227 Post History

Augustus P. Gardner Post 227 was chattered on March 21, 1921. The charter members who signed the charter were: William Harrison Young, Mark D. Cronan, Elmer O. Campbell, Chester M. Rogers, Lewis E. Rogers, J. Ellsworth Barnaby, William M. Young, Myron O. Wilkins, Earl F. Jones, Henry A. Jones, Alfred H. Kitchen, Otto T. Currier, Roswell G. Wedgewood and Ellsworth Russell.
Early Post records reflect that on March 2, 1928, a public installation of Legion Officers was held in the Town Hall with special invitations made to Civil War and Spanish American War veterans. The May 15, 1928 minutes state that Commander Young reported, for the Boy Scouts, that Reverend Chandler desired a place in which they could meet and it was voted to donate, to the scouts, the use of the meeting room in Town Hall on Thursday evenings with the provision that they do not use the pool table. On February 5, 1929 the Legion had moved into new quarters and began fixing it up. On October 29, 1929, a joint Legion/Auxiliary installation was held. On November 5, 1929 the Post voted to have the original charter framed (which is still on display at the current Post home). On April 26, 1934 the Post voted to request the trustees of the Flint Public Library to allow the town to erect the new Flag Pole at the rear of the WWI Memorial Boulder. On December 15, 1934 the Legion put out a call that help be sent to finish the roof of the Boy Scout quarters which has been sponsored by the Post since 1921. In 1937 the Post leased the old school building for three years, as the meeting place for the Legion, at a cost of $3. On April 30, 1946 in services held at Town Hall the Post inducted 72 new members into the Post. By this time the Post had moved to Town Hall on Maple Street where the Legion met downstairs. From 1947 – 1948 renovations were being conducted to Memorial Hall on South Main street after which the legion was accommodated on the second floor along with a new Selectmen’s room. The move from Town Hall to Memorial hall was completed in 1950. From here the Post would hold dinners of baked beans and ham, spaghetti and meatballs or roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans. The Post held Christmas and Halloween parties for the communities’ children and continued to sponsor the Boy Scout troop, too. In 1969 the Post purchased its own quarters at 69 River Street from the South Middleton Improvement Association, this is where the Post stands today. In 1989 the Post built a new Function Hall which they rent out and donate to groups for the good of community service. The new Function Hall allowed the Post to enhance their commitment to the community through the contribution and sponsorship of many programs, such as Children and Youth, Senior Citizens, Scholarships, Boy Scouts, Boys State, Veteran’s Outreach and many more community service projects.
202 Middleton Men and Women served their country in WWII with the following killed in action: Robert W. Burke, Joseph A. Donovan, Alfred P. Phaneuf, Alvar H. Wennerberg, David H. Currier, Gardner Galeucia, Russel D. Roode, Charles A. Curtis, Jr., Donald Meagher and Lewis O. Ryer, Jr.
76 Middleton men and women served their country during the Korean War, with none reported as killed in action.
146 Middleton men and women served their country during the Vietnam War with John Cabral reported as killed in action.
Middleton men and women served in the Persian Gulf War and the War on Terrorism serving in many areas of the Globe including, Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever needed. Additionally many served during conflicts in between these wars, such as Grenada and the Cold War.
The Post continues to support our active duty service members and provides membership in the Post for those on active duty who desire to be part of the American Legion.