Post 54 Fernandina Beach, Florida

Post 54

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Post 54 Fernandina Beach, Florida

About This Post

Post Namesake
The Post is named in honor of Theodore H. Hernandez who was the first resident of Nassau County Florida to volunteer for service to this country in World War I. Theodore H. Hernandez rose to rank of Corporal, Company B, 116th Machine Gun Battalion, U.S. Army. Theodore died of pneumonia at the age of 21 on February 23, 1918. Theodore is buried at the Bosque Bello Cemetery, Fernandina Beach, and Post members continue to make visits to his grave on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Christmas to decorate his grave and pay respects to our Post's namesake. A collage containing the original obituary, service records and photographs of Corporal Hernandez grace the wall of Post 54 where the POW/MIA table is located at the Post, and it is also displayed on a television announcement monitor at the Post.
Notable Members
Elliott "Bud" Sydnor, Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired 68 years of American Legion membership (2014) June 1992 inducted to the Ranger Hall of Fame Commander, 1st Bn, 327th Airborne Regt, Vietnam Ground Force Commander 1970 raid on POW camp at Son Tay, North Vietnam Commander, 1st Special Forces Group, Okinawa Director, US Army Ranger Department June 1992 inducted into Ranger Hall of Fame(one of 21 members inducted since 1675) Awarded 4 of the 5 highest Army valorous awards- Distinguished Service Cross; Silver Star; Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star w/V Device; Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters; Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/ Silver Star
What Makes this Post Unique
Fernandina Beach has always been a small town with paper mills and shrimping as the main industries. In 1939 a small log cabin was built for the city of Fernandina Beach by one of the local paper mills. Over the years this log cabin was home to schools, civic organizations, and the Boy Scouts of America. Around 1970 the "old log cabin" became the home of the Theodore H. Hernandez American Legion Post 54. The old log cabin was small, approximately 2,000 square feet, and was the Post home until the year 2009. There are many fond stories of the old log cabin, many of which you will hear if you visit our Post today. The growth of membership and the condition of the building lead to the construction of the new Post home in 2009. Some of the logs that made up the old log cabin were taken to decorate the new building to remember where the Post came from. The center piece of the old log cabin was a beautiful large fireplace. In the winter the fireplace was the only source of heat in the old log cabin. Warm fires in the fireplace during the winter months warmed not only the bodies but the hearts of those enjoying the fire. When the old log cabin was demolished the fire place was left standing. Post 54 petitioned the city of Fernandina Beach who allowed the site of the old log cabin to become a Veteran's Memorial Park, keeping the old fire place as the center of the new memorial. You can visit the memorial, the site of the old log cabin at the corner of Atlantic Ave. and 11th Street in the city of Fernandina Beach. In 2009 with membership now approaching 500, Post 54 constructed their new Post home at 626 South Third Street. The new building, some 7,200 square feet, was dedicated on Veterans Day 2009. It is interesting to note that the new Post home is located directly across the street from the paper mill that donated the logs to construct the old log cabin back in 1939. We are the first American Legion Post that can be visited in the state of Florida if you come into Florida from the north on I-95. American Legion Post 54 was the only Legion Post in Nassau County Florida for decades. We are now joined in the city of Fernandina Beach by Post 174 and in Nassau County by Post 401. The Post is noted for its hospitality and it's shrimp! The hospitality is what you get when you visit Amelia Island, the location of Fernandina Beach and Post 54. The Post has been noted at the "shrimp" Post due to the location of the shrimping industry over the years in Fernandina Beach. At District meetings the Post is noted for serving local shrimp and members from all over the District always enjoy our shrimp feasts. In addition to social hospitality, Post 54 is well noted in the community in our support of American Legion programs that impact local veterans and the community.

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