RICHARD — One day and two cakes, The American Legion Mountaineer Post 174 celebrated their 40th year of their charter and 100 years of The American Legion on Saturday.
The American Legion is an organization for wartime veterans who did not go overseas in the military, according to Post Commander Matt Sampson, who served a 20 year career as an Army officer.
“We’ve got a great team of veterans here along with the Ladies Auxiliary,” he said.
The American Legion Ladies Auxiliary is an organization of women who are relatives of a veteran. There are also the Sons of the Legion, who are decedents of wartime veterans.
The American Legion has four primary things they do, which Sampson called the four pillars. One is veterans. National defense, Americanism and children and youth.
“Americanism includes the Boys State Program which we’re sponsors of,” said Sampson.
Sampson said Post 174 is growing, sitting at 92 members. He said the organization is filled with people who are excited about veterans serving veterans. The Post has a couple things coming up including being a stop on an honorary motorcycle ride for late Private First Class Andrew “Bo” Harper.
“That’s real important to us because Harper died in the Afghanistan War and his father’s an Auxiliary member here so we’re pretty closely tied to that,” he said.
Sampson said in the next 40 years the Legion will be passing the torch onto the next generation. The American Legion started with World War I veterans, then to World War II and so on.
“Now we’re in a transition time of it passing gradually to our current Global War on Terrorism veterans – which I’m one,” he said.
At the local level, Sampson said what’s important to their members is camaraderie and the chance to socialize with each other. The Legion also has participated in the Veteran’s Day Parade, decorated tombstones for Memorial Day and disposing of flags that are no longer serviceable. The American Legion also brought forth the GI Bill 75 years ago.
Billy Anderson, who organized the special day, said he’s pretty proud to be part of The American Legion. An Air Force Veteran, he said after getting home from his service, he realized he wasn’t done with the military.
“Then you start realizing you’re not done, you just started. There’s a whole lot of veterans out there that don’t have nobody. That have no place to go to. They need assistance,” he said.
Anderson also mentioned camaraderie. It’s a big word, and it means a bunch to the Legion. He said it’s a family. Of course, what’s a family without some friendly ribbing?
“We’ve got a Navy guy here someplace just because we have to,” joked Anderson.
Anderson said it felt pretty special to be part of the Legion at this moment in history. He said to be a part of it with all the vets means a lot to him.
“It’s pretty special. I keep saying it’s a special thing because 100 years just don’t come around,” he said.
