The organization credits Major General John A. Lejeune, the 13th Marine Corps commandant, as one of its founding members.

Since its earliest days, the League has enjoyed the support and encouragement of the active duty and reserve establishments of the Marine Corps.

Clubs, associations and groups for Marine veterans were formed in keeping with the prevalent feeling of esprit de corps and good fellowship.

They had served and fought together and now they met to recount the days of 1917-19 spent in Parris Island, Quantico, France and Germany.

A gathering convened on November 10, 1922 at the Hotel McAlpin in New York City to discuss establishing relationships with other Marine Corps veteran organizations.

Among attendees were retired First Lt. Paul Howard, retired First Lt. James Duffy, Second Lt. Frank D'Ipoli, Albert Lages, Milton Solomon, Roy Hagan, Frank Lambert, Miss Ray Sawyer, Mrs. Mae Garner, Webster de S. Smith, Merle McAlister and Rev.

[4] Detachments began to organize in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Cleveland, Chicago, Indianapolis, Houston and Pittsburgh.

LeJeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, was unable to be present, but was kept informed of the proceedings by telephone.

1 began a newspaper campaign of protest, followed by contact with every senator and congressman in the United States Congress by letter and personal visits, which ended the movement.

John F. Manning of Methuen, Massachusetts succeeded Fisher as national commandant at the convention in Denver, Colorado in 1934.

During Cunningham's tenure, League membership more than doubled, the number of detachments increased to more than 160 and the first monthly national bulletin was launched.

The prime authority of the League is derived from its congressional charter and from its annual national convention held each August in a different major U.S. city.

A special group exemption letter allows contributions to the Marine Corps League, its auxiliary and subsidiary units to be tax deductible by the donor.

[9] The divisions of the Marine Corps League are: A State in which there are three or more Detachments with a combined membership of sixty (60) or more members may be chartered as a Department by the National Board of Trustees upon receiving a written request from such Detachments via the jurisdictional National Division Vice Commandant.

The Detachment is the basic unit of the League and usually represents a small geographic area such as a single town or part of a county.

There are over 1000 community-based Detachments located throughout the United States and overseas, supporting veterans and their families while being active and involved in the local community.