Text of "The American Legion in South Dakota" This file contains the full text to the book "The American Legion in South Dakota", subtitled "First Quarter Century" by John Linn Murphy. Scanning and OCR by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net Minor editing by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 Uploaded with the kind permission of A. W. Anderson, Department Adjutant of the American Legion, Watertown, SD. All rights reserved by the American Legion. ================== Title page ========================================== The AMERICAN LEGION in South Dakota FIRST QUARTER CENTURY JOHN LINN MURPHY Department Historian Published by authority of the American Legion Department of South Dakota ============================== page iii ==================================== FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred per cent Americanism. To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might. To promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to con- secrate and sanctify our comradeship of our devotion to mutual helpfulness. -PREAMBLE OF CONSTITUTION. ============================ Page v ================================== DEDICATION To those in the military forces of the United States who died in the services of their country, during the two World Wars, and for whom their living comrades brought into being the patriotic organization - The American Legion - so that the principles and ideals for which they gave their lives shall not perish from the earth, this book is respectfully dedicated. ============================= Page vii ================================= FOREWORD This volume is an effort to record the history of the American Legion in the Department of South Dakota during its first quarter century of existence. The work of compiling and editing this history has been unusually difficult, because this is primarily a rural state with a few large posts and many very small post. When an attempt was made to assemble the historical material of the posts in many cases the early records had not been kept. Also many of the smaller posts gave up active life for a number of years until they were reactivated during World War II. Another difficulty was that the department historian was appointed for one year, which prevented a continuity in the work. And above all there was no fund appropriated for the use of the historian until the early 1940's. Under such adverse conditions many different members have served faithfully in the office of historian, and the whole department is indebted to them for their untiring efforts. But it was the department historian Charles Page of Sioux Falls, encouraged by his wife Celia, who worked uncounted hours and endured myriads of discouragements and disappointments all through 1945 and until his death in June, 1946, that this history really got under way. Therefore, most of the credit for the compiling and editing of this volume is due to our departed comrade and historian, Charles Page. The present historian has attempted to carry on from where comrade Page had to drop the torch. South Dakota is a rural state with a small population scattered over a vast expanse of territory. This necessitates many small posts in small communities. But no one can be familiar with the work of the Legion of this state without realizing that its contributions to the state and the nation cannot be ,measured by the size of its posts. As an example of what is meant by this statement, it was South Dakota that gave the nation Junior Legion Baseball. The many small posts in this state have a part in the social, patriotic, cultural and even the economic ========================= Page viii ================================= life of their communities that can not be appreciated by people living in the larger cities. A volume of this nature is only possible through the cooperation of a large number of individuals whom it is obviously impossible to recognize individually. Those who contributed material for the history are credited for it at the proper places and to all others who have aided in any way, even a word of encouragement, the writer expresses his gratitude. The Department Adjutant, Walter Travis, has given unstinted aid in many ways. And Assistant Adjutant Lyle Murphy, and the staff in the Adjutant's office have aided by mimeographing material and circularizing the membership. The Department Commanders, Carl Aamodt and H. T. Fuller gave loyal and intelligent encouragement in getting the history under way, and the 1948-1949 commander, K. D. Munro, gave much time and cooperation to the business affairs connected with the publication of the book. The Department Board of Review was kind enough to approve this effort at a Legion History. And the Administrative Board gave generously of its time and thought in working out the business and financial details concerned with the publication. The end of the first quarter century is a good time to write the history of this department, because World War I members are gradually passing on to another front, so from here on the majority of the membership should be from World War II, who are of a new and different generation. In assembling this material the historian has been simply overawed by the labor and sacrifices many members have made for the good of the Legion in this department, and by the wholesome influence the posts have had on the life of their communities. It is the hope of this historian that the comrades of the Department of South Dakota will get as much pleasure and inspiration from reading the history they made as he did in recording it in this volume. John L. Murphy. Aberdeen, South Dakota. May 10, 1949. ======================== Page ix ======================= TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapters 1. Pictures and Biographical Sketches of the Department Commanders. 2. Pictures and Biographical Sketches of the Department Adjutants. 3. Early Organization. 4. First Annual Convention. 5. Rehabilitation, by Dr. G. G. Cottam. 6. Political Restrictions. 7. Child Welfare, by Harry Kehm. 8. American Legion Junior Baseball, by Thomas C. Kasper. 9. Boys' State, by Ivan Huntsinger. 10. The Trust Fund, by Carroll Lockhart. 11. The History of the American Legion Publications, by Walter Travis. 12. Civilian Defense, by George A. Rice. 13. World War II Activities, by James D. Mullaney. 14. The American Legion Auxiliary, by Amy Andersen. 15. The 8 et 40, by Dorliska Crandall Hannan. 16. History of the Musical Organizations, by Marvin Keck. 17. Graves Registration. 18. National Executive Committeemen. 19. Department Conventions and Department Officers. 20. District Commanders. 21. The Posts in the Department and Their Histories. 22. Number of Posts and Annual Membership. 23. Post Officials and Membership Since Organization. 24. The 40 et 8, by Charles Gilbert. 25. The Constitution and By-Laws. 26. Condensed History of the American Legion, by National Publicity Division. =====================================Page xi================ ILLUSTRATIONS Page Theodore Rogness Johnson 2 Myron Lewis Shade 6 Fred B. Way 9 Jay H. Williams 12 Louis L. Stephens 15 Frank McCormick 17 Dan McCutchen 20 Carl B. Lenker 23 Leroy William Barnes 25 Walter L. Dyce 27 L. C. Morrison 29 Carroll Lockhart 31 Thomas C. Kasper 34 Harry C. Kehm 36 Ralph M. Henderson 38 William Zwicky 40 Leo A. Temmy 43 Dr. Irwin Henry Schmidt 46 Walter Burke 49 Turner M. Rudesill 51 R. P. Harmon 54 Irving M. Mumford 56 Claude A. Hamilton 59 William J. Kane 61 George A. Rice 64 Dr. Roy A. Stratton 66 A. C. (Tony) Halls 69 Claude J. Harris 74 David F. Heffron 76 Henry Douglas Sheldon 79 James Dennis Mullaney 84 Walter Travis 87 =================== page xii ================= Lyle F. Murphy 89 South Dakota Float at Miami National Convention 110 Boys State Flag Raising at Northern Teachers College 118 Chester E. Turley 135 Auxiliary Poppy Making by Disabled Veterans 139 Watertown Drum and Bugle Corps 157 Pierre Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps 164 Sully Post Drum Corps at National Capital 169 Sidney L. Smith Post Drum and Bugle Corps at San Antonio Convention 179 William Reaves Post, Huron, Color Guard and Firing Squad 219 Roy Anderson Post, Yankton, Members 225 Mass Initiation at Yankton 226 Interior Views Rapid City Post Club Rooms 233 Sidney L. Smith Post Bandshell 238 Sidney L. Smith Float in Beauty Contest at Yankton 239 Sidney L. Smith Post All Girl Ritual Team 240 Otto-Quande, Sisseton, Post Breaking Ground for New Home 252 Drake-Sobel Post, Wilmot, Pheasants 262 Frederick Schauer Post Home, Selby 281 Views of Activities of Burraughs-Young Post, Volga 288 Views of Thayer-Waters Post Home, Colome 303 Marion Fitzsimmon Post Home, Hill City 310 Views of Activities of Dan Dorian Post, Todd County 325-326 Sioux Falls Post Home 344