American Legion Post 104 and Auxiliary meet the first Monday of every month at the Legion Hall at 6:30.
To rent the Legion Hall, contact Chamber County Commissioner Precinct 2.
The American Legion Post 104 in Anahuac has seen its numbers dwindle over the years, and needs new members if it’s to continue.
Just about five active members remain, which has hindered the organization’s ability to provide services.
“In about the last two years we’ve had a number of our members die or move, and we’ve had a tough time with it,” Post Commander Sam Hill said, who served in the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1973.
When membership was good, sometime after the Sept. 11 attack, Post 104 had about 25 members, according to Hill. Since then, World War II veterans have steadily declined due to age.
Another veteran organization in Baytown, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 912, understands recruitment hardships, which seem to come in waves.
“It’s so hard to recruit,” Jay Sanders said, former commander of Post 912. “But membership sometimes comes in waves — sometimes it’s up, and other years it’s down.”
The VFW, which has more requirements for membership than the American Legion, has also faced difficulty in recruiting younger veterans.
“As all of us get older (membership) is dropping off and getting the new heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan is getting a little hard,” Sanders. “But these (younger veterans) are getting out of the military and want to get a job and move on with their lives and families, and that’s what they’re occupied with right now.”
Despite having a handful of members, duties for American Legion Post 104 continue.
“We have a mission that I’m extremely proud of, and that’s to honor a veteran whenever they die. If the family so wishes we have a ceremony — we fold the flag and present it to the family, give a speech, we play Taps and we fire a rifle salute,” Hill said. “When we do that, the families always thank us and tell us how they appreciate the effort. But when we’re getting down to five or six members, it’s really hard to do all of that.”
“We need a few more (members),” he added.
In preparation for Memorial Day, the handful of members decorated some 400 graves of veterans with American flags throughout Chambers County with the help of Boy Scout groups and family groups.
Post 104 members will also participate in Anahuac’s Memorial Day service at the American Legion Hall in Fort Anahuac Park that starts at 11 a.m. Monday.
If you have served in any branch of the US military since 1990, or during WW II, Korean or Vietnam eras, you can join their ranks. Post 104 meets every first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Legion Hall (Fort Anahuac Park), 1704 North Main, Anahuac.
By Kevin Ladd, Director,Wallisville Heritage Park:
Veterans Day, which used to be called Armistice Day in recognition of the agreement that ended the First World War, should remind us of the local soldiers who served in the American military and particularly those who gave their lives for this nation.
The only local man to die in combat during the First World War was a popular, well-liked young man named Freeman Spath. President Woodrow Wilson tried to keep the nation out of the escalating European conflict, but finally yielded in 1917 and asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany and its allies. Freeman Spath, who was then 22 years old was one of the first to enlist in the army.
Daniel Freeman Spath was born in Maryland and came to Chambers County with his mother, Ollie, in the early 1900s. The circumstances of their arrival here are shrouded in some mystery. Ollie was married in 1909 to Tom Land, a son of Martin and Josephine (Wiggins) Land of Eminence. The late Lorraine Barrow Silva always remembered Freeman Spath as a friendly young fellow, who was well-liked by his peers
Spath underwent his basic training and was mustered into service in Company C of the 360th Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 90th Division of the American Expeditionary Force. The young man rose quickly through the ranks to become a corporal and took part in the battle of St. Mihiel. One of the most significant battles in the war, the engagement last five days, from September 12 to 16 on the Western Front of France. The engagement was the first battle in which American led forces used a concise and comprehensive operations order allowing for independent initiative from their front-line commanders.
The AEF was commanded by General John J. Pershing and faced several German armies who were defending a series of in-depth trenches. The trench boundaries started in the French fortified area southeast of Verdun, jutting south toward St. Mihiel, and then east to Pont-Au-Mousson.
Corp. Spath was killed on September 15, 1918, while leading an attack on Hill No. 327 and facing a fierce German artillery barrage. While Spath and his men were attacking the hill, a large artillery shell landed in their midst and exploded. The explosion killed or wounded all but one of the soldiers in the group. Corporal Freeman Spath died instantly.
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Willie Fritsche (1895-aft.1920) of Double Bayou, Chambers County, Texas, was beside Freeman Spath when he died. It is unknown where Freeman is buried. After his death his mother left Anahuac and returned to New Jersey.