Cuming County Democrat

Friday, August 19, 1921

            …And now this sacred dust lies here before us.  In its silent and sealed casket it speaks more heart-searching things than words can express.  As the passing years are bringing us to clearer vision, we are realizing more and more what we owe to these men, and what we have because they died. While time endures it will be written above his grave that here lies a hero who was killed in battle in the awful world war, when kingdoms and    nations were swept away as nothing, and when the oppressed peoples of the world were given new opportunities for freedom, and new aspirations for life of a better sort.  The local post of the American Legion is named for him and until the last member of that Legion shall totter to his grave every mention of it shall bear in memory the name Arthur Mack. 

The American Legion Auxiliary Arthur Mack Unit #70 was granted a temporary charter in March 1923 and fully organized April 5, 1923, with 57 charter members. In 2006 the Auxiliary had 60 members.

In 83 years many faces and names have changed, but patriotism and help for veterans was foremost, followed closely by service to children, youth and community, and foreign relations. It is the "helping hand" to the American Legion, organized two years sooner in 1921 and named for Arthur Mack, first West Point WWI casualty who fell in battle at St. Mihiel, France on Sept. 12, 1919.

Members planted 33 trees at the southeast entrance to Neligh Park in 1924 and designated the driveway as Memorial Avenue. Two brick pillars were erected in 1929, with globe lights and inscriptive plates.

A West Point drum and bugle corps was sponsored

The American Legion was started by a group of 20 officers in France in World War I to improve troop morale. The first organizational meeting took place in March 1919 in Paris with 1000 officers and enlisted men attending. The second organization caucus was May 1919 in St. Louis, MO. The group seeks to ad­vance aims and interests of veterans, continue friend­ships formed during military service, and see that disabled vets receive the care and help they need.

The local post was started September 30, 1919, with Gerald C. Haeffelin as first commander. It was named for Arthur C. Mack who was born December 16, 1894, and fell in battle at St. Mihiel, France in WWI on September 12, 1919. He was first buried in France and later in Mount Hope cemetery here on August 19, 1921.

The post had 115 members in 1920, with a high of 301 members in 1955 (Commander Forrest Maurits) and 163 members in 2005 (Commander Ray Kempf). In 1925 the American Legion baseball program was started. West Point has had many district and state winners. Many trophies were destroyed in the 1982 fire in the Veterans Club. The Boys State program began in 1938 and the post sponsors a junior boy from each local high school each year. The Boys State and baseball programs were stopped for three years during World War II.

They also sponsor the Boy Scouts and the Junior Law Cadet programs. They have sponsored county government day, oratorical contest and the food stand at the county fair. The Avenue of Flags is put up at the two local cemeteries each Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day. In 2005 approximately 250 flags were

displayed. They also provide the color guard for the fair parade.

Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at the .Veterans Club. During the early years they met at different locations in town. In 1954 the original Veterans Club was built. It closed December 14, 1982, from a fire that caused $200,000 damage. It reopened May 29, 1983, and has remained open for meetings of the Legion, VFW and the two auxiliaries. It also offers fine dining on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Membership is open to any man or woman who is on active duty or honorably discharged from the Armed Forces during certain wars and hostilities.