Post 298 Marion, Iowa

Post 298

Marion, Iowa

Post 298 Marion, Iowa

About This Post

Notable Members

Signatures on the Application for Temporary Charter, dated 21 October, 1919 were:

Robert T. Hibner
Carl A. Skedin
Raplh J. Williams
Harold T. Williams
Celan H. Rollins
George E. Weiz
John H. Pazour
Daniel D. Ellis
F.A. Neuman
Marl J. Merchans
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What Makes this Post Unique

Our claim to fame is that we have every flag pole ring from every convention.  Pictures are in a folder named Flag Pole Rings.  Note that rings were not made during WWII.

On October 21, 1919 Application For Post of American ... READ MORE

Photos

HISTORY

1910

The Paris Caucus (March 15–17, 1919)

Mar 15, 1919

 

Having immediately received a blizzard of acceptances to attend the opening of the "Liberty League Caucus", as he had begun to refer to it, Temporary Secretary Eric Fisher Wood began to search for use of a room of sufficient size to contain the gathering. The Cirque de Paris had been retained, a large, multisided amphitheater sufficient to accommodate a crowd of about 2,000. Delegates began to assemble from all over France. The 10:00 am..

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The Paris Caucus (March 15–17, 1919)
The St. Louis Caucus (May 8–10, 1919)

The St. Louis Caucus (May 8–10, 1919)

May 8, 1919

 

The Paris Caucus in March was by its nature limited to soldiers of the AEF who remained in Europe; a parallel organizational meeting for those who had returned to the American preparatory to a formal organizational convention was deemed necessary. This was a conclave dominated by the presence of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who called the convention to order amidst mass chanting akin to that of a Presidential nominating convention—"We Want Ted-dy! We..

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The Race to be Post 1

May 12, 1919
May 12, 1919

 The American Legion Department of Iowa began accepting applications for post charters on May 12, 1919. As in many American Legion departments, it was determined that the post whose charter was approved the earliest would be Post 1.

 Thus was staged the great race between Council Bluffs and Spencer.

 At the stroke of midnight, 15 charter Legionnaires of each city signed the application form, had it notarized..

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The Race to be Post 1
Application for Post of The American Legion

Application for Post of The American Legion

Oct 21, 1919

15 members signed this application.

 

Note the scratched out original "Name of Post"

 

 


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National Founding Convention (November 10–12, 1919)

Nov 10, 1919

 

Hundreds of thousands of African-Americans were in segregated units in World War I, mostly assigned to non-combat duties. The early American Legion left the question of integration, the formation of segregated "Negro" posts, or exclusion of black soldiers from membership altogether up to the states and the posts themselves, often resulting in gross disparities of opportunity.

The formal founding convention was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from November 10 to 12, 1919. It was attended..

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National Founding Convention (November 10–12, 1919)
Initial Meeting

Initial Meeting

Nov 19, 1919

On November 19, 1919 forty former servicemen met at the WRC hall in Marion. Allen McElwain was in charge of the meeting. A constitution and by-laws were drawn up and $12.00 a year was charged for expenses.

Minutes of many years meetings, starting with this one, have been found.  Several pages are in the "Some about Post 298" Gallery


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A. R. McElwain Elected First Post Commander

Nov 24, 1919

From 1919 to 1921 A. R. McElwain was elected as Commander

 

  Legend has it that the old adage, "Looks like he's at death's door," was coined in a base hospital surgical ward in Orleans, France, during World War I. Many have forgotten, but a world-wide pandemic in 1918-19, labeled Spanish flu, killed nearly as many soldiers as the war. It also killed millions of civilians.

      Accounts from that time stated that the surgical ward was long and narrow..

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A. R. McElwain Elected First Post Commander
Temporary Charter

Temporary Charter

Nov 24, 1919

On November 24th a Charter was granted with 14 members. In the minutes of the meetings a decision to not name the post was made, so the Post became “The American Legion Post #298” in the Department of Iowa. However, close examination of this document shows the controversy was not complete as in the upper portion it says Wm Penn Post you can see that had been scratched and MARION was written in. What a..

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First Auxiliary Meeting

Dec 7, 1919

120 wives attended a meeting on December 7th, with interest to starting an Auxiliary Unit to the Post. They purchased the first American Flag for the Post.


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First Auxiliary Meeting
Our First Meeting place

Our First Meeting place

Dec 19, 1919
The Memorial Hall was built in 1899 for the Robert Mitchell No. 126 Women’s Relief Corps. The Marion Post used this building for their meetings from 1919 to 1921.
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1920

Charter Signed by National Commander

Aug 10, 1920

August 10th, 1920 the Charter was signed by the National Commander. In September the Post held their first annual street carnival in Marion


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Charter Signed by National Commander
First Post Home

First Post Home

Jan 1, 1921
In 1921 the first Post Home was purchased. The old Dearborn Hotel was purchased for $9,500. Later an additional $10,000 was spent remodeling the Hotel. The Dearborn Hotel was built in about 1902. In 1917 the name was changed to the O’Heron Hotel. Later the name was changed to the New Dearborn Hotel. It was purchased by the American Legion in 1921.
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Hanford MacNider Elected as Third National Commander

Nov 2, 1921

1921 – Hanford MacNider of Mason City, Iowa, a highly decorated combat officer of the American Expeditionary Forces and veteran of the Pancho Villa expedition, is elected national commander of The American Legion at it's third National Convention held in Kansas City, Missouri. He lead a cross-country victory tour for Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France. MacNider would go on to serve as assistant secretary of war under President Calvin Coolidge, as U.S...

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Hanford MacNider Elected as Third National Commander
Auxiliary Unit Chartered

Auxiliary Unit Chartered

Apr 28, 1922
April 28, 1922 the Auxiliary Unit was chartered with 63 members and 5 Gold Star Mothers.
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1923

Jan 1, 1923
In 1923 the Post purchased two Bingo stands at the Marion Fairgrounds {now the Indian Creek Club} and used the stands for the street carnival Bingo. A new Ford car was raffled on the 4th of July. A game hunt and dinner was held later this year.
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National Convention in Paris

National Convention in Paris

Sep 19, 1927

Calling themselves the “Second American Expeditionary Force,” 20,000 men and women of The American Legion and Auxiliary journeyed to France in September 1927 for the Legion’s 9th National Convention.

The conventioneers frolicked at Coney Island, New York, before sailing across the Atlantic on board the steamship Leviathan. Gen. John J. Pershing accompanied National Commander Howard P. Savage on the voyage. In Paris, both men – along with many other distinguished Legion guests – attended a dinner..

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John Pazour's Report on the Paris Convention

Oct 13, 1927

OUR TRIP TO PARIS IN 1927

 

John H. Pazour and V. H. Balster.

 

 

    On September 5, 1927, we left Marion at 7:50 A.M. and arrived at Chicago at 2: P.M.  After arranging for sleeper tickets, we walked up Michigan Blvd and then took in a show where Balster saw an old friend, Ray Burns, who was playing in the..

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John Pazour's Report on the Paris Convention

1930

1930

1930

Jan 1, 1930

In 1930 the athletic park was purchased and plans were completed for a swimming pool. The Auxiliary helped by purchasing stock each year for expenses, they later gave all the stock to the Post as a gift. The pool was dedicated Aug. 30th. with a cost of about $30,000. Many hours were spent each year getting the pool ready, cleaning and closing it at the end of the season. The pool was 17,000 sq. ft...

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John Pazour is elected Mayor of Marion 1933-1941

Jan 1933

John Pazour was elected as Mayor of Marion in 1933 and served as Mayor until 1941


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John Pazour is elected Mayor of Marion  1933-1941
A.R.McElwain elected as Second District Commander

A.R.McElwain elected as Second District Commander

Jun 29, 1935

A.R.McElwain elected as Second District Commander


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