First Entry-History of Lake Preston American Legion Post #63

History of Lake Preston American Legion Post #63
Charter granted to Post #63 on September 8, 1919. The Commander of Post #63 was L. R. Johnson. There is no recorded history of the Post with the exception of the roster of membership and the list of officers until 1926.
The first meeting place in those early years was in a room in the basement of the First National bank of Lake Preston. Later a small kitchen was installed where “a good cup of coffee and a good oyster” were shared. The oyster stew tradition has carried over the decades and still exists in 2016 as a way the Post can say thank you to those members that work to support the programs of the American Legion.
Membership has always been important in Post #63. On November 26, 1926 the Post Commander selected two team captains to choose up sides for a membership drive to recruit new members. The loosing team will provide a meal for the winning team and the new members. At this same meeting it decided to contact all the school boards in the township encouraging them to fly the US flag at each of the school houses.
The desire to have a post home of our own surfaced several times during these early years. In July of 1928 a committee was appointed to buy a Ford car to be raffled off with the proceeds going to the purchase of a Post home. Net profit from the raffle was $265.27. In April of 1930 steps were taken to purchase the first Post home at a cost of $1,800. With only $1,100in the bank, the bank agreed to loan the American Legion $800 to complete the transaction. It took the Post thirteen years to pay off the $800 note.
The 1930’s were difficult years for everyone and Post #63 was no exception. Membership dropped from 79 in 1921 to 15 in 1932. In 1932 the post borrowed money three times during the year to survive.
In 1948 talk started about the need to expand the Post home or build a new post home. A special meeting was called to discuss the building project with 41 members attending. The project was deferred.
August 29, 1949 after receiving an affirmative response from his parents, members decided to name our post after Porter L. Rich who was killed action at Pearl Harbor. In May of 2011 our Post received a package from Ronald Rich the son of Porter L Rich, the son that Porter L Rich never had the chance to meet. The package contained a copy of the Thanksgiving Day dinner menu for the USS Oklahoma, the ship on which Porter L. Rich served. In his letter Ronald Rich explained that the original menu was in the last correspondence his mother received from his father and she kept it framed and hung on her wall until she passed away. He also thanked our Post for honoring his father by naming our Post the Porter L. Rich Post #63.
April 4, 1949 Waldon “Wally” Twaddle was elected Commander and Glenn R. Green was elected 1st Vice Commander. Glenn Green would step into his first leadership role in October when Twaddle was called back into military service. Glenn R. Green was elected Post Commander the following year. Glenn R. Green went on to serve as District 2 Commander in 1954 and 1955, Department Vice Commander in 1956, and was elected Commander of the Department of South Dakota in 1957. During the Department Convention in 1963 Glenn R Green was elected the National Executive Committeeman, a position he held for the next seven terms. In 1977 Green decided not to seek reelection as the NEC from South Dakota and accept the position of Director of the South Dakota Division of Veterans Affairs. H held this position for the next eight year. No one that knew Glenn R. Green would dispute his love for God and Country, family, and fellow veteran.
In 1955 talk of a new building resurfaced. In 1956 a new 32’ x 90’ structure was started, estimated cost $12,000. Actual cost at completion was $14.807.77. Ten years after the motion to build 130 attended the mortgage burning ceremony.
Another Legionnaire of note is Wes Martin. Wes was a part of the Lake Preston community and American Legion for 21 years before returning to his home state of North Dakota where in 1994 he was elected Commander of the Department of North Dakota.