HISTORY The San Dieguito American legion Post 416 has been an established member of the San Diego family for over 82 years se ... rving veterans, service members and their community. The original building, built by World War I veterans, still stands today and is a true testament to the dedication, commitment, and the hard work of several generations of active members. THE AMERICAN LEGION The American 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 2.4 million in 14,000 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. read more