36 U.S.C. § 40103: Purposes

Summary

The corporation must follow its articles of incorporation and carry out 13 national purposes. These include protecting the U.S. Constitution and state laws; honoring U.S. wars and veterans and teaching Americans about their sacrifices; raising awareness of veterans, widows, and orphans and their needs; working with other veterans’ groups; collecting and preserving military history; and promoting lasting patriotism. It must also teach youth to respect the flag and anthem; help protect freedoms, peace, prosperity, stable government, and defense; support an association of Catholic veterans; encourage good moral conduct in public and private life; promote the family as the basic unit of society; encourage service to God and others without discrimination; and act as a veterans’ and patriotic organization under state law.

Title 36, §40103

Patriotic and National Observances, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purposes of the corporation are as provided in the articles of incorporation and include a continuing commitment, on a national basis, to—

(1)preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the laws of the States;

(2)commemorate the wars, campaigns, and military actions of the United States to reflect profound respect, high honor, and great tribute on the glorious dead and the surviving veterans of those wars, campaigns, and actions and to give all Americans a greater understanding of and appreciation for the sacrifices of those who participated in them for all Americans;

(3)stimulate to the highest degree possible the interests of the entire Nation in the problems of veterans, their widows, and orphans;

(4)cooperate to the fullest extent and in a harmonious manner with all veterans’ organizations in common projects designed to serve the interests of all veterans of all wars in which the United States has participated;

(5)collate, preserve, and encourage the study of historical episodes, chronicles, mementos, and events pertaining to the wars, campaigns, and military actions of the United States;

(6)inculcate an enduring love of country, a deep and abiding sense of patriotism, and a profound commitment to Americanism among all the people of the United States;

(7)encourage, among the youth of our Nation, respect for our national flag, our anthem, and the traditions of America;

(8)preserve the freedoms of all the people, national peace, prosperity, tranquility, good will, the permanence of free institutions, and the defense of the United States;

(9)foster the association of veterans of the Catholic faith who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States;

(10)encourage morality in government, labor, management, economic, social, fraternal, and all other phases of American life;

(11)promote the realization that the family is the basic unit of society;

(12)increase our love, honor, and service to God and to our fellow man without regard to race, creed, color, or national origin; and

(13)function as a veterans’ and patriotic organization as authorized by the laws of each State in which it is incorporated.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4010336:2603.Aug. 17, 1984, Pub. L. 98–382, § 3, 98 Stat. 1343. Before clause (1), the word “objects” is omitted as included in “purposes”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Par. (13). Pub. L. 109–284 substituted “laws of each State” for “laws of the each State”.

§40103 Purposes