By Cathi Taylor, ALA National Headquarters Archivist 

It’s becoming more difficult to watch the evening news anymore. The broadcasts are frequently filled with news of one disaster after another, whether natural or manmade. And they’re occurring all over the world. It’s disheartening to see those affected hurting so. 

Throughout the history of The American Legion Family, members have served wherever needed. Looking through the American Legion Auxiliary magazines dating back to 1927 when the magazine first began, one can find story after story about the hands-on assistance given by nearby posts and units, as well as the food, clothing, and monetary donations given by Auxiliary units and departments across the country. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was no different.

Flooding began due to an early snowmelt from Canada and heavy rainfall during the summer of 1926 in the Mississippi River’s central basin — the area between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The first levee broke in April along the Illinois shore. Within a week, levees began breaking in Mississippi. Before a month had gone by, the entire levee system along the river collapsed. More than 27,000 square miles of land in seven states succumbed to the water, leaving more than 700,000 people homeless and approximately 500 people dead.
 
National President Adalin Wright Macauley implored Auxiliary members to action, providing specific instructions on what to do and how to do it. The call was answered. The July issue tells us that nearly $25,790 had been raised, an amount that is just shy of $464,700 in today’s money.
 
But the fight continued into the next year as the poor of the Mississippi Delta were suffering from pellagra, a disease caused by the lack of niacin (vitamin B3) because of the flooding. The Department of Mississippi — armed with donations from other departments — purchased the necessary food for those stricken. In a letter to Department of Mississippi President Elva Tucker (portions printed in the September 1928 Bulletin), Dr. Felix J. Underwood, executive officer of the Mississippi State Board of Health, wrote, “Words are really inadequate to express the appreciation of the State Board of Health for your cooperation and help in looking after nutritional diseases among the poor of the Mississippi Delta. The Auxiliary has indeed been a ministering angel to the stricken of that area.”

And the work didn’t stop there. In November 1927, a hurricane traveled along the Atlantic coast through the Connecticut River Valley, dumping 6 to 15 inches of rain within four days. The White River Valley of Vermont was hit the hardest. The flood caused more than $50 million in damage (nearly $870 million today) and 85 lives lost. Three of the 85 were the wife and children of a Legionnaire.

As relayed in the December 1927 issue of the Bulletin, Legionnaires made house visits while units collected and distributed food, clothing, and bedding. Additional aid came from other departments, including the Department of Mississippi.

At the time of these events, the ALA National Rehabilitation Committee oversaw the disaster relief work. Units kept a “unit supply shelf” and reported monthly to their respective departments which reported to the national chair of supplies available for the departments in need. Monetary donations went into the National Flood Relief Fund.

Today, our departments, units, and members collaboratively continue to help members recover from disasters by donating to the national Auxiliary Emergency Fund (AEF). Through those donations, the ALA national AEF program provides financial support to eligible members who have endured a significant financial setback as the result of an act of nature or other personal hardship. 

My unit takes up a collection every meeting. I hope your unit contributes as well. If it doesn’t, take the first step and be the person who makes it happen.

Service — help — relief — aid. Call it what you will. Just know it's a very long-standing tradition of the ALA.