Flagstaff American Legion's 100th Anniversary by Arizona Daily Sun

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SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2019 |

THE AMERICAN LEGION

100TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2019

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Recognition and

support Flagstaff American Legion celebrates 100 years

he American Legion is the largest Veteran Service Organization in the United States, founded by members of the American Expeditionary Forces, in Paris on March 17, 1919, to build upon the relationships created in the “Great War.” These WWI veterans solidified leadership of the American Legion and received a charter from Congress in September of 1919 as a patriotic, wartime veteran’s organization, devoted to mutual helpfulness. Flagstaff ’s American Legion, Mark A. Moore, Post No. 3, turns 100 this Saturday, July 6, 2019, and plans to extend the celebration through the end of the year after throwing one big party. See page 8 for details. The post was named in honor of Corporal Mark A. Moore of Flagstaff, Arizona, who was killed in France on October 17, 1918. He was a member of Co. B, 105th Field Battalion, Army Signal Corps and was one of the first men from northern Arizona killed in France. The American Legion is founded upon 4 pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children & Youth. These pillars encompass a number of programs that benefit our nation’s veterans and service members as well as their families and American civilians. Each year, American Legion posts donate more than 3.7 million hours of volunteer service in their respective communities and provide assistance on more than 181,000 benefits claims and cases with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Legion is the nation’s single largest blood donor, with posts donating more than 80,000 pints of blood to collection centers nationwide. In Flagstaff, over 11,000 pints of blood have been donated since the program partnered with nonprofit community blood service provider Vitalant, formerly United Blood Services. Junior ROTC students receive more than 8,000

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Corporal Mark A. Moore medals from American Legion posts annually. The Legion also sponsors more than 2,500 Scouting units serving more than 64,000 young people, and awards more than $4 million in college scholarships. Impacts the American Legion has had over this past century:  Led initiatives to create the US Veterans Bureau in August 1921, a precursor to the current Department of Veterans Affairs  Established American Legion Baseball in South Dakota in 1925.  Led initiatives to create the Veterans Administration, which was established in July 1930  Established Boys State summer leadership programs in June 1935— Post No. 3 is a proud sponsor of AZ

Boys State held at Northern Arizona University each June  Drove passage of the first GI Bill signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in June 1944  Proponent and major donor to the Vietnam Wall in 1982  POW/MIA recognition and remembrance at all formal meetings beginning August 1985  Gained cabinet-level recognition with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Presidential Level in March 1989  Established Post 9/11 GI Bill in June 2008  Organized the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund for children of military members killed on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001

American Legions across the country are comprised of volunteers who serve our community by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military and their families, both at home and abroad. Through our local, state and national fundraising efforts, the American Legion helps veterans and their families during times of stress and challenge, via their veteran’s assistance program. Whether it’s a tank of gas, a hot meal, a bed for the night, a compassionate ear or a Service officer to assist with the search for earned VA benefits, Legion posts are here for the community. To learn more about the American Legion Family and it’s more than 3 million members, or to make a donation, contact Robert “Mac” McMillen at (928) 774-7682 or visit the website at www.FlagstaffAL3.wixsite.com/ mmpost

A2 | Sunday, June 30, 2019

THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

TAYLOR MAHONEY, ARIZONA DAILY SUN‌

Participants salute during the playing of taps at the end of Veterans Day ceremonies held at the American Legion in this file photo from 2015.

NOMINATE A HERO Flagstaff honors veterans and current service members

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n anticipation of the American Legion’s 100th anniversary, members of the Flagstaff community nominated veterans and current service members for recognition of the sacrifices made for their country. Thank you all for your service.

was awarded a Silver Star for displaying gallantry in action against an enemy.

inee Raymond Isaacs served two tours in Vietnam from 1967 to 1975 as a signal man in the Navy and survived being a prisoner of war. He, along with many others, is recognized each third Friday of September for National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

Aginiga

BEN AGINIGA

Urias

TOM URIAS

Hernandez

MANUEL B. HERNANDEZ

Not all who serve get the opportunity to come home and be celebrated for their bravery. Corporal Manuel B. Hernandez was a resident of Flagstaff and attended Flagstaff High School prior to joining the U.S. Army. He served in the Korean War in 1950. Corporal Hernandez protected and recovered his wounded comrades amidst intense battle and died by enemy fire on November 30, 1950. His remains lie in North Korea and have not been returned. He was nominated for recognition by John Davidson, who said, “He is an American hero and deserves our utmost respect and honor.” Corporal Hernandez

Tom Urias joined the United States Army shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. During basic training in Texas, he received training in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Urias was shipped to Australia in September 1943 before he saw his first combat in New Guinea the following January. Then, it was on to the Philippines with the 32nd Infantry Division. He was in the Philippines on June 6, 1944, when he heard the news of the D-Day invasion. “It was very important because at that time when we went against Germany, England was being threatened by Germany,” he said in a 2014 interview with the Arizona Daily Sun. “It was a smart move not only for the liberty of Europe, but they defended all of us.” Were it not for D-Day, “We might be still fighting the Germans,” he said.

Ben Aginiga served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was on aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9) in the South Pacific for three years, according to his nomination. He served as a Yeoman Third Class and was awarded 11 medals for his time in the Navy, including the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to all units for “extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941, Pearl Harbor.”

SYLVESTER GARCIA

Private Sylvester Garcia served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II in France where he was a B-17 tail gunner. He was later stationed in Amarillo, Texas; Sacramento, California; and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

RAYMOND ISAACS

Among its other roles in support of U.S. veterans and their families, the American Legion is involved in POW/MIA advocacy. The organization is committed to “achieving a full accounting of all POW/MIAs from the Gulf War, Vietnam War, Cold War, Korean War and World War II.” Nom-

Reyes

ROBERT REYES

Navy yeoman Robert Reyes served the United States from 1965 to 1971. His family recalls his strength and fearlessness as well as humility. “He was never one to boast about his life, his accomplishments or his constant drive to help anyone in need,” said niece Sarah Quinlan. “Growing up, he emphasized doing the right thing, continuing to learn and helping others. Following his time in the Navy, Reyes joined the American Legion where he advocated for veterans and their affairs, acting as a voice for those who didn’t always have one. “He was and will always be the veteran to remind us never to forget our heroes who answered the call for freedom,” Quinlan said. “He is my hero. He taught me to recognize the price of freedom, to never forget any of the prisoners of war or the soldiers missing in action. Robert Reyes Please see HERO, Page A6

Congratulations on your 100th year American Legion our country. 2545 N. Fourth Street • (928) 774-1467 www.FlagstaffMortuary.com M 1

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THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

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The role of propaganda in WWII At the start of World War II in 1939, Americans were divided over whether or not they should involved. Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, however, the United States began sending troops to the front lines. Propaganda was heavily utilized to unite civilians and the military in the fight to win the war. Televisions weren’t commonplace in many homes during that time, so the majority of World War II propaganda took other forms such as radio shows, leaflets, comic books and magazines. While not everyone was able to fight on the front lines, hundreds of artists were hired to encourage those left behind to

contribute to the war effort in other ways. Posters were the main type of media used, with 200,000 poster designs created and printed during the war. The calls to action depicted in these posters varied from urging the public to ration supplies like butter and sugar to encouraging women to join the workforce—the number of employed women in the U.S. jumped 15% from 1941 to 1943. The public was also encouraged to plant their own vegetable gardens and purchase war bonds. The posters provide us with a glimpse into the country’s climate during a major part of our history.

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THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Caucus to Plan Veterans’ Body for Whole Army After-War Association Subject of Paris meeting tomorrow Story originally published in The Stars and Stripes, Vol. 2, No. 6. France, Friday, March 14, 1919

hen something over 15,000 officers and enlisted men, representing the whole A.E.F., get together in Paris tomorrow to talk over the problem of organizing a national society for veterans of this war, they will start with a clean slate, according to members of the temporary committee which was formed to bring the question to the attention of the whole Army. The new organization will not be born full grown, the committeemen emphasized. There are no preconceived objects, no policies, no causes which have been mapped out in advance, it is stated, other than the one object of perpetuating the relationship formed while in the military service. The sole purpose of the caucus, the temporary committee which is in charge of the meeting explains, will be to take the necessary steps toward the organization of one great association to include the men who have served their country under arms in the war, an association “similar in character to the Grand Army of the Republic or the United Confederate Veterans, and composed of all parties, all creeds and all ranks” who wish “to perpetuate the relationships formed while in the military service.” Fifteen hundred invitations were sent out to representative members of the A.E.F. asking the recipients to take advantage of their three-day leave privilege to visit Paris and attend the conferences. “One of the principal obstacles to the initiation of such a movement” says the invitation, “is the difficulty of assembling at one time and in the same place a gathering of individuals which would even approximately represent the whole Army.” Outlining the purposes of the meeting, the invitation says: “It is assumed that the duties of the caucus will be to study the possibility of a tentative constitution, to consider a name for the organization, and to make arrangements whereby all units and territories can duly elect representatives to a great convention, being composed of a duly elected delegates from all States and all units, which will meet with full power and authority to adopt, modify, or reject the tentative steps taken by the conference.” It is proposed to hold the larger and fully empowered conference in the States next winter. “It must be understood,” says the invitation sent out, “that there have been omitted names of many officers and men whose assistance would have been valuable.” In line with this emphasis, the meetings which start tomorrow will find enlisted men taking an active part in the preliminary steps along with the officers. The delegates, officers and enlisted men were invited on the basis of their personal standing in their organizations. It has also been announced that officers and men of the A.E.F. uninvited, who happen to be in Paris while the meetings are on, are welcomed to take part in the sessions, which will be held at the American club, 4 Avenue Gabriel, near the Place de la Concorde. In the preliminary organization Lieut. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, of the 1st Division, is temporary chairman, and Major Eric Wood, of the 88th Division, is acting secretary. The temporary sub-committee which extended invitations to delegates is composed of Lieut. Col Bennett Clark, of the 35th Division, Major Eric Wood and Bishop Brint, senior chaplain of the A.E.F.

The American Legion forms in Paris, France, at the American Officers Club. More than 1,000 are believed to have attended.

From the

beginning Cementing the ties and comradeship born of service

‌March 15, 1919 The March 15 opening session of the Paris Caucus is scheduled to start at 10 a.m., but confusion reigns, and it does not begin until 2:55 p.m. Lt. Col. Eric Fisher Wood presides. The first four 15-member committees of The American Legion are: Convention, Permanent Organization, Constitution and Name. The committee tasked with naming the new organization reports 12 nominations: Comrades of the Great War Veterans of the Great War Liberty League Army of the Great War Legion of the Great War Great War Legion The Legion The American Legion Society of the Great War The Great Legion American Comrades American Comrades of the Great War

March 17, 1919 At the second meeting of the caucus, Lt. Col. Thomas W. Miller of Delaware, a former member of Congress who enlisted as an infantryman in the Army after an unsuccessful re-election campaign, brings the final session to order. Without a gavel to start the meeting, he pulls from his pocket an 1873 silver dollar, which he always carries with him, and raps it on a table. The day’s business includes choosing the organization’s name, membership eligibility criteria and the preliminary drafting of a preamble to The American Legion Constitution. After much debate, in a motion reportedly accelerated by hunger just before lunchtime, “American Legion” is chosen and adopted as a temporary name for the association. Following the final afternoon’s business, the first American Legion executive committee meeting is called to order, with Milton Foreman of Chicago as chairman.

“Our first duty is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, to get this boy on his legs, and once we get it on its legs, it will be like the mighty Niagara Falls. There is not anything in the world can dam it up. It will be a power that shall be known, and with influence all over America, and for good all over the world. Let’s be quiet and let’s be sensible today until we get this boy on his legs. He’s just a recruit, a raw recruit, and he has to be trained and we are going to do that thing now.” —Chaplain John Inzer, Alabama, on the formation of The American Legion at the St. Louis Caucus, May 10, 1919

May 8, 1919 Veterans bring their message home. The American Legion’s constitution is approved at the St. Louis Caucus after Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., rejects chants of “We want Teddy!” to serve as first national leader of the organization. Roosevelt, Jr., with plans to eventually run for elected office, does not want The American Legion to be politicized in any way. Former Dallas Mayor Henry D. Lindsley is instead named chairman of the St. Louis Caucus, conducted at the Shubert Theater. There, plans are made for the election of a national commander at the first national convention in Minneapolis in November. Before declining nomination to permanently lead (but serving as temporary chairman of the St. Louis Caucus), Roosevelt calls the gathering to order using a gavel made from the steamship Roosevelt’s rudder that carried Adm. Robert Edwin Peary during his explorations of the North Pole.

“I want the country at large to get the correct impression of this meeting here. We are gathered together for a very high purpose. I want every American through the length and breadth of this land to realize that there is not a man in this caucus who is seeking anything for himself, personally, but that he is simply working for the good of the entire situation … Now gentlemen, it is my absolute determination to withdraw myself.” —Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., temporary chairman of the St. Louis Caucus of The American Legion

By the end of the St. Louis Caucus, drafts of The American Legion preamble and constitution are approved, temporary officers chosen, a national convention site is selected and the name of the organization becomes permanent. Among the participants are approximately 25 African American veterans, including Earl B. Dickerson, who would later become a prominent Chicago lawyer and civil rights leader.

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THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

July 6, 1919

Nov. 11, 1921

Flagstaff’s American Legion, Mark A. Moore, Post No. 3, is established. Present-day members are very active in the local community through fundraising and volunteering for many veteran- and community-supported organizations.

President Warren G. Harding and the Allied generals of the Great War, flanked by American Legion officers and members, dedicate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony salutes the legislative victory of Hamilton Fish, Jr., a founder of The American Legion and former captain of “Harlem’s Hellfighters,” the famed all-black 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is adorned with the phrase, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

“They were to promote an organization which would not take form until the following November. They had no funds whatever, no offices, no staff, no literature. They had been named the temporary executives of a great idea.” —“A History of The American Legion,” Richard Seelye Jones, 1946

Sept. 16, 1919 The American Legion is federally chartered by Congress, authorizing the unincorporated organization to proceed to the adoption of a constitution and bylaws, elect officers “and do all other things necessary” as outlined in U.S. Code, Title 36, Chapters 41-50. Under Chapter 43, “Purposes of corporation,” much of the language is borrowed from the original draft Preamble to The American Legion Constitution with some notable deviations, such as “to promote peace and good will among the peoples of the United States and all the nations of the earth” and “to cement the ties and comradeship born of service.” The charter outlines the powers and authority of the organization, membership criteria, naming rights, exclusivity to manufacture and use The American Legion emblem (as yet unpatented), and a requirement that “the organization shall be nonpolitical and, as an organization, shall not promote the candidacy of any person seeking public office.”

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THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN‌

A large sign at the back of the Mark A. Moore American Legion Hall thanks veterans for their service during a Memorial Day ceremony this past May.

Hero From A2

would want all of us to recognize the patriotism. Our ability to show gratitude and our pride to be an American makes us who we are and [allows us] to live in the land of the free.”

WWII Veterans on Armed Forces Day 2019. Viana

ANDREW VIANA

While some veterans were drafted and given no say in the terms of their service, others simply knew they would serve no matter what. Andrew Viana joined the National Guard in 2017 as a specialist and is currently an active service member. “Joining the military is something Andy has always wanted to do,” said Ericka Askan, his girlfriend of four years, in her nomination of him. “He chose the Army National Guard because his family is very important to him and he wanted to stay close to home. He enjoys the experiences and the brotherhood.” Viana recently returned home from deployment in Afghanistan where he was a guardian angel. The guardian angel program was implemented by the U.S. Military in 2012 to counteract insider attacks on American troops while stationed overseas. “I’m very proud of everything he is doing and has done,” Askan said.

in post-war China to guard surrendered Japanese officers. He later earned an electrical engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma and secured a job at the Hughes Aircraft Company, working on the Polaris nuclear missile project. He returned to the Navajo Nation in 1963 and began a career in tribal politics. MacDonald served as Navajo Nation Tribal Chairman for four terms—the only Chairman of the Navajo Tribe to do so—from 1970 to 1986.

JOHN BROWN

PETER MACDONALD, SR

Corporal Peter MacDonald, Sr., born Hashkasilt Begay, served the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II as a Navajo Code Talker in the 6th Marine Division. MacDonald was raised among traditional shepherds and groomed as a medicine man, but served in the war from 1942 to 1944. The war ended soon after his training was complete, and he was deployed

PAUL R. LOPEZ

Delgadillo

Brown

MacDonald

wife of almost 30 years. “He shows love and compassion to everyone he meets and instilled his bravery in his children and grandchildren,” Strobel said. “I can’t express enough how much he means to me.”

John Brown was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. He said he felt his involvement as an infantryman in the war made a difference in his life. “It put me in perspective of what was going on in the world,” Brown said. During the war, he and several fellow soldiers jumped from a helicopter that was being fired at, resulting in Brown breaking his back and four others breaking their ankles. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal. After Vietnam, Brown continued to serve his community as a police officer with the Flagstaff Police Department for 17 years and then with Coconino County Sheriff’s Office for two and a half years. He said the discipline and comradeship he experienced within these organizations was similar to his time in the Army.

AUGUSTINE V. DELGADILLO

Augustine Delgadillo was an 18-yearold sophomore at Seligman High School when his draft notice came. He joined the U.S. Army and fought battles in central Europe and the Asiatic-Pacific

Theater during World War II. Following his service, he was awarded numerous medals including the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, European-AfricanMiddle Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Philippine Liberation Ribbon. “We went to Europe to save the people, not to conquer them—we went to liberate and I’m so proud that I served my country,” Delgadillo said in a 2017 interview with the Daily Sun. “I love my country and I will always be thankful for what our country’s all about. We are a great nation.”

RICK PETERS

Rick Peters served in the U.S. Army from 1972 to 1982 in Vietnam, working his way through the ranks to Staff Sergeant before retiring from the military. “He sacrificed his whole youth in service and was lucky to come home and raise a beautiful family then raise his grandchildren,” granddaughter Erica Strobel said in her nomination of Peters. “He’s a true hero.” Peters served on special security teams and handled classified material, receiving the Army Commendation Medal following his service in recognition of his achievements. He is now a great-grandfather with four great-grandchildren and 12 grandchildren, and is retired with his

Lopez Born and raised in Flagstaff, Paul R. Lopez was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950, a year following his graduation from Flagstaff High School. He served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1952, fighting in the Battles of Heartbreak Ridge, The Punchbowl and Old Baldy. He also helped save the lives of a tank crew when he ran through small arms fire and mixed mortar fire to secure a cable to pull the tank to safety. The act of heroism earned him a Bronze Star Medal with the “V” device, although he returned to the United States never having received the medal. “My father very seldom spoke of his time in the Korean War and in particular this heroic action,” said Vincent Lopez. “After hearing of this event I made several attempts for years to retrieve the record and have the medal awarded.” Lopez spoke to then-Congressman John McCain about getting his father’s award. McCain found the record and citation in “less than 30 days” and presented Sgt. Lopez with his medal in 1986 in a ceremony at Camp Navajo. Following his time in the Army Reserve, Sgt. Lopez served 30 years with the Arizona National Guard before he retired.

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THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY

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American Legion, To Unite War’s Veterans, on Way to Formation Paris Caucus Names Executive Committee to Plan for Convention S‌ tory originally published in The Stars and Stripes, Vol. 2, No. 7. France, Friday, March 21, 1919 FOR ARMY, NAVY, MARINES

Temporary Constitution is Adopted by Representative Gathering in Three Days’ Session American sons in O.D., navy blue and forest green are now a part of an authentic veterans association. With the formation of the American Legion at a caucus of delegates from both the commissioned and enlisted personnel of the Army, held in Paris Saturday and Monday, there came into being the first official organization of those who have participated in the Great War. Though only a temporary organization has as yet been created – for the creation of a permanent body with constitution and officers must wait until a similar caucus has been held by the troops in the United States – it marks the initial step in bringing together approximately 4,500,000 men. According to the constitution those eligible for membership are all those who have served in the Army or Navy, either at home or abroad, during any part of the war, except those who leave the service without an honorable discharge, draft dodgers and conscientious objectors. From billets along the Rhine, from the base ports, from casual depots, from G.H.Q., from every part of France and Germany where American soldiers are stationed, came delegates to start the ball rolling in forming a worthy successor to the old G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic). Though their time in Paris was limited to the same three-day status that has been inflicted upon many a remonstrating doughboy, they drew up a constitution, adopted a tentative basis for representation when they return to the States, chose a name and otherwise made ready for the permanent organization that will be formed when the A.E.F. is back home.

CONVENTION IN STATES ALSO‌ Before the caucus finally adjourned it created an executive committee which will act for the A.E.F. until the first convention in the

United States and which is representative of the various units of the Army now in Europe. It consists of one officer and one enlisted man from each unit. Within a short time the troops at home will hold their own convention, and then representatives of the two will get together for the final action. About 500 delegates attended the opening session, and though the number was smaller on the second day, owing to the fact that some were obliged to get back to their post, the delegates who remained were well representative of the various divisions and branches of the service. The number of enlisted men present was far below expectations, due to causes ranging from inability to have the delegates named in time for the meeting to difficulties encountered in transportation. On the first day of the convention this was spoken of on the floor, and before the first day’s temporary committees were named, one of the officer delegates had made a brief speech insisting that in all these committees not only should the enlisted men present be given full voice, but that recognition should be given to the fact that questions of rank were not to enter the deliberations.

NAME PROBLEM A POSER‌ The selection of a name was the last matter taken up by the caucus, and was acted upon just prior to adjournment Monday afternoon. The committee on names had prepared a list containing names which ranged from the prosaic Army of the Great War, to the more flowery American Crusaders. A vote had been taken in the committee and the five favorites in their proper order had been: Legion of the Great War, Veterans of the Great War, The Legion, Society of the Great War and the American Legion. Delegates were careful to point out that the caucuses could effect [sic] no organization except of a temporary nature and that all actions taken by it must be ratified by a later gathering representative of both the men in France and those in America. It is because of the fact that the following constitution, which was adopted after it had been considered and voted upon sentence by sentence, will be open to change: We, the members of the military and naval service of the United States of American in the Great War, desiring to perpetuate the principles of justice, freedom and democracy for which we have fought, to inculcate the duty an obligation of the citizen to the State, to preserve to history and incidents of our participation in the war, and to cement the ties of comradeship formed in service,

do hereby found and establish an association for the furtherance of the foregoing purposes. Those eligible to membership shall be: All officers and enlisted personnel in the military and naval service of the United States of America at any time during the period from April 6, 1917, until November 11, 1918, inclusive; excepting however persons leaving the service without an honorable discharge, or persons who, after having been called into the service, refused, failed or attempted to evade the full performance of such service. The society shall consist of a national organization with subsidiary branches, one for each state, territory and foreign possession of the United States, and the District of Columbia, as well as one in each foreign country where members of the national society may be resident and who desire to associate themselves together. The officers of the society shall be a president, one or more vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer and a board of directors, which shall consist of the president, vice presidents of the national organization, together with a delegate from each subsidiary branch. The subsidiary branches shall organize and govern themselves in such a manner as the membership of such subsidiary organizations shall determine, except that all branches shall comply with the requirements and purposes of the permanent national constitution. The representation shall be on the basis of the actual enrollment in the subsidiary branches at all conventions after the adoption of a permanent constitution.

THE OPENING SESSION A lengthy and lively debate as to whether voting should be by delegation or individuals developed as soon as temporary organizations had been effected at the opening session of the caucus Saturday. The vote on the delegation proposal was finally carried 279 to 72. The meeting was opened by Maj. Eric Fisher Wood, 88th Division, as temporary secretary, in the absence of the temporary chairman, Lieut-Col. Theodore Roosevelt, 1st Division, who is now in America. Temporary organization was effected with the unanimous election of Lieut.-Col Bennet C. Clark as chairman and of Major Wood as secretary. The following organizations were represented and, following the adoption of the delegation resolution, were each entitled to a single vote in succeeding roll-calls. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 36th, 41st, 42nd, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 88th, 89th and 91st Divisions;

The City of Flagstaff

First, Second and Third Armies; G.H.Q.; IIq., S.O.S; intermediate Sections, S.O. S.; Advance Section, S.O.S.; Base Sections, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7; Paris Command, and American Troops serving with the French. Three divisions had no representatives present. Others, such as the 27th, which has gone home, and some largely reduced replacement organizations were not included.

FOUR COMMITTEES APPOINTED Further debate followed a motion to have the chairman appoint an organization committee with a member from each delegation, but this was voted down in favor of an amendment to have the chair name four committees, each of 15 members, on permanent organization, constitution, national convention and name. These committees were announced as follows: Permanent organizations: Colonel W. j. Doonavan, 42nd Division; Lieut. Col Horace G. Smith, 78th Division; Capt. A. Hunter Boyd, 29th Division; Lieut. Col. A E. Fitzpatrick, 35th Division; Liert. Col W. W. Crosby, S.O.S.; Major J. P. Graff, 28th Division; Major Barry Wright, 79th Division; Sgt. Tyler U. Bliss, Paris Command; Lieut. Col. William A. Graham, 88th Division; Sgt. Rolle S. Thorpe, 88th Divison; Pvt. W.F Thompson, Base Section 1, Sgt V.V. Trout, Paris Command; Capt. Oscar E. Carlstrom, S.O.S. ; Major R.C. Patterson, Paris Command. Constituion: Lieut. Col. G. Edward Buston, Jr., 82nd Division, Col. Carl E. Ristine, 35th Division; Major Redmond C. Stewart, 1st Di-

vison; Lieut. Col. William H. Curtiss, 91st Division; Lieut. Col. Thomas W. Miller, 79th Division; Major John H. Hall, 28th Division; Col. Frank A. White, 41st Division; Pvt. J. Blackwell, Paris Command; Col. Milton A. Foreman, 33rd Division; Lieut. Col John Price Jackson, Paris Command; Pvt. Joh T. Winterich, Paris Command; Lieut. Col. Lemuel T. Bolles, 1st Army; Col. Edward L. Logan, 26th Division. Convention: Brig. Gen. J.H. Sherburne, 26th Divison; Capt. Ogden L. Mills, G.H.Q.; Col J. H Graham, S.O.S., Pvt. C.W. Ney, 1st Army; Capt. R.V. Mahon, 77th Division; Sgt. J. C. Hender, Paris Command, Sgt. F.R. Obrecht, 1st Army; Capt. Arthur W. Kipling, Troops with French; Wagoner D. J. Shaw, 88th Division; Lieut. Col. Frank Appleton, 2nd Army; Cpl. John H. Anderson, 42nd Division; Major Victor W. Hungerford, 3rd Army; Lieut. Col. George Wren, 36th Division; A.F.C. Dan Sowers, G.H.Q.; Lieut. Col. Paul B. Clemens, 32nd Division; Major Samuel R. Todd, 81st Division. Names: Col. E. A. Gibbs, S.O.S; Sgt. W.S. Dolan, 98th Division; Maj. Arthur S. Dwight, S.O.S.; Sgt. H.E. Fleming, 35th Division; Lieut. Col. C.C. Goodrich, G.H.Q; Lieut. Col. R.C. Stebens, Third Army Corps; Maj. E.S. Haile, 77th Division; Sgt. McElow, Paris Command; Sgt T.M. Barnard, Paris Command; Sgt. C.E. Sommers, Peace Commission; Sgt. G.F. Fleming, Paris Command; Maj. Horace Rmsey, 35th Division; Maj. D.Dd. Drain, Third Army; Lieut. Col. E.A. Robbins, Jr., Sixth Corps, Lieut. Stephen C. Markow, 1st Division.

Lieut. Col Thomas W. Miller took the chair at the opening of the session on Monday, Sunday having been given up to meetings of the four committees. The committee on names made its suggestions, which were tabled temporarily, and the formal reports of the three other committees were read from the platform. Lieut. Col. Lemuel L. Bolles of the First Army presented that for the committee on the constitution, Lieut. Col. William A. Graham of the 88th Division for the committee on permanent organization and Wagoner Dale Shaw o the 88th Division for the committee on conventions. Bishop Charles H. Brent, senior chaplain of the A.E.F., took the platform to offer the newly formed organization the full cooperation of the Comrades in Service and to express his admiration for the American Legion. The caucuses tendered him a vote of thanks for his offer. Bishop Brent on Tuesday announced that the name of the Comrades in Service has been extended to Comrades in Service in Co-operation with the American Legion, and that hereafter the Comrades in Service would devote its efforts to furthering the new organization. The Report of the committee on permanent organization included the names of 25 officers and 25 enlisted men as members of a committee to confer with committees to be appointed in the United States. It was pointed out that these 50 members represented 27 military units and 31 states, but the ratification of the report was objected to on the grounds that an even more representative committee might be formed in another manner.

Nestlé Purina

Congratulates

ON 100 YEARS IN THE FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY Proud supporter of our Veterans

thanks

all our veterans for their service M 1

Your Pet, Our Passion.

MARK A. MOORE POST No. 3

A Flagstaff original Since July 6, 1919

Join us on July 6th for our Centennial Cel Celebration RED, & BLUES Food, beverages & quality entertainment Open to the public, bring your family, friends, lawn chairs, and popups!

Saturday July 6, 2019 Noon through 6pm American Legion 204 W. Birch Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 774-7682 Ext. 0 FlagstaffAL3@gmail.com www.FLGAL3.org

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