OFFICER INSTALLATION BANQUET JULY 16TH, 2013- LIFE MEMBER BRAD THOMPSON HONORED
TURNBOW-HIGGS American Legion Post 240, Stephenville, Texas
The annual Officer Installation Banquet for TURNBOW-HIGGS American Legion Post 240 and Auxiliary Unit 240 was held on Tuesday evening, July 16, 2013, at the Post 240 Building. Distinguished Legion leadership attended the ceremony, including Division 4 Commander Ronnie Pietzsch of Roscoe, District 17 Commander Bret Watson of Weatherford, Post 240 Commander Roger Easter of Stephenville, Post 240 Lifetime Member Brad Thompson of Stephenville, and Department Commander Jim Fleming of Atlanta, Texas. Following the installation ceremony, the group gathered to congratulate Roger Easter, who was named Post 240 Legionnaire of the Year and installed as Commander for the 2013–2014 year.
Honoring a Lifetime of Service
On this evening, Post 240 bestowed a special honor upon Lifetime Member Brad Thompson, who at the time had completed 67 years of continuous American Legion membership. His dedication to the American Legion—and especially to Post 240—has long been recognized as extraordinary and without bounds.
To commemorate his decades of leadership and service, the large Post 240 meeting and recreation room was officially and permanently named “The Brad Thompson Room.” A framed resolution and a matching framed portrait of Brad Thompson were prepared for prominent display on the meeting room wall.
Saving Post 240 from Extinction
Post 240, chartered in 1920, occupied its building at 801 East Washington in Stephenville beginning in 1941. For the next fifty years, the building served as the center of Post activities. Over time, however, both the building and the membership declined. In 1989, the American Legion Department of Texas pulled the Post’s charter, and the building was literally collapsing.
Brad Thompson refused to let Post 240 die.
Through unwavering dedication, leadership, and hard work, he led the effort to restore the Post’s charter and raised $95,000 to renovate the aging building. When renovations were completed in 1991, Post 240 and Auxiliary Unit 240—guided by devoted members such as Brad Thompson and Joanna Lay—entered a decade of renewed strength and pride. Membership surged into the 300s, and several members went on to serve at District, Division, and Department levels. It was a remarkable achievement for a small town of fewer than 15,000 residents.
Leadership Legacy
Brad Thompson celebrated his 90th birthday on August 2, 2013. Recognizing that time and health eventually slow even the most dedicated servant, he chose not to serve as a Post Officer for the 2013–2014 year—an uncommon occurrence in recent memory. Nevertheless, he remained available for counsel and guidance, supported by his loyal and capable secretary, longtime Auxiliary Unit 240 member and past President/Secretary Joanna Lay.
Brad Thompson’s legacy is woven into the very survival, growth, and spirit of TURNBOW-HIGGS American Legion Post 240. His leadership ensured that the Post not only endured but thrived, and his name will forever be honored within its walls.
