It is the primary purpose of the American Legion Caswell Saufley Post #18, in Stanford, Kentucky is to be ready, willing and able to preform any of the requited Military Honors for any deceased veterans. We preform these honors when called upon by the family's of the deceased veteran, within our county and surrounding counties. We serve any Veteran's Honors at Camp Nelson, Danville and Mill Springs National Cemeteries as well as all local public or private cemeteries. We provide these Honors at no charge for the services. We believe that a "Veteran is not dead until he or she is forgotten", and we at American Legion, Caswell Saufley Post #18, "WILL NOT FORGET".
This is one of the most important functions of the Post to preform these Honors, however, it is not our only function. The Post provides for all Veterans and their families in many other ways by giving assistance in times of need and guidance through the Veterans Administration's process of assistance. The Post also provides assistance to a myriad of community charities. Including "The Lincoln County Changers"(A benevolent home repair service) , Fort Logan Ministerial Association's "Angel Tree", "Boy and Girls State", 4-H Summer Camp Scholarships, services and supplies to both the State and Federal Veterans Affairs facilities in the area and many others. The Post Color Guard also provides for several Memorial and Veterans Day Services, many public parades and events. The support for all of our programs come from the generous donations of family and community leaders and the support we receive with our fund raisers. We do not charge for any of our Honor Guard or Color Guard Services.
American Legion Post #18 is named for Richard Caswell Saufley, who was a pioneer of naval aviation in the United States Navy and a native of Stanford where he was born on 1 September, 1884. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1908 and was commissioned as an Ensign in June 1910. He served aboard the battleship USS Kansas, the torpedo boat USS Biddle, and the destroyer USS Terry before reporting to the Naval Aviation Camp on the grounds of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, for training in aviation in 1913. On 6 June of that year, he was promoted to Lieutenant, junior grade, and designated Naval Aviator No. 14. During the Veracruz campaign of 1914 in Mexico, LTJG. Saufley was attached to the battleship USS Mississippi and the armored cruiser USS North Carolina. In 1915 and 1916, Saufley's assignments were concerned with the technological development of naval aviation. Concentrating on "hydro-aeroplane" development, where he set altitude and endurance records and was attempting to better his own record when he died in a plane crash on Santa Rosa Island on a flight out of the Naval Aeronautic Station at Pensacola, Florida on 9 June 1916. His Curtiss Model E hydroplane, AH-8, went down at the 8-hour-51-minute mark of the flight. Saufley is buried at Stanford Cemetery in Stanford, Kentucky. Naval Air Station Pensacola's Saufley Field and the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Saufley (DD-465) have been named in Saufley's honor.
Our one hundred members are all Veterans who have served their country with pride, honor and dignity. They come from, the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Coast Guard. Post 18 members are veterans from several counties in central Kentucky that continue to serve their Nation. Some say we are "Old Soldiers Still At Work"
The Post meets at 6:00 PM in the Lincoln County Library second floor conference room on the first Thursday of each month. Any and all Veterans are welcome to visit us.
The Post may be contacted through any of it's members, email at caswellsaufleypost18@yahoo.com or by mailing to:
American Legion
Caswell Saufley Post #18,
Post Office Box 74,
Stanford, KY 40484
