The local paper--The Monticello News--has this one their website:
American Legion History
The American Legion was founded in 1919 by American soldiers still in France, seeking to preserve commandership fostered in service and to obtain medical care and compensation for the disabled soldiers. This was at the end of World War I.
Right after it was organized it became the largest veteran’s organization in U.S. history. There were 600,000 to 1 million members from 1919 to 1941 and has remained over 2.5 million members since ’45. There are now 10,000 local posts including Monticello Post 110. Each post elects a commander and other officers to operate the local post. The Legion lobbied to create the Veterans Administration in 1921 and was instrumental in the passing of the G.I. Bill for WWII vets education.
The Local American Legion Post 110 was officially chartered in 1931 but had a small veteran’s organization before this time. The present Legion House was constructed in 1942 with the special help and efforts of Ray M. Persons, local Commander at the time.
The local Legion Post was very active after WWI with soldiers returning home to work. It died down a bit during the depression and picked up again at the beginning of WWII. I am a member and have been for 49 continuous years and even served as Commander a couple of times. Most all of the returning veterans from WWII were very active in the local post and supported it.
I especially remember the Armistice Day celebrations held on November 11 of each year commemorating the end of WWI. This later was changed to Veterans Day on the same date. In the early days of the 1940s patriotism was at an all time high and local schools usually turned out for programs on the city square to commemorate the day. There were a lot of speeches and flag waving and the crowds were truly entertained. Sadly this is not as true today.
I remember that Armistice Day on November 11 each year at the local Legion House was a special time for celebration. The building was decorated with flags and banners and flags were placed on Veterans graves and “Poppies” worn in lapels all over town. I remember Percy Pope always recited from memory, “In Flanders field the poppies grow among the crosses, row on row.”
The Legion House had a small kitchen and two bathrooms and the rest was one long room (before the present partition was added). There were lots of tables and chairs and it was usually completely full for the program. All veterans’ wives were always included as well as widows and Gold Star mothers.
An out of town person with strong veteran ties was usually the featured speaker. It was always a gala occasion and one that you always looked forward to when November came around each year.
There are other veteran’s organizations but the American Legion is the largest and the only one that accepts veterans that served in major wars or conflicts, whether in overseas service or not. This is important to the present success and large membership obtained.
The Legion is here to stay and as more wars and conflicts confront our Nation, more young men enter service. The early Legion usually recognized WWI, WWII and Korean vets but now serves them all for all wars.
As the local post, made up mostly of Veterans of earlier wars, shows its age in membership and continually grows smaller as over 1,000 WWII vets die each year. It is hoped that a new surge of membership will come from younger veterans of recent service and that they will join and provide new leadership and revitalize the local Post 110 and let it continue as strong as before.
Come on in boys, we welcome you, the third Thursday each month at 7 p.m. Support your fellow veteran buddies and also this local organization which is very important to the veteran’s population in our whole country.
J.S. "Chick" Wilson 04.MAR.10
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