A Good Day.
Saturday, April 26th, 2025, saw the first meeting in some time for the Historic American Legion Syracuse Post 41. Initially chartered by Congress in 1919, the Post has been in decline for some time, held together only by the herculean efforts of Richard Studervant and John Roseberry.
Syracuse Post 41 is a combination of the two original Legion Posts in Syracuse, established immediately following the 1919 Caucus in St. Louis, Missouri. The first Post was honored with the name of Capt. Philip Lighthall, a service member who died during a U-boat attack in the North Atlantic. The Lighthall Post was established to the west of Salina Street. The Lt. Wilfred W. Porter Jr. Post was established east of Salina Street. Lt. Porter was killed during his assault on a machine gun nest in France. Both contributed significantly to the birth of numerous American Legion Posts in Onondaga County. Both posts were combined, adopting Captain Lighthall as the Post’s namesake. As with many posts, at one time, Syracuse 41 was the largest in the County, but over the years, membership dwindled to the point of abandonment.
Now, with bringing new Legionnaires in and combining them with the remaining Post 41 members, we’ve been able to establish a meeting and quorum. Legionnaires, we were able to hold an initial meeting. Our members present allowed us to establish a quorum, make motions to resolve issues, and most importantly, accept nominations for elected leadership positions.
Of the 14 positions allowable, we currently have ten candidates. Elections will be held on Saturday, May 31st, 2025, at Eastwood Post 1276 at Noon.
Special thank you to Arthur Butler Post 359 “Drew” Spoar Commanding for his generosity and hospitality.
Their chicken wing dinner on Friday are among the best.
Their chicken wing dinner is among the best on Fridays.