On May 28, 2017, on the eve of Memorial Day 2017, the following article was published by the Jennings Daily News:
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Post 19 of the American Legion, Department of Louisiana, was founded by a group of World War I veterans from Jefferson Davis Parish. Seven of the 42 founding members of the Post were members of the First Separate Troop, Louisiana Cavalry, of the National Guard: Roy S. Miller, Robert B. Ricker, Louis E. Cole, Harry Noggle, John J. McHugh, Jr., Frank M. Taylor and Jules Reaud. Miller and Ricker were officers in the troop.
The troop operated in and around Jennings. The troop, which is a company sized unit (88 soldiers), was called into service by the President of the United States on March 31, 1917. Captain Louis J. Taylor was the Troop Commander. The troop was chosen for immediate activation because of the high level of readiness its soldiers maintained. The troop was mobilized at Jennings, LA on April 1, 1917 and mustered into the United States Service on April 19, 1917. The troop was redesignated as Headquarters Troop, 42nd Division in August 1917.
Douglas MacArthur, who was then a Major working at the War Department staff, came up with the idea of forming a division from non-divisional National Guard units of 26 states. Such an organization would “stretch out over several states like a rainbow.” The 42nd Division was formed in this manner, and MacArthur was promoted to Colonel and served as the Division’s Chief of Staff. The 42nd Division was also called the Rainbow Division, with a rainbow forming a significant part of the unit’s patch.
The whole 42nd division was born in August of 1917, and it was organized in September of 1917 at Camp Mills on Long Island, NY. The 42nd Division, which included the men of its Headquarters Troop from Jennings, arrived in France in November of 1917 and entered the front line in March of 1918, where it remained in almost constant contact with the enemy for 174 days. The Rainbow Division participated in four major campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. During the war, Douglas MacArthur served with the 42nd Division. He was promoted to Brigadier General and actually commanded the Division for a short time at the end of hostilities in November of 1918.
The 42nd Division was demobilized on May 10, 1919. The soldiers from the Division’s Headquarters Troop, formerly the First Separate Troop, Louisiana Cavalry, returned to Jennings on May 13, 1919. They returned home to a city-wide homecoming celebration courtesy of the citizens of Jennings. Veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War were on hand to welcome home these newest war veterans. The photo above shows Lieutenant Roy S. Miller leading the Troop down Main Street in Jennings during the welcome home celebration.
The seven veterans from this Troop (Roy S. Miller, Ricker, Cole, Noggle, McHugh, Taylor and Reaud) joined with 35 other World War I veterans in 1919 in order to form an American Legion Post. On September 24, 1919 these 42 founding members signed the Application for Post of American Legion. They elected to name their Post after Captain James O. Hall, who had been a member of the First Separate Troop, Louisiana Cavalry, before the troop was called into service during World War I. Captain Hall died in service to his country during the war.
The Post was granted a Temporary Charter on October 10, 1919, when their applicatioin was signed at American Legion National Headquarters. This is the Post's official founding date. The permanent charter for James O. Hall Post 19 was signed on December 20, 1921. However, Post members began meetings and started conducting activities shortly after they submitted their application in September of 1919. Roy S. Miller served as the first Post Commander. The Post’s legacy carries on to this day as its members continue to support the community through activities such as the Jennings American Legion Hospital and the Post 19 Honor Guard, which provides military honors at funerals of veterans whose services are conducted in Jefferson Davis Parish. Post members proudly maintain their efforts to serve God and Country.
