Amercian Legion, Johnstown, WWI

Johnstown Post
No. 472, American Legion, World War I

Laura Perkins, Oswego County GenWeb Coordinator, came across an old American Legion booklet and forwarded it for transcription for this year's Memorial Day Salute. It is a lengthy booklet and links below provide details and pictures of many organizations and people dedicated to the efforts and success of Johnstown's contributions during World War I. Future postings will be completed to include officers, program, etc.

Source: Armistice Day Celebration, American Legion, Johnstown Post, No. 472, Souvenir Program. Friday, Nov. 11th, 1921.



Henry S. Gage,
Commander
Johnstown Post No. 472


What the American Legion Means
With 5,000,000 American citizens eligible for membership, the American Legion is potentially the most powerful civilian, non-sectarian organization in history. Among its members it recognizes no distinction of rank, nor place of service, whether at home or abroad, and neither race nor creed. Honorable service in the World War is the sole test of eligibility.
From observation and experience, the individual member of the Legion has gained a new sense of the comparative value to him and to humanity of the personal liberty, of the opportunities for the individual, and of the wholesome standards that characterize American live. He has become an enthusiastic American.
The preamble of the constitution reads: "For God and Country we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order. To foster and perpetuate a one hundred per cent. Americanism; to reserve the memories and incidents of our association in the Great War; to inculcate a sense of individual obligations to the community, state and nation; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."
Adherence to these principles necessarily makes a legionnaire think only in terms of a "square deal" to all.

Henry S. Gage,
Commander Johnstown Post 472.



William F. Deegan
New State
Commander Grover E. Yerdon
Chairman
General Committee

The following communication was received in answer to the invitation extended to State Commander William F. Deegan by Johnstown Post No. 472 to attend the local celebration of Armistice Day:

Mr. H. S. Gage, Commander,
American Legion Post No. 472
Johnstown, N.Y.

Dear Comrade Gage:
I am exceedingly sorry that Commander Deegan is out of the city en route to Kansas City.
We hope that your Armistice Day affair will be a tremendous success, and State Headquarters congratulates your Post upon it enterprise. We would appreciate a copy of your program for our files to show the down-state Posts what a real live up-state Post is doing.
Sincerely yours,
Hugh. M. Robertson
Assistant to the Commander

Prominently identified with practically every movement toward civic betterment and every cause of a philanthropic nature which has been advanced in Johnstown during a score or more years past, Grover E. Yerdon, General Chairman of the Johnstown Armistic Day celebration, needs no introduction to the rank and file of the city's general public.
Endowed with an attractive and winning personality and with a capacity for work which seemingly knows no bounds, Mr. Yerdon has at all times proved faithful to every task assigned him and has carried the work through in a manner which has gained the unanimous commendation of all.
In the choice of a General Chairman to shoulder the responsibility of carrying out a celebration of history's most awful conflict, the World War, would be most fitting observed the sentiment was unanimous for Mr. Yerdon. His wide and varied experience in similar undertakings at once recommended itself to the General Committee and pointed to Mr. Yerdon as the logical choice.
Members of Johnstown Post, 472, American Legion, and all others interested, directly or indirectly, in the success of the second annual Armistice Day celebration in Johnstown, extend to the General Chairman, Mr. Yerdon, their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation.



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