American Legion Post #314, Lehighton turned one hundred on Sunday 15 September 2019. A day before Congress officially sanctioned the national charter.
Commemorative 100 Years of the American Legion challenge coin were given to the honored guests by Harry Wynn. |
So it was fitting that Post #314 held a dinner and program to reflect on the impact of what 100 years of Legionism has done for our community as well as honor some of our longest serving Legionnaires.
~Be sure to check back soon for a look at Post #314's 6 Interesting Members" to be posted later this week.
~Be sure to check back for future posts regarding transcripts from WWI and WWII Last Mans Clubs
~Inquiries may be directed to Rabenold@ptd.net.
Three World War II veterans were on hand to receive recognition from both the local and state level of the organization but also from Senators Casey and Toomey, State Senator Yudichak and State Rep Doyle Heffley.
WWII veterans recognized were Asher Repsher, a former dairy farmer from Ashfield. Chester "Chet" Frantz, born in Summit Hill and currently of Tamaqua, who served in the 100th Infantry Division and Marvin Barry Sr., father of Major General Marvin Barry II.
The Opening Prayer - Commander Kevin "Spike" Long |
Harry Wynn served as M.C. and directed the color guard to post colors followed by the Star Spangled Banner, the Pledge of Allegiance, and an opening prayer by Kevin "Spike" Long.
After honoring the guests, a 15-minute presentation was given by Ron Rabenold, which delved into the unique impact and the critical role the men and women of Post #314 have played within our community for the past 100 years.
"As an associate member of this Legion
as a Son of the American Legion, I am proud to have been asked to speak to you
today on this most significant occasion of celebrating 100 years of American
Legion," Rabenold said.
"Preserving our Democracy is the sole
goal of our American Legion. That has
not changed in the hundred years since its inception. Our Democracy was here before any of
us. It was a gift from generations past. It is inconceivable to squander such a
gift."
Back of coin. |
The program ended with the benediction from Long, the firing squad offering a salute to the fallen, taps by Henry Long Senior, and the retrieving of the colors with Roger Diehl as Sergeant-at-Arms.
At the closing the Legion staff and volunteers served a delicious home-made meatloaf, ham, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, salad, and a marble cake. It was a fine day of Lehighton fellowship and appreciation, an important day to recognize an organization as integral to our town's life blood as any.
For God and Country - The closing prayer by Commander Long. |
For a transcript of Rabenold's "5 Unique People of Post #314" click here. There were five people, with distinctly different and varied talents, who embodied the ideals of being a Legionnaire.
Lehighton's Bert David and the National Legion - Paris, Spring 1919 -
Rabenold went onto say:
"It was Spring in Paris.
The First Great War had just ended.
But our service personal didn’t leave
because they saw an opportunity.
They had one more job to do.
And before coming home, one thousand
members of the American Expeditionary Forces formed a caucus to establish
something larger than themselves.
Teddy Roosevelt Jr was at the center
of this movement and a true Legionnaire.
He fought in WWI.
And even though he had severe arthritis,
he landed on Utah Beach as a Brigadier General, with a cane.
Just like his father, Teddy was the
real deal.
Many of the Legion’s patriotic and
non-partisan ideals came from him.
I think it is extremely important for
us to realize the mission of the American Legion –
Allow me to read some of the Legions
key ideals –
For God and country -
To foster and perpetuate Americanism,
To preserve memories of the great wars,
To inculcate a sense of individual
obligation to the community, state, and nation;
To combat autocracy of both the
classes and the masses;
To make right the master of might;
To promote peace and good will on
earth,
To
safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and
democracy;
To consecrate and sanctify our
comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.
These were the founding ideals.
Much of it brought about because of
Teddy Roosevelt Jr.
It is here that I’d like to draw your
attention – Because what Roosevelt was to the national charter,
It was Lehighton’s Bert B. David who
did the same here.
Bert B. David, WWI Vet and Lehighton
educator and Superintendent,
Didn’t just see these ideals, he
embodied them, and
he saw to it that they were infused
into our community...
He was the driving force behind the
establishment of our local Post."
Legion Post Community Involvement -
At the heart of the ideals of American Legionism is patriotism and looking after each other. And as an overarching consequence of that is strong community involvement.
Until there was WWI and Last Man Wilbur Warner, it seemed as though Lehighton would never have a community hospital of its own. Warner seemingly willed this to happen on his own will power alone. He raised over $750,000 for the project and Post #314 came up with $5,000 of it. (That would spend like $52,000 today. Warner was also able to secure a grant from S. S. Kresge, founder of Kmart, for $100,000. Kresge was born in Kresgeville.)
In August 1936 the Legion hosted a swimming carnival at Graver's Bathing Casino. It included swimming races and a penny scramble. They also held a "Bathing Beauty" contest. The contest served as a qualifier for the Miss Anthracite Pageant which was a qualifier for the state pageant in Pittsburgh. The state winner would go to Atlantic City that September. The local winners that year are pictured with Legion Commander Lee H. Hontz.
Nat Hyde's Orchestra played for the dance that night. Lehighton swim winners: Ardith Ruth (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Ann Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), June Snyder (2nd - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard). Diving was won by Minnie Hill and John VanHorn of Lehighton. In boys diving it was Alton Kistler with 1st with a second for John Goldbach. Russell Jones of Weissport (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Paul Miner (2nd - under 12, 30 yard), John Heller of Weissport (1st - under 14, 30 yard), Bill Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), Percy Slick (1st - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard), and Ernest Bowman (2nd - under 18, 30 yard).
The official starter was beloved Lehighton teacher Albert Dominico. Judges were Marion Bock, Lewis Ginder (another Lehighton icon), and also Dominico.
Post #314 also was the sole sponsor and coordinator of Lehighton's annual Halloween Parade up into the 1950s. The post also makes Lehighton's annual Memorial Day services possible. And by way of Americanism and Patriotism, the post has held Pearl Harbor and 9/11 Ceremonies as well. The Hometown Heroes banner program is also facilitated by the Legion. Oratory and essay contests for all ages of school children also occur each year through their efforts.
15 June 1940 - What role did this program have in creating the contributing citizen Chet Frantz became? |
Do Americanism projects have an impact on building patriotic citizens? When WWII Veteran Chet Frantz, mentioned earlier, was a young boy scout living in Summit Hill, he took part in his communities Flag Day ceremony. When Ron Rabenold was in High School, he competed in the VFW's "Voice of Democracy" oratory contest, leading him to speak at his first Memorial Day services in 1985. Rabenold is a frequent speaker at Memorial Day services and at other civic occasions.
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Rabenold's closing remarks -
"So there you have it.
All of them, each one, were truly
unique.
Different people.
Different walks of life.
Differing amounts of privilege.
Different talents.
Different color, different gender.
But one set of ideals. Ideals of the American Legion.
They embodied the variety that makes
America strong.
They pledged to help their fellow man
in disaster, in sickness, in their time of passing.
They pledged to promote civics and
patriotism, they hold essay and oratory contests.
They pledged to safeguard and transmit
to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy;
Painfully and soon, we will say
goodbye to the last WWII veteran.
And then, the sorrow will be repeated
for the last Korean veteran.
And finally, the last Vietnam Vet.
And so on...
To Legionnaires of Post #314 gathered
here today...
You are the posterity of the founders
100 years ago.
It gives me great pleasure to inform
you, that truly,
You all, are most worthy, and loyal...
And you have fulfilled your obligations
of devotion and duty to the highest degree.
None of the rest of us can do enough
to thank you.
God Bless you.
May God Bless us all.
What you’ve given to America and to
Lehighton can never be repaid to you."
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One unique feature of Post #314 are the four "Last Man's Clubs," one from WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
Here are a few excerpts from a some of their annual dinners.
WWI LMC - Bert B David was the 11th WWI Last Man to pass away. Forty-five members paid farewell; Wilbur Person gave the Eulogy Sept 27 1948; Last Man
David attended the first meeting of their club on Nov 12, 1938 and was the
speaker at that meeting; At second meeting 1939 gave the Toast to Living: May
each one be the last one, May no one be the first one, to the living;
He never missed an annual meeting; at one talk, he said
General Perhsing was an Elk and perhaps that is why it was called for 11:00 on
Nov 11.
Bert was the 11th
Last Man to pass on to eternal rest.
4years as Legion Commander; Lover of Longfellow’s Psalm of
Life – 7th verse:
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing leave behind us
Foot prints on the sands of Time.”
Bert’s motto could have been “service above self” for he was
a fighter, he never quit trying to make his community a better place to live
in.
Minutes from both the WWI and WWII Last Mans Clubs will be posted in a future post.
If you have any questions please contact Rabenold@ptd.net.
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The 'Last Mans Club' (LMC) for WWI did not gets its start until November 12th, 1938, nearly twenty years after the war. Only 72 members joined and saw their membership through until the end. (If a member lapsed in their dues, 50 cents a year, they were dropped from the rolls. At least 5 to 10 members were dropped over the years.) Even so, counting 72 members, twenty years from the war, it seemed that at first, the WWI Club saw fewer members pass on than did the WWII LMC. Below here find the original typed funeral service for LMC Members for WWII. Not the chaplain wrote and crossed out names upon the succession of deaths. These names here represent the first six men of WWII.
But something to keep in mind is, these are only the men who joined the LMC. There are numerous men in the area who returned home without joining the Legion. And some of these men died in unfortunate and tragic ways.
Seeking mental health services was frowned upon in the society of that time. The entire perspective of the field has changed and even though medicines and techniques have improved, the level of care in those days was rather bleak, in addition to the reticence of these men to seek help.
(Let the reader be reminded in this era one could be involuntarily committed. Getting some one "locked up" was sometimes more of a punitive than therapeutic measure. A perusal of the papers of the time can find certain vice crimes were deemed as "perversion" and often these offenders were committed to state psychiatric facilities. Thus there being such a strong stigma attached to seeking care that many died by way of a variety of self destructive ways.)
We recognize the destructiveness of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder today (PTSD). It's hard to imagine the struggles our men carried in that era. Service personal come home today with a myriad of struggles. Lehighton is proud of them all and we as a community should grieve for the sacrifcies both on the battlefield and for those who lost their fight in the war they brought home with them (See the Michael Wargo monument along the bypass or read this tribute to him here.)
Page 2 of the WWII Last Man Club Prayer Service dating from 1948. |
27 July 1945 - Green's death preceded Monk's by less than two weeks. See the end of this article for full account. |
Even though he was a member of Shoemaker-Haydt Post #314, Milton Green (a brother to Mary Green, wife of Herman Ahner) he apparently did not join the LMC. Green's death is most certainly a tragic accident. One friend and pallbearer of Green was Levi Monk who died from a fall from an old bridge several nights later.
Alcohol appears to have been a factor in Monk's death. It stands to reason that alcohol related and other deaths of recently returned veterans could at least in part be blamed on clouded judgment impaired by potential PTSD symptoms they could have been suffering. The weight of impact that PTSD could have played in some GI deaths is simply unknowable. (It appears neither Monk nor Green were members of the LMC).
Not surprising, the two page prayer service above was stapled to a thin piece of color card-stock advertising Neuweiler's (of Allentown) latest beer selections. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
Wounded one in Italy and twice in Germany, Charles Yenser of Mahoning and Post #314 member was interviewed for Veterans Day 1999. Eventually, Yenser rose to the rank of Colonel with the PA National Guard and helped fete Major General Bert A. David at the Lehighton Elks in 1972. The picture here is from the Morning Call article written by David Venditta and can be viewed by clicking this link. Yenser passed away three months later. His son Denny was a combat chopper pilot in Vietnam. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
Lloyd Arnold - WWI and WWII Veteran
Lloyd Arnold loved the radio. He was a radio operator in France during the First War and in 1922 served as a radio specialist on a submarine and also during the Second War. He was Lehighton's only member of both Last Mans Clubs and he was the third last survivor of the WWI club. He passed away 15 November 1984 at the age of 86. At his death, he was the oldest member out of 6,684 members of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Association. He was the 70th of 72 members of the WWI club.
Lloyd Arnold worked the radio in both WWI and WWII, serving on a sub as early as 1922. |
New Hall Dedication - 27 December 1945
Carbon County Judge James McCready said the new auditorium "represents Democracy at work." He said it was well-planned and made a reality by some "smart" people. It measured 40 x 90 with high vaulted ceilings.
World War I - Last Mans Club
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
World War II - Last Mans Club -
1st Annual Last Mans Club Dinner - December 7, 1946 At this point, no member of the club had passed away. |
3rd Annual - December 7,1948 |
"4th Annual - December 7, 1949" - It is marked "1949," however the is no discernible number on the wall hanging on the mantle. If so, that could make this one 1947, the 2nd Annual. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
December 1949 - Markovitz, Evans, Anthony, and Benner. |
7th Annual - December 7, 1952 In a dark suit and light tie, middle of the bar, standing near the seated man with glasses and bowtie is Atty Bill Bayer. |
8th Annual - December 7, 1953 - This is the last group picture of this club found in the binders assembled by Past Commander ('82-'83) Carlos Teets around 2010. |
In terms of 1953 buying power, the $2.50 would spend like $22.45 today. Gas was 22 cents a gallon and a loaf of bread was 16 cents. Average income was $4,011 and the average house was $8,200. |
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9 August 1945 - Morning Call |
27 July 1945 - Morning Call - Milton Green was the brother-in-law to Herman Ahner, one of the craftsman who built the Legion Hall. |
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Citations Presented on 15 September 2019 -
As always, when Mayor Clark Ritter gives a proclamation, he gives it in a nice frame. One of many ways Clark continues to give back to his community. We are fortunate to have such a good man as he. |
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Originally the first trustees of Lehighton's Legion purchased the home at 205 North Second Street. However, by 1928, James I. Blakslee, a major Lehighton benefactor, had passed away before realizing his goal of establishing a hospital in Lehighton. His widow Henrietta wished to donate it to the Legionnaires to make their homestead. After $4,000 in renovations the home pretty much remained the same until the new addition was added in 1945. Here is what the original home looks like today:
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
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