George Washington

Wilbur S. Shaffmaster, WWII Robert Haffner, WWII Raymond Anderson, Vietnam

American Legion, George Washington Post 88, was founded in 1922 by a group of Masons from Royal Oak Michigan (Permanent Charter issues Nov 8, 1922, record number 6748). The Post has generally maintained a Masonic membership since its early inception. For decades the Post held their meetings at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. In the 1990’s the Post met at the home of Adjutant Frank O’Boyle. When his health began to decline, he moved to the Alma Masonic Home. He wanted to move the post to that location; however the remaining members wished to keep the post in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Under the leadership of Commander Wilbur Shaffmaster, with the assistance of First Vice Commander Raymond Anderson and Adjutant Paul Johnston, our Post began a revitalization program in 2008. The officers of District 18 provided invaluable assistance to us during this time. Commander Walter Howarth spearheaded an aggressive recruitment campaign in 2012. We began with 12 members in 2008 and we now have 55 members. We are proud to have had 100% membership for several years. Under Commander Eugene Pisha, we adopted the following Mission Statement in 2013: “Our mission is to promote the ideals stated in the preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion and the Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to Michigan veterans through active participation in organizations, thoughtful and relevant education, charitable programs, and exemplary behaviors in all endeavors.” The George Washington Post 88 has been meeting at the Detroit Moslem Shrine Center for the last several years. They have been very accommodating in allowing us to hold our meetings at their temple.