American Legion marks century performing a legion of duties
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
American Legion Post 175 places all the flags and plaques for veterans’ graves at Washington Cemetery.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
American Legion’s Deb Williams and Dave Staniszewski are shown Monday at Post 175 in Washington.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
The poppy is the official flower of the American Legion to memorialize soldiers who fought and died in war.
Dave Staniszewski and Deb Williams are proud military veterans. Dave served in the Army for three years, two of them in Vietnam. Deb was an Air Force nurse for 81/2 years.
One battle they continue to wage, but seemingly cannot win, is dashing a public perception of the American Legion.
“A lot of people think that a Legion post is where people come in, sit at the bar and get drunk,” he said, bristling. “We are much more than that.”
Much more, indeed. The Legion, among other things, is credited with securing benefits for veterans; organizing events for children and youths, fundraisers, town hall meetings, blood drives and bingo nights; and participating in flag ceremonies, holiday ceremonies, funerals and gravesite cleanup.
Staniszewski, the commander, and Williams, the adjutant/chaplain, are two of the top officers of Post 175 in Washington. Their location, like the American Legion itself, is celebrating 100 years of existence – a full century of operating under the radar.
“We do a lot of little stuff people don’t know about. We’re one of the best-kept secrets in Washington County,” said Staniszewski, whose post is off Park Avenue, 50 yards beyond the green Army tank that greets visitors to the 18-acre property straddling the Washington-North Franklin line.
His post is one of more than 13,000 in 55 departments cross the globe – one in each state, plus District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines.
American Legion was formed March 15, 1919, in Paris of all places. “It evolved,” according to the nonprofit’s website legion.org, “from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I …” Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of the 26th president, was instrumental in the organization’s launch.
Global membership has had its ebbs and flows, rising from 1.7 million to 3.3 million following World War II, sliding to 2.5 post-Korean War, jumping to 3.1 million in 1992, then falling again. The Legion’s national headquarters, in Indianapolis, estimated there were 2.3 million members in 2013.
“We need living, breathing, active members,” said Williams, who was a nurse for 32 years.
“There’s been a big nationwide push to get younger people involved,” said Staniszewski, who, like Williams, resides in Washington. “We’ve done telephone interviews with people who have not renewed their membership. I’m one of the younger ones, and I’m going on 73.”
Unlike a number of Legion posts, Washington has no social members, only male and female members with a military background. Membership here requires at least one day of active duty service and an honorable discharge, although it may be extended to those who are in two subgroups: the post’s Auxiliary Unit 175 and its Sons of the American Legion (male descendants of veterans).
Post 175, Williams said, has three living members with at least 65 years of continuous Legion service: Bill Simpson, George “Bud” Morris and Ewing Rhoades. The post has 862 members.
Marking a centennial is a special occasion, and members celebrated April 13 with a dinner inside the Park Avenue hall. The entity known, officially, as Edwin Scott Linton American Legion Post 175 has operated there since the mid-1960s, after relocating from Wheeling Street in the city. Lucius A. Crumrine was the initial commander, from 1919 to 1920.
One might say the busy season is ahead for Post 175, but the reality is all seasons are busy. Its honor guard, commanded by Dave Peters, participated in 88 military funerals last year and will likely be near that figure again. Members tend to 5,000 to 6,000 flags plus markers at Washington Cemetery, and visit care homes.
Then there are the youth academic events; a Band Bash fundraiser during the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in July, benefiting veterans functions; Memorial Day, July 4 in Canonsburg and Veterans Day; and a May 30 town hall.
There is little rest in the post kitchen, either. It is open five days a week, for lunch and dinner.
The radar at Post 175, and at many posts, is more active than the public perceives.
“Nobody know us,” Staniszewski said, smiling at the irony.