Post 69 Springfield,MO, Missouri

Post 69

Springfield,MO, Missouri

Post 69 Springfield,MO, Missouri

About This Post

Post Namesake
Goad-Ballinger
What Makes this Post Unique
The American Legion Goad-Ballinger Post 69 is located at the intersection of East Trafficway and Kimbrough Avenue at the Benton Avenue Viaduct. It is one of the oldest American Legion posts in the state. Two American Legion posts, Goad (Post 69)and Ballinger(Post 193) merged in 1920 as POST 69 and soon moved to the new building on land obtained from the Frisco Railroad. The Goad-Ballinger Post 69 was named after John M. Goad, the son of a prominent Springfield lawyer who was the first Greene County soldier to die in World War I. He was shot down in his airplane behind the German lines on June 27, 1918. Homer J. Ballinger was from the 110th Trench Mortar Battery who died August 25, 1918 in an ammunition train accident. The first president of the Goad-Ballinger Post was Paul Frey. The Legion met a self-set goal of 1000 members for the opening of the American Legion Home. Sgt. Alvin York, a World War I hero, was present as a speaker at the opening. A Last Man's Club was formed by members of the Goad-Ballinger post at the beginning of World War II. A bottle of champagne would be presented to the last surviving member. This happened in February of 1992 to V. Homer Wilson, who served as a seaman in the Navy. He was presented the champagne at age 97, but returned it to the post for the post museum. The first fundraiser to acquire the permanent Legion home raised over $17,000. The second fundraiser brought in an additional $15,000. The original site proposed for the Legion Memorial Home was south of Benton Avenue viaduct at the intersection of Kimbrough and Olive Street. Louis Repp of the Repps Dry Goods Company offered the local Legion Officers the beautiful Charles Holland home on East St. Louis Street and Kimbrough avenue as an interagral part and parcel of anything they might erect. The offer was accepted and the Legion had architects plan an addition to it when it was moved. There would be offices and meeting rooms,a dining area was planned. Back of the house a large auditorium seating for more than a thousand people would be added. It took seventeen days to move the old Holland home from St. Louis Street to the foundation prepared for it at the south end of the Benton viaduct just back of the Shrine Mosque. House moving contractors Guy w. and R.W. Barnes were hired to move the building. It took four days to lower it from the jacks to the foundation. The structure weighed 350 tons, the heaviest to ever be moved in Springfield at the time. None of the 90 pounds of plaster in the house was cracked or broken loose on the trip and at its new location. The building was not three sixteenths of a inch out of line at any point. In March 1987 the Post was designated as an Historical Landmark. The front section of the building has changed little over the years, retaining most of the original wood work. The upper most floor houses a history museum, offices and a trophy room. The second floor is the main part of the building and contains a kitchen and seating for over 200. This was added after the original building was moved. The lower level or basement has a bar, kitchen, meeting rooms and seating for 125. It too was added after the building was moved to its present location.

Photos

HISTORY

1910

POST 69 CHARTERED UNDER "John Marion Goad"

Sep 15, 1919
The very FIRST Charter for Post 69 was under the name of "John Marion Goad". John Goad served with the 48th Aero Squadron during the war. He became the first soldier from Greene County to be killed after his plane was shot down behind enemy lines on June 27, 1918. NOTE our post was chartered 1 day BEFORE the Official Washington DC and Presidents signing of the American legion into existance by the federal government..
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POST 69 CHARTERED UNDER
President Woodrow Wilson Signs into existence the American Legion as a veterans Organization of WWI Soldiers

President Woodrow Wilson Signs into existence the American Legion as a veterans Organization of WWI Soldiers

Sep 16, 1919
This is the Document signed by the President giving the Rights to the American Legion to be a Binding organization Acknowledged by the US Government in the United States
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FIRST COMMANDER OF POST 69

Sep 29, 1919
Photograph of Paul A. Frey, the first Commander of the Goad-Ballinger American Legion Post. During World War I, Frey served as Captain of Company C, 130th Machine Gun Battalion, 35th Division. He also served with Company K, 2nd Missouri Infantry on the Mexican Border. He was Injured and wounded in the Battle for the Argonne Forest on September 29 1918. Later in 1932 He became the Police Chief of Springfield Missouri and was involved in..
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FIRST COMMANDER OF POST 69
POST 193 CHARTERED UNDER

POST 193 CHARTERED UNDER "Homer Ballinger" in Springfield Missouri

Nov 8, 1919
Homer Ballinger served with the 110th Trench Mortar Battery. He died on August 25, 1918. This Post 193 was short lived and combined with POST 69 in 1920 with the final name of the post being GOAD-BALLINGER in 1920. This was added to our time line due to the name is still in existance and it gives the early history to the post name-sakes each.
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1920

GUY C. GIBBS ELECTED AS 69'S 2nd POST COMMANDER

Jan 1, 1920
Guy C. Gibbs was a Springfield native that joined the Army on April 15th 1918 and was in Company A 49th engineers and later the 119th Transportation Corps. He served in France from July 1918 to July of 1919 until he returned to Springfield. His Wife Mrs. Gibbs was Also instrumental in the founding of the ladies Auxiliary as being the Auxiliary's first Vice President elected at Post 69. Guy Gibbs would be one of..
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GUY C. GIBBS ELECTED AS 69'S 2nd POST COMMANDER
Ben J. Harrison elected 3rd Commander of Post 69

Ben J. Harrison elected 3rd Commander of Post 69

Mar 1, 1920
Ben J. Harrison a Springfield native as inducted into federal service on September 18 1917 and served in Headquarters company of the 342nd Infantry which was part of the 86th Division over in France. His final last rank was as a Corporal and served in France from June 1918 to May 1919. He was 21 years old when he joined the Army in 1917. He was was one of 4 Commanders the post had in..
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Photo of Goad and Ballinger namesakes of POST 69

Aug 1, 1920
Portrait photographs of Lieutenant John M. Goad and Sergeant Homer J. Ballinger. The two American Legion posts, Goad and Ballinger merged in August 1920 after being separate entities. The Goad Post was named after John M. Goad who was the first Greene County soldier to die in World War I. He was shot down in his airplane behind the German lines on June 27, 1918. The Ballinger post was named after Homer J. Ballinger of..
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Photo of Goad and Ballinger namesakes of POST 69
A few of the earliest American Legion National Proceeding books in our Museum.

A few of the earliest American Legion National Proceeding books in our Museum.

Sep 27, 1920
We have many of these and most lead back to the earliest years of the Legion and the Nation conventions. They list the events and the National Commanders at the time and a great wealth of information of the early forming of this veterans organization.
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THE POST 69 WOMAN'S AUXILIARY IS FORMED

Jun 17, 1921
In doing the research for the American Legion Post 69 as the Historian, I ran into a LONG forgotten and buried precious book of the FIRST unofficial (pre-chartered) and subsequent official meetings for the first few years (up to 1927) of the American Legion Post 69 Ladies Auxiliary. Finding this book and reading I could NOT let their loyalty and services go unrecognized as a part of what makes Post 69 great. Theirmeetingss took place..
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THE POST 69 WOMAN'S AUXILIARY IS FORMED
American Legion and the Axillary

American Legion and the Axillary "CRADLE ROLL" for the babies of WWI vets

Aug 1, 1927
This is a most interesting pile of paperwork I found recently in the Legion Post. It is unknown if this was a wide spread Club within the American legion and Axillary, but About 100 of these we have listing the Birth of the children of these veterans and the members of Post 69. Some of this one on top in the photo shows the Soldier had passed away that year and most likely from the..
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1940

WWI last mans club meeting card from Pvt Oliver English Post 69

Nov 9, 1940
This is a original invitation to A soldier named Oliver English from Springfield Missouri. He served in France with the 89th Division field artillery. These events took place each year near Armistice day now known as Veterans Day for the soldiers of WWI to reunite and see whom was still with them and whom had passed away in their ranks.
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WWI last mans club meeting card from Pvt Oliver English Post 69