National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, also known as Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), 'is a patriotic organization formed in 1889 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. SAR has more than 27,000 members living in all of the 50 states and 23 foreign countries'.

SAR claims that 'Throughout its 116-year history, SAR has admitted more than 165,000 members. Among them are 15 Presidents of the United States, including George W Bush and his father George H W Bush, Dwight D Eisenhower, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt. SAR also has among its members Sir Winston Churchill and King Juan Carlos I of Spain'.

In describing its members, SAR claims to 'include fifteen presidents of the United States, Brigadier, Lieutenant and five star generals, presidents of several colleges and universities, ambassadors, and members of the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Congress. Members include small businessmen, doctors, lawyers, school teachers, CPAs, elected local, state, and federal officials, and government employees, all of whom have a deep affection for America its heritage and institutions'.

In its website, SAR describes itself as 'a historical, educational, and patriotic non-profit, United States 501(c)3, corporation that seeks to maintain and extend...

• the institutions of American freedom
• an appreciation for true patriotism
• a respect for our national symbols
• the value of American citizenship
• the unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people'.

SAR members are reported to have 'answered their country's call in every major American conflict beginning with the battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 up to the present, including Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia and the current actions in Afghanistan and Iraq'.