Ninety-Seven and holding

“ The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities. They evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into an influential non-profit organization in the United States.”

I copied that from the Internet. But, what does it really mean? I grew up knowing that my father, a World War I veteran, was a member of the American Legion. He had served and was proud of his country and would march in the town’s small parade on the 4th of July with other veterans. In the 1930s those vets were, most of them, in their late thirties and early forties and were busy trying to earn a living during a great depression. The war they had fought was termed, “The war to end all wars!”

It was on Aug. 1, 1920, ninety-seven years ago, that the Tehachapi American Legion, Post 221, was founded with Thomas Downs as the first Commander. There were thirty-eight members on the charter which hangs in the meeting room of the veterans Memorial Building on F. Street. At first, it was a joint post and included the veterans in Mojave. It was a busy post and they worked together and would be seen helping pass out food to non-working people and the homeless transients passing through town. The first Legion Hall, built by the Post, was located on E Street across from Wells School. The building still stands .

There were fundraiser dances with local bands playing and both Mojave and Tehachapi residents attending. Refreshments were served but no liquor (prohibition, you know) and later, after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, they still served no liquor. We children could come with our parents to the dances and had a great time watching the “Fox Trotters” passing by on the dance floor. the Charleston was long forgotten but the Jitterbug had taken its place.

I was pretty young but I remember a Donkey Baseball game between Mojave and Tehachapi. One had to ride on the donkey to run the bases after hitting the ball. Of course the donkeys would occasionally balk and refuse to move. Lots of laughter and frustration. The game was played in Mojave.

The big holiday was the Fourth of July parade and the veterans marched proudly down the main street of town. The Legionaires helped with the Free Deep Pit Barbecue served to any and all who came by. Many out of towners showed up and Tehachapi was three times its actual population on those days.

On June 27, 1932 the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 221, was chartered beginning with sixteen members which had doubled by the end of the year. The first president of Unit 221 was Carrie Downs, mother of the first commander, Thomas Downs, of Tehachapi Post 221. Her picture hangs by the Auxiliary Charter in the veterans Memorial Building. The Auxiliary Unit, at that time still included Mojave members. From the beginning their main objective has been to help veterans and their families and to be on hand to assist the Legion Post when needed. This small, but mighty, unit has always dedicated themselves to be on hand to help America’s veterans and continues to remain active these many years later.

In 1938 the Mojave veterans formed their own Post: The Golden Queen Post. The good will between the two posts remained and they would be lending a hand on special event days such as Gold Rush Days in Mojave and the Fourth of July in Tehachapi.

In 1939 the Legion Post acquired property at 125 East F Street and a new American Legion Hall was built of adobe bricks by the WPA workers. It was a fine structure and the busy members of both the Post and Auxiliary kept an active membership going.

When the post was a mere 21 years old the Legion members watched their sons (and daughters) going into the Armed Services to defend their country in World War II. This time it was a span of four years before they came “marching home.”

The Legion membership soared with the new generation of World War II veterans returning and picking up the reins from their fathers. The children of the returning vets were named by society as The Baby Boomers. My children fall into that category.

The 1952 earthquake damaged the adobe veterans building to the extent that it had to be demolished. Without funds to rebuild, the Post sold the land to Kern County for $10. They stipulated that they wanted access to a new building, to be constructed by the County, for all veterans organizations’ use whenever needed. It worked out fine.

To this day both the American Legion Post 221 and the Auxiliary Unit 221 are still busy fulfilling the aims and purposes outlined so long ago, in 1919; to be of a service to all veterans.

The world seems to be getting smaller when one can jet around it in a day. We see our troops on duty in many foreign countries and can look back at war and unrest in recent past decades. It seems a long time since the doughboys from 1918 had hoped to have fought the “war to end all wars.”

We still have something to hold on to and to be proud about, service to our country and its citizens and to our veterans and community members. We’re hangin’ in there! It’s great to be an American , ask any veteran!