Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated
- 1983 Assistance provided families of marines wounded in Lebanon
- 1984 New memorial wall dedicated/Active military accepted as members
- 1985 AMVETS National Memorial Carillon dedicated
- 1986 Statue of Liberty restored/AMVETS contributes $100,000 to project
- 1987 First Independent Budget produced/first overseas carillon dedicated
- 1988 VA achieves cabinet-level status as Department of Veterans Affairs
- 1989 AMVETS Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program started
- 1990 National guardsmen and reservists accepted as members
- 1991 Arizona Memorial Room dedicated at headquarters/Gulf War ends
- 1992 Massive veterans’ protest stops VA rural healthcare initiative
- 1993 AMVETS-Toyota Safe Driving Challenge launched
- 1994 AMVETS 50th Anniversary
- 1995 Korean War Veterans Memorial dedicated
- 1996 VAVS 50th anniversary/Site of World War II Memorial dedicated
- 1997 New logo adopted
- 1998 Town meetings conducted nationwide on VA budget crisis
- 1999 National Headquarters renovated/Largest flying flag dedicated
- 2000 National magazine changes name to AMERICAN VETERAN
- 2001 Terrorists attack U.S./Veterans Day National Commemoration hosted
- 2002 Albert Geremia, last surviving founder, dies
- 2003 Nationwide marketing effort launched
- 2004 60th anniversary of the founding of AMVETS
- 2005 Memorandum of Understanding signed with the National Guard Bureau
- 2006 AMVETS hosts the first-ever National Symposium for the Needs of Young Veterans