The 2nd Commander of Naperville Post 43 (1920) was Win G. Knoch, born May 24, 1895 in Naperville. After law school and service in World War I he entered a law partnership with future congressman and first commander of Naperville American Legion Post 43 Chauncey Reed. This led to his position as Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County in 1920. He was a DuPage County Judge from 1930 -- 1942, U. S. District Court Judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit 1939 -- 1957, and appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1958.
Besides Post 43, Judge Knoch led many other civic organizations and was General Chairman of the Naperville Centennial in 1931. He was instrumental in developing Centennial Beach as a memorial of the 1931 celebration, organized Naperville National Bank in 1934 in the depths of the Depression, helped establish Edward Hospital and worked with Caroline Martin-Mitchell to donate her estate to the City of Naperville. Active in Republican party politics in DuPage County, he had extensive connections throughout the county enabling him to co-ordinate Centennial activities. Judge Knoch died May 23, 1983, hailed as "Mr. Naperville" for all his contributions to the community.
