Swann-Gehr Post No. 197, Department of Wisconsin, of the
American Legion, has now entered upon its second year.
During the fall of 1919, some of the ex-service men of the
vicinity who had learned of The Legion while serving overseas
or who had come in contact with it in other cities, strove
to create sentiment that would lead to the formation of a post
here. Information and the necessary application blanks were obtained,
and an effort was made to obtain some outside assistance to form
a local post, but the organization was effected without this
assistance.
A meeting was called January 1, 1920, when those interested
decided to apply for the charter, and seventeen men who
had been in the army signed the application. This was forwarded
to the proper state officers, and the temporary charter was issued
bearing date 1920.
Upon receipt of the charger, a meeting was called for February
6, 1920, at which the work of organization under the
charter began. The officers were elected who have been reelected,
and a committee appointed to draft the constitution and by-laws,
the latter not being adopted until the second meeting held during
the month of March, when the formal organization of the post
was completed. In August the post was issued its permanent charter
from the reorganized National Headquarters at Indianapolis.
One of the first efforts of the new organization was to find
a home. The early meetings were held in the Firemen's Room,
in City Hall, which was courteously opened for "the
boys" to meet. At the first meeting in March a committee
was appointed to secure, if possible, quarters which would accommodate
a larger number than the Firemen's Room. This committee secured
the use of the Woodmen Hall under an arrangement with the City
Council whereby the city paid the rent for the post. Before this
was announced, the G.A.R. tendered the post the use of their
hall, inviting their successors in service to share it with them.
Later in the year an offer was made to the post of a location
which would have given them a splendid home, but coupled with
such conditions as to maintenance and use that the post felt
it would be too large a financial burden to be undertaken.
The post has taken its place quietly in the ranks of civic
societies of the city. It has taken part in the celebrations
of
Memorial Day and Armistice Day since its formation; in the
next celebration of Memorial Day expecting to relieve the G.A.R.
and the Firemen, who have been taking the burden of seeing to
the arrangements. It has given two annual military balls, both
of which were very successful. At the first ball, Mr. and Mrs.
S. D. Fisher presented the post with an American flag which is
carried by the post at all formations. The post joined with the
other organizations in the community to celebrate the Pilgrim
Tercentenary which was held on Armistice Day, 1920. On several
occasions the post, or delegations of its members, have turned
out to attend the funerals of men lately in the service, whose
bodies were brought here, or to neighboring places for burial.
Aside from these activities, which might be designated as the
routine duties of the post, it has done little to be recorded,
except that by its membership and its dues, it has been part
of the great national organization which has been organizing
and carrying on the fight to aid the wounded and sick veteran,
has helped those veterans in distress at home and abroad, and
is seeking to aid in the reconstruction of the world by doing
its bit in the affairs of this, our beloved nation.