Beginnings Acadia Post 15
When the American Legion was formed in Paris in February of 1919, two Crowley men attended the organizational meeting. Colonel Philip S. Pugh, Jr. and Lieutenant Isaac “Ike” Broussard were in Europe as members of the Army of Occupation. There was much interest around the nation for this organization of war veterans. Crowley was no exception. Upon their return to Crowley in the fall of 1919, they were a driving force behind the organization of Acadia Post #15.
On October 1, 1919, a meeting of fifteen ex-service men at the Chamber of Commerce resulted in an application for a charter being filed by H.R. Cocreham, who had been chosen as temporary secretary by the group. Cocreham reported on October 17 that he had received the charter, dated October 10, 1919, from the National Headquarters. A call was made for anyone who had served in any capacity, either overseas or at home, during the period of April 6, 1917 and November 11, 1918, to attend the meeting at the Crowley of Chamber office to complete the organization of the local post. As acting secretary, Cocreham remained in charge of the charter, constitution and by-laws, as well as disseminating information bulletins from general headquarters.
Officers were chosen at that meeting of October 21, 1919: Philip Sidney Pugh, Commander of the Post, H.R. Cocreham, Secretary, and P.W. Reiber, treasurer. Dues for the post were set at $2.00 per year for the first year with $1.25 retained for the local post, and 50 cents for the State organization and 25 cents for the national headquarters.
Fifteen World War I veterans signed the charter: Philip Sidney Pugh, Jr., Isaac “Ike” Broussard, Victor Ray Hoag, F.E. Farr, R.R. Cruise, Merrill M. Bernard, M.S. Woods, Erwin C. Andrus, C.E. Hoag, Robert E. Schlicher, Louis A. Kloor, Jr., J.M. Baker, Leonce Jumonville, D.F. Rose, and Roland Cocreham.
As one of its first official activities, Acadia Post 15 participated in the city’s first celebration of Armistice Day on November 11, 1919.
