In the days following the Armistice the veterans of Downers Grove began returning home. Almost every day another uniformed man got off the train looked at the changes in his or her home town. By Christmas 1918 more than 30 had returned. On January 17, 1919 Mayor Kidwell welcomed them home with a party at the Curtiss Theater. Howard Jones took charge and every one had a grand time.
These men were soon joined by others returning home. By March the American Legion had become a reality and meetings were held in the G.A.R. Hall. By July the name of Alexander Bradley Burns was selected and on July 21st an application for charter was prepared and sent. These 33 men had signed the application:
Dwight Cox Clarence Phillips Thomas Shultz Richard Hawkins
Stewart Burns Alfred Gardiner George Johnstone William McElroy
Godfrey Blackburn Fred Edwards Gale Washburn Roland Shultz
Edwin Pfaff William Morton John Campbell Robert Campbell
Osmond Ostewig George McCollum Edward McCollum Edgar Boydston
John Mochel Ray Shultz Ray Morgan Albert Vix
Henry Garner Jay Allison Grant Nash Maurice Puffer
Walter Staats Charles Wolff Clifford Davenport Paul Bentley
Robert Carpenter.
Robert Carpenter was acting chairman and Paul Bentley as secretary.
