Did you know that our post historian, Carl Bogar, is a bonified historian.  He certainly proved it to a group of Boy/Cub Scouts this past Thursday at Jeffery Elementary School.  The presentation was very informative, and I can say with confidence that everyone there learned something.  I hope I can speak for everyone in thanking Carl for representing the Post so well.   

Carl Bogar educating local scout troop on the history of the American Flag

One hundred years ago this November 11, will mark the end of the first great global conflict.  The war to end all wars they called it, but sadly in twenty years the world would be at war once more.  In those final days in France, the men of the Allied Expeditionary force developed an idea that this November will see its century anniversary.  That idea became the American Legion and Kenosha post 21 is one of its original posts.  

     In 1938, the citizens of Kenosha came together and built a hall located at 504 58th Street as a gift to honor their fathers who service in that Great War.  Little did they know at the dedication of the building, the post would become home for their sons who would be called upon to fight the next great war in just three years.  

     Post 21 is named after Paul Herrick, one of those young Kenosha son who enlisted in the Marine Corps only to surrender his life in service on December 7, 1941, on board the USS Arizona.  Another one of those young Americans would serve in the United States Navy as a P.T. boat commander, and then as a United States Senator, his name was Kennedy.  When Senator John F. Kennedy, began his run for the White House he stopped in Kenosha to address the public from our hall.  In that year he was running for the Democratic Party nomination for the President of the United States.  Post 21 was the location for the American legion National Convention. Form our small mid-west city, Kennedy was able to address veterans from all the states of our nation who went home to report to their local post.  We still have the microphone that Kennedy used to address the delegates that day.  

     World War Two was the first American conflict where large numbers of Woman were able to serve.  One of those Kenosha daughters was Betty Gold who enlisted to serve in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, (WAAC.)  She called our post home and in the next military conflict, The Vietnam War, in 1969.Legionnear Gold was the Commander of the post.  She was one of the first women to be a post commander in our state.

      At the apex over 1,000 veterans were members of the post. Today, we are still one of the largest in Wisconsin with just over 300 members who served from World War Two to Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom.  Eighty percent of our post served in the Vietnam War.  Our longest service member was Loyd Zeltinger, who was an American Legion Post 21 member for over 70 years before he passed.

   The post is active in Veteran and civic events and programs that promote the four pillars of the American Legion’s charter which was approved by the United States Congress one hundred years ago.  These pillars are the heart of the American Legion.  The pillars are Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth.

Pillar I, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, The American Legion fight to improve the Veterans Affairs Administration and service for veterans returning from active duty.  Service like the Employment Assistance Act originally passed to help World War Two veterans returning home. Today this law employs Local Veterans Employment representatives (LVER) and Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialist (DVOP) in all state to helps veterans who served honorably find employment after service.  Other programs like Camp America Legion here in Wisconsin is a retreat in Lake Tomahawk where veterans who are coping with PTSD or any other condition can find a retreat from their daily condition.

Pillar II, National Security, the American Legion has many programs to support not only the service member but their family.  Programs like Operation Comfort Warriors and Blue Star Banners are just some of the programs that provide support to the family of active duty service member while they are deployed away from home.

Pillar III, Americanism, post 21 each years covers the cost to send 8 to 10 boys and our auxiliary sends a comparable number of girls to Badger State where that learn about how all level of state government and how government works.  Past Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, in high school was a badger boy and former President Bill Clinton attend his boys’ state in Arkansas and they was selected to attend Boys Nation while a high school junior.  Attending Badger State will opens up several college scholarships for those who are selected to attend by their high school guidance counselors.

Pillar IV, Children and youth, The American Legion with programs like. Family Support Network and the Child Welfare Foundation help families with young children shoulder the added burden and cost that come when a family schedule is altered do to a military deployment or active duty call up.  These programs help cover the cost of items like child care when a single parent must now juggle the family without the deployed service member help.  When you see your American Legion Post 21 members out in the community providing a honor guard at events or conducting other activities, remember our service to the nation and community has not concluded upon conclusions of our military service.  American Legion Post 21 and its members has served our nation for 100 years and we are still serving our community, state and nation today.  Membership in our post is not limited to honorably discharged veterans.  The Auxiliary and Sons are open to non-veterans who want to serve in honor of their Veteran family member(s).  If want to learn more about your American Legion Post 21 or want to join the Post, Auxiliary, Sons or American Legion Riders stop in the hall or sent us a message on Facebook.  Kenosha, we are proud to serve you!

Carl A. Bogar, Jr.  
Past Post Commander,  
Post 21 Historian

Editors Note: This article was reprinted from LC Action Magazine, August 2019. Used with Permission.

Did you know that membership in the Kenosha Public Library comes with free access to Lynda.com!!!  Lynda.com has hundreds of online classes for just about everything!  Here’s some examples:

Some topics from Kenosha Public Library’s free access to Lynda.com

That’s just some examples from the design area! They have 63 classes on different facets of WordPress alone! I don’t know about anyone else, but for me it’s a retiree’s dream come true. The only question now is who is going to take the website over from me!

The best place to start would be at the help counter at the library. You have to go there to establish a electronic library card. Look into the other e-media. Libby, for example, is an phone / pad app that lets you check out books, magazines, even music!

P.S. My grandmother used to tell me to “Go to the Library, that’s where the smart people go!”

I was at the Hero’s Cafe today for the first time.  Great bunch of folks!  I also got my copy of Steve’s book.    One thing I noticed is that there were a lot of handouts about veternan this and that’s.  I thought it would be good to have them in at least one place on the web.  I don’t know of anywhere else, so I made one.  Check it out!  Use the contact page to get your event listed there.

Thank you to the Businesses and people that supported the Pancake & Porky on August 31, 2019

Fair Oakes Farms LLC​​​​
Festival Foods​​​​​
GFS Marketplace​​​​​
Cortese’s / Filomena’s Restaurant​​
Public Craft Brewing​​​​
Swedes Pub​​​​​​
Something Different​​​​
Wine Knot​​​​​​
WLIP​​​​​​​
58 Below​​​​​​

Woodmen’s Market
Steinbreck’s Piggly Wiggly
Cordeck Building Solutions
Lemon Street Gallery
Sazzy B/The Buzz
Donna’s Gymnastics
Walgreens
Fec’s Place
Jean Rabe
Mike & Tracy Teurle​

And the many “Friends of the Legion”

If you missed the radio spot yesterday you missed some laughs and some learning.   If you can make Lou say “I’m the one that tells the jokes around here” you got him!  I think it’s pretty safe to say that we learned a bit about the post too.  Here’s what I remember:

     – We merged with a second post that was in the city, Post 29 in the 50’s.

     – Post 29 was the group that originally honored Paul Herrick.

     – A couple of cannon shaped brass flag holders, were stolen from us in the 70’s.

     – The house where Paul Herrick grew up is still standing.

     – Tom’s granddaughter made her mass market media debut.  Congratulations Mya!

There was much more, but those were then highlights that I remember at the moment, that, and the fact that we wear our hats on our heads (good one Larry!).  

Do you remember more?  How about coming to the Pancake and Porky breakfast on August 31st and share your memories.  There are a bunch of us new guys that would love to hear them!

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Commander                  Elijah Bogar

Vice Cmdr                     Jon Sutter 

Adjutant                     Tom Visintainer

Finance Officer             Tom Visintainer

Chaplain                       Carl Bogar Jr.

Historian                      Carl Bogar Jr.  

Meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday’s the month at 7pm

This website, and many others that you visit, contain a certain amount of personal information, such as our names, dates of events, etc.  The bad guys out there use that to call you and try to fool you into giving up your personal information.  For example, some jerk might call and say that he’s a member (using one of our names)  that is collecting donations for one of our events.  They can be terribly convincing.  Don’t buy it.  That’s not how good businesses do business.  Hanging up is the best policy.  If you’re not comfortable doing that, hang up quietly.  Better yet, don’t pick up the line in the first place.  Also, look into a wonderful service called Nomorobo.  I know that it is free with Spectrum land lines.  We use it and hardly any calls get through.  It rings once then it goes to… well, who cares!  There are also paid alternatives for cell lines.  Check with your carrier.

This kind of thing is nothing new.  I was working at a gas station when I was in high school in the 70’s.   During the gas crisis (remember that!) there were mile long lines of cars trying to fill up when they saw a gas station that was open.  On one of those days, I was pumping gas one car after another, and soon people started handing me tickets saying that they prepaid for gas with some guy down the street.  Those weren’t happy encounters.   What a day.  At least the gas was only 35 cents a gallon.    The gas station owner, Don Burlas, used to let our families come down late at night to fill up!  He was one top notch guy.

Update:  If you want an idea how scary it is out there, check out the blog from this Security Awareness company.