Post 64 Celebrates 35th Anniversary, 63 Earn 35 Year Membership Pins, Senator Leverett Saltonstall Guest Speaker

On Saturday, 8 p. m. May 28, 1955, the Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion celebrated its 35th Anniversary since its founding, which was observed in Town Hall with a program highlighted by recognition of 63 thirty-five year members.

Present at the ceremony was the Honorable Leverett I. Saltonstall, Senior Senator from Massachusetts who delivered a major address. His selected subject was, “The Reserve Training Program and the Nation’s Security.”

George H. Sampson, Chairman of the 35th Anniversary Committee, sent out letters on behalf of Post 64 inviting all Local Posts and citizens to attend the evening’s celebration. During the week of May 23, daily news releases related to the Post’s anniversary informed the public of its 35th observance.

A highlight of the week was the presentation Simeon L. Nickerson’s Distinguished Service Cross citation to Post 64 by Middleboro resident and cousin of Simeon, Ralph Nickerson. The Post was named after Simeon in honor of the Yankee Division hero who lost his life in World War 1.The citation, which bears the signature of General John J. Pershing, was presented to Post Commander William F. Begley.

Prior to the Saturday gathering at Town Hall, Senator Saltonstall and Congressman Donald W. Nicholson of Wareham were guests at an informal dinner meeting at the Red Coach Grill.

Honored invited guests to the 35th Celebration are State Senator Hastings Keith and Representative Alton Worrall. Also, Middleboro Board of Selectmen, Town Manager Roger MacDonald and representatives of the National Guard, Army Reserves and naval Air Reserve were among the guests.

At the Town Hall observance, seated on stage were the following guests: Selectmen, Town Manager, Department Commander, District Commander, Department President of Ladies Auxiliary, Veterans Foreign Wars Post Commander, Commanding Officer of Middleboro National Guard Battery - Lieutenant Tache, Commanding Officer Taunton Reserve Unit- Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Martin, Commanding Officer Weymouth Naval Air Station – Captain Leif Nelson and Commanding Officer of Otis Air Force Base, State Senator, Honorable Hastings Keith and State Legislator, Honorable Alton Worrall.

Seated in front of the above guests were Chairman of Committee, George Sampson; Post 64 Commander, William F. Begley; Past Commander Post 64, Fletcher Clark ( 1st Commander ); Massachusetts Senator and Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, Leverett Saltonstall; and, Congressman (9th District) Honorable Donald W. Nicholson.
As the principal invited guests were seated, the Middleboro High School Band marched into the hall with colors being carried to the front under guard. The band then played several selections and the “Star Spangled Banner.” The National and Post colors were posted and the guards and bearers marched out with the band playing.

Commander Begley welcomed everyone and introduced the non – speaking guests. First Post 64 Commander, Fletcher Clark, Jr., was then introduced, who then called up individually the 62 men and one World War 1 Army nurse to the stage, who had served in the Post for 35 continuous years to receive their membership pins.

Recipients of the 35 year awards were: Roger Anderson, William J. Begley, Clifford Bernier, William Bernier, Gilbert Broadbent, Charles Card, Charles Carver, Everett Caswell, Fletcher Clark, Jr., Louis Cole, Chessman Coombs, William Curley, John Danielson, George P. Deane, August DeMoranville, Frank Diotte, Malcolm Drake, Reginald Drake, George I. Dunham, Harold F. Dunham and Joseph Dutra.

Also, Charles Farrington, Charles Fickert, Gideon Fortin, Herman Fuller, Herbert E. Godfrey, Norman Guidoboni, Arthur Hall, Roy Huntley, Kenneth Keedwell, Edward Kelley, Carl Kendall, John Lacombe, Eugene LaPlante, Timothy Leary, Lester Leland, Kenneth Maker, Paul McCann, Clifton McCrillis, Patrick McMahon, William McMahon,Sr., James McQuade.

And, Ralph McQuade, Ralph Mendall, Frank Minott, Raymond Nourse, Lorretta O’Toole, Carol Peck, Winfred Perkins, Harold P. Reed, Manual Rose, Everett Saunders, Albert Soule, Freeman Taylor, George Taylor, Ernest Thomas, Harold Tessier, Roger Tillson, George Vaughan, Charles Wambolt, Garrett Whitty, Leslie Woodward and Fred Wright.

Following the 35 year membership pin presentation, Commander Clark introduced Congressman Donald W. Nicholson, who in turn introduced Senator Saltonstall.

Senator Saltonstall, Massachusetts senior solon and member of the powerful Armed Services Committee, addressed the Legionnaires on the subject, “The Reserve Training Program and the Nation’s Security.” He is one of four co-sponsors of legislation that would establish a youth training program to be known as National Security Training.

The measure provides for 1,000 hours of basic military training to be given to the nations’ youth under the direction of an all civilian Security Training Commission.
Adoption of the NST legislation, now in committee, has been set in the American Legion’s primary legislative goal for 1955, spokesmen for the veterans groups have noted.

Many of Senator Saltonstall's remarks were quoted in the Middleboro Gazette of Thursday, June 2, 1955. “The security of the nation is, as it always must be, first, and without any question all other objectives must be subordinated to that fact,” told his audience in town hall on Saturday night.

“There is no question whatever,” he said, “but that our military and reserve policies must be drastically overhauled, nor is there any question that this must be done at top speed. Not only must we have, as we are getting, the best of modern weapons of all kinds, but we must have, just importantly, a large, strong, well trained reserve. These are indispensable requirements for our country’s defense today.”

The Senator endorsed President Eisenhower’s military preparedness program as being fundamentally sound.

“It represents the principal objectives the president has in mind,” the senator declared, “and in my opinion should be passed promptly by both branches of Congress.”

He termed the present method of meeting manpower needs as “thoroughly confusing from the standpoint of the young men themselves.”
“This nation’s young manpower,” he went on, “represents our greatest single asset in these difficult days. Only as we make use of this great asset, intelligently and to maximum effect can we achieve the security we must have. At the same time we must be as fair as possible to these young men whom we call upon to serve.”
He concluded on a note of hope: “Let us remind ourselves of the faith in one another and the confidence in this great country and its resources that has shown by America’s fighter and veterans through all generations. With equal faith and confidence, with genuine optimism in the future, we can be sure of our own abilities to meet and solve whatever problems lie before us no matter how great they seem.”

George Sampson, chairman of the anniversary committee, thanked the senator and those who worked on the celebration. They were Adjutant Lawrence Carver, Commander Wlliam Begley, Senior Vice Commander Edward Crouse, Past District Commander Clifton McCrillis, Past Commanders John D. Rockwell, Jr., and Vincent Robidoux. Also, Adnah Harlow, Ralph B. Mendall, Ralph W. Maddigan, Jr., and Robert LaForest.