Denison, Iowa, American Legion

Denison American Legion Post 8

The date was May 28, 1919, and a group of World War veterans from Denison had arrived in Des Moines hoping for the first American Legion charter to be granted in Iowa.
Veterans from nine other towns were there with the same idea, so the officials put the name in a hat and Denison's post became American Legion Post No. 8.
The original charter reproduced here still hangs on the wall at local Legion headquarters. The 1919 charter carried 15 names, the minimum required to organize a post.


Charter members:

Clement J. Welch
Edward E. Lehman
Guy V. Schwarzenbach
Jacob Johnson
Donald B. Jones
Charles F. Lamberty
James G. Luney
Henry I. Vollersen
Clarence Schwarzenbach
George W. Locke
C.L. Mc Farley
James A. O'Connor
Geo. M. Giblin
Ronald L. Wygent
Harry M. Clark


Past Commanders:

1919    E.E. Lehman
1920 M.E. Jones
1921 Leo J. Miller
1922 Wm. H. McHenry
1923 Walter Grau
1924 Cyril Saunders
1925 A.E. Christiansen
1926 B.B. Boslaugh
1927 E.J. Lawrence
1928 John A. O'Connor
1929 Wm J. Wearmouth
1930 Jacob Johnson
1931 Alex Aebischer
1932 Paul F. Griffith
1933 Alfred Bowen
1934 O.D. Sunter
1935 Paul Stafford
1936 N.P. Cavett
1937 R.R. Hayes
1938 Paul Petersen
1939 John L. Robinson
1940 Hugo P, Saggau
1941 D.H. Elwell
1942 C.E. Morton
1943 Wm. T. Schwartz
1944 Richard Ruback
1945 Jesse Shives
1946 Phil Ranson
1947 R.R. Hayes
1948 Harold McCord
1949 John Mahnke
1950 Marcus B. Christiansen
1952 Harry Maxwell
1953 Cleo Berka
1954 Patrick Houston
1955 J. Allen Anderson
1956 O.H. Webb
1957 Leo J, Clinton
1958 Leo Remmes
1959 Clarence Martens
1960 Ed Brosnahan
1961 Addis Hansen
1962 Wm. J. Walsh
1963 J.P. Curnyn
1964 Edward C. Lorenen
1965 Robert Warren
1966 George Kline
1967 Donald M. Stafford
1968 Joel Maupin
1969 George Dobrovolny
1970 LaVerne L. Milow
From Denison Bulletin September 29th, 1969.


According to Denison Bulletin and Herald on December 17, 1919 membership was 173.

Members included:
Clarence A.Ander
Leland A. Ackley
Alex A Aebischer
Herbert H. Ahart
John E.Ahart
Orville G. Argotsinger
Thomas Atsales
Harold H. Bergstadt
Maurice J. Bierne
Joe Bogler
Henry B. Bosecker
Burness A. Boslaugh
Glen E. Boslough
Robert F.Brosnahan
Ben Brodersen
Harry J,Butler
Walter S. Butler
Chas. E. Canfield
Percy Cavett
Clarence D. Chamberlin
August E. Christiansen
Harry M. Clarke
Ralph A. Conger
Raymond Crampton
Fred P. Crispell
Archie H.Davis
Percy Duncan
Walter T. Einkopf
Richard B. Ely
Oscar M. Ericson
Alfred F. Faul
Edw. M. Flahive
Joseph Flinn
Ray E. Garrett
Earling R. Garrison
John Fastje,Jr.
Paul P. Gary
Pearl E.Gary (nurse)
Roy L. Gebert
George M. Giblin
Walter Grau
Howard F. Gray
Frank Halleran
Thomas I.Harper
Russel R. Hayes
Ray A. Heiden
Fred Heiden
Walter G. Heiden
Spencer Heiden
Charles W. Helsley
J.W. Hess
Peter H. Hinrichsen
Gustav R. Hitz
James E. Hughes
Leslie Hultsch
Fred Iselin
Russell Jacobsen
Joseph H.James
William Jensen
Otto Johannsen
Jacob Johnson
Lindae O. Johnson
Marcus E. Jones,Jr.
Marshall B. Jones
Sam. A. Justice
John W. Klinker
Carl M. Krauth
John P. Krauth
C.F. Kuehnie,Jr.
Ed. J. Kusel
Henry B. Lackmann
Charles F. Lamberty
Jens Lass
Harold G. Laub
E.R. Lehfeldt
Edward E. Lehman
Roland Leitner
Howard Lingle
O.D. Linter
R.J.Lochmiller
George W. Locke
James G. Luney
Allen Lyon
Henry D. Maack
Sam Macaluso
Valentine F.Mahoney
William H. Marshall
William C. Mason
C.L. McFarling
Morris McHenry
John J,McMahon
Leo J. Miller
Max Moffitt
Paul Molony
George Moore
William R. Mullenger
Barney H. Nehls
Nels L. Nelsen
Albert Nielsen
Frank A. Norman
Harold McKinley Norman
Wm. John Norris
James O'Connor
John A. O'Connor
Peter O'Shea
Fred J. Otto
Arthur L. Pearson
Herman Piskus
Frank Podey
H.M. Poole
Phillip E. Ranson
Carl F. Retman
George Richards
Gail R. Richardson
Alfred V. Richards
Guy a Riddle
Warnie J. Roberts
Louie Rothomann
Martin L. Runge
Martin J. Saggau,Jr.
Sugo P. Saggau
George Wm. Savery
Leonard L. Schlechta
Chester R. Schlumberger
Clarance Schwarzenbach
Guy V. Schwarzenbach
Herbert W. Scott
Harold V. Servoss
Jesse E. Shreeves
James H. Shuffler
Bernhardt Sibbert
Henry Sievertsen
Charles B. Silletto
Paul Stafford
A,H,H,Steensen
F.A. Steinkuehler
Asa Emerson Steerer
Ehphalet F. Stock
Lorenz H. Stubbe
Chas. C. Sullivan
John R. Tate
John P. Terrill
Grover Tucker
Henry I. Vollersen
Eugene L. Voss
Albert P. Walde
C.C. Watts
Wm. J. Wearmouth
Bryan Weberg
Ralph Weberg
Clement J. Welch
William J. White
D.F. Wilkinson
Morris H. Wilkinson
Raleigh Winey
Ronald L Wygant
Edwin C. Yoder
Lawrence I. Zea
Orrin E. Zea

Out of Town Members included:


Arch E. Silletto                Ames,Iowa
Clarence Bell                  Chicago,Ill.
Alfred H.Bowen          Audubon,Iowa
Clarence A. Bowling          Vail,Iowa
Nelson P. Butterworth   Dow City,Iowa
John F. Greder         Buck Grove,Iowa
John T. Griffin         Buck Grove,Iowa
Levi Hansen             Buck Grove,Iowa
Ed. P. Klinker     Colorado Spring,Colo
Clarence E. Morton           Boyer, Iowa
J.R. Riggleman         Cambridge,Mass.
Arch E. Silletto                 Ames,Iowa
Merrill V. Winey             Deloit,Iowa