Ralph H. Pickett

The National Executive Committee of The American Legion hereby grants a temporary charter to Lewis J. Aldrich, James H. Bagley, Lenzy C. Baker, Donald R. Eddy, Robert A. Eddy, A. Finley Ferguson, Donald A. Fredette, James C. Kennedy, James M. Kennedy, Ralph L. Lidstone, Fred A. MacNamee, Robert N. McClure, Gerald J. Stack, Raymond T. Reed, Finley J. Shepard, James A. E. Stover, Frederick M. Townsend, Francis C. Headley, Albert A. Houghton, Elmer G. McClure, Erland J. Nash, Frank W. Fox, Elwood B. Stewart, John C. Miller, John C. Kennedy, Charles Hager, Royal G. Thayer, William E. Seaver, Robert Young, William C. Branning, Levi C. Munson, Owen H. Congden, John A. Caines, Fred Livingston, Charles W. Wilder, Paul E. Taft, Miles S. Richards, Walter S. Wade, Harry B. Townsend for the formation of a Post of The American Legion at Wallingford, Department of Vermont, under the name of Ralph H. Pickett Post, Department of Vermont, No. 52 on the tenth day of April,1946. A permanent charter was issued on 03 April, 1950. Post 52 was incorporated with the State of Vermont on October 29, 2008 and granted a Supplemental Charter from the National Executive Committee of the American Legion on November 12, 2008. On27 February, 1946 the members voted to name the Post "Ralph H. Pickett" in honor of a Marine killed at Wake Island, defending it from the Japanese. He was Wallingford's first man to be killed in World War II. Ralph H. Pickett was graduated from Wallingford High School with the class of 1936. In 1939 he enlisted in the Marine Corps while in Detroit, Michigan visiting his brother, O'Brien Pickett. Ralph was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and in September, 1941 was sent to Wake Island along with 125 Marines who, with 1200 laborers were building an air base there and mounting12 three-inch guns. He was the #1 man on the # 4 gun. By December 23 the Island had been bombed and shelled for 12 days. Some 120 Americans and 880 Japanese died during the invasion. Ralph H. Pickett was killed on 23 December, 1941