19 September 1919 to 2019
Here you will find pictures that help tell American Legion Post #314's history. Please check back again soon and the rest of the speech details and history will be uploaded. For now, enjoy the pictures.
Legion Post Community Involvement -
In August 1936 the Legion hosted a swimming carnival at Graver's Bathing Casino. It included swimming races and a penny scramble. They also held a "Bathing Beauty" contest. The contest served as a qualifier for the Miss Anthracite Pageant which was a qualifier for the state pageant in Pittsburgh. The state winner would go to Atlanitc City that September. The local winners that year are pictured with Legion Commander Lee H. Hontz.
Nat Hyle's Orchestra played for the dance that night. Lehighton swim winners: Ardith Ruth (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Ann Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), June Snyder (2nd - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard). Diving was won by Minnie Hill and John VanHorn of Lehighton. In boys diving it was Alton Kistler with 1st with a second for John Goldbach. Russell Jones of Weissport (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Paul Miner (2nd - under 12, 30 yard), John Heller of Weissport (1st - under 14, 30 yard), Bill Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), Percy Slick (1st - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard), and Ernest Bowman (2nd - under 18, 30 yard).
The official starter was beloved Lehighton teacher Albert Dominico. Judges were Marion Bock, Lewis Ginder (another Lehighton icon), and also Dominico.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
Lloyd Arnold - WWI and WWII Veteran
Lloyd Arnold loved the radio. He was a radio operator in France during the First War and in 1922 served as a radio specialist on a submarine and also during the Second War. He was Lehighton's only member of both Last Mans Clubs and he was the third last survivor of the WWI club. He passed away 15 November 1984 at the age of 86. At his death, he was the oldest member out of 6,684 members of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Association. He was the 70th of 72 members of the WWI club.
World War I - Last Mans Club
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
World War II - Last Mans Club -
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
Here you will find pictures that help tell American Legion Post #314's history. Please check back again soon and the rest of the speech details and history will be uploaded. For now, enjoy the pictures.
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| Miss Mary Kennedy of Mauch Chunk went to France to find the man she'd marry Frank Bayer of Lehighton. Mary was among the first 20 women in the U.S. to sign up for the British Expeditiary Forces before the U.S. formally entered. She was an operating room nurse and the only femal member of Legion Post #314 Last Man Club. She was Vice President of the Club and its 10th member of 72 to die. |
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| Frank Bayer Senior the day before his wedding in France. He was wounded in the right arm and left leg at Muese- Argonnein October 1918 after being overseas for seven months. The Bayers had a well-known paint and wallpaper business in Lehighton |
Legion Post Community Involvement -
In August 1936 the Legion hosted a swimming carnival at Graver's Bathing Casino. It included swimming races and a penny scramble. They also held a "Bathing Beauty" contest. The contest served as a qualifier for the Miss Anthracite Pageant which was a qualifier for the state pageant in Pittsburgh. The state winner would go to Atlanitc City that September. The local winners that year are pictured with Legion Commander Lee H. Hontz.
Nat Hyle's Orchestra played for the dance that night. Lehighton swim winners: Ardith Ruth (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Ann Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), June Snyder (2nd - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard). Diving was won by Minnie Hill and John VanHorn of Lehighton. In boys diving it was Alton Kistler with 1st with a second for John Goldbach. Russell Jones of Weissport (1st - under 12, 30 yard), Paul Miner (2nd - under 12, 30 yard), John Heller of Weissport (1st - under 14, 30 yard), Bill Humphries (2nd - under 14, 30 yard), Percy Slick (1st - under 18, 30 yard and 2nd - open, 50 yard), and Ernest Bowman (2nd - under 18, 30 yard).
The official starter was beloved Lehighton teacher Albert Dominico. Judges were Marion Bock, Lewis Ginder (another Lehighton icon), and also Dominico.
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| Evelyn Ripkey (who had a beauty shop in Lehighton for many years) was crowned "Miss Carbon County," Hontz, Helen Tyson "Miss Mahoning," and Betty Smith. Not pictured was Dorothy Beers crowned "Miss Lehighton." |
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| Years before the Legion Home was complete, the first WWI First Man Club Dinners were in the dining hall of Mrs. Cora Person's "New Fort Allen Hotel." Cora was the mother of WWI veteran Wilbur Person, a well-known insurance agent on First St Lehighton known for his framed Currier and Ives prints on the walls. Wilbur's son Wilbur was a veteran of the Vietnam Era and the orignal office is still intact, run by grandson William Person today. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
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| Page 1 of the Last Mans Club of World War Two - 1948 David Reiner of Parryville was painting a building on his property when he fell off the ladder and broke his neck becoming the LMC's first member to pass away in June 1948. He was followed by Delphin Crowley (1950), Noel Gombert (1951), Darryl Beisel (1951), James Koons (1953), and Geroge Setar (1954). Born in 1927, Beisel was young for WWII. After the war he graduated from University of Maine as a Forester. Working in the woods of Quebec, he was crushed between a truck and a piece of logging equipment. |
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| Page 2 of the WWII Last Man CLub Prayer Service dating from 1948. |
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| Not surprising, the two page prayer service above was stapled to a thin piece of color card-stock advertizing Neuweiler's (of Allentown) latest beer selections. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
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| Wounded one in Italy and twice in Germany, Charles Yenser of Mahoning and Post #314 member was interviewed for Veterans Day 1999. Eventually, Yenser rose to the rank of Colonel with the PA National Guard and helped fete Major General Bert A. David at the Lehighton Elks in 1972. The picture here is from the Morning Call article written by DavidVenditta and can be viewed by clicking this link. Yenser passed away three months later. His son Denny was a combat chopper pilot in Vietnam. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
Lloyd Arnold - WWI and WWII Veteran
Lloyd Arnold loved the radio. He was a radio operator in France during the First War and in 1922 served as a radio specialist on a submarine and also during the Second War. He was Lehighton's only member of both Last Mans Clubs and he was the third last survivor of the WWI club. He passed away 15 November 1984 at the age of 86. At his death, he was the oldest member out of 6,684 members of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Association. He was the 70th of 72 members of the WWI club.
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| Lloyd Arnold worked the radio in both WWI and WWII, serving on a sub as early as 1922. |
World War I - Last Mans Club
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
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| 12th Annual -World War I Last Mans Club Dinner - November 12th, 1949 One distinguishing visual between the WWI and WWII LMC was their uniforms. The WWI club bought club uniforms early in their forming. By the 12th annual here, many are also seen in civilian suits. This dinner was held in Post #314's Dining Hall before the present day bar was constructed there. You can see the current bathroom doors on the wall and distinctive support beams above. Unfortunately George Harmon, second from right in fore ground, is the only verified person in this picture. George was well known in town for his many civic contributions. There were 55 members present and President Wilbur Person called the meeting to order at 6:48 PM. The pledge of this WWI as well as the WWII meetings went as follows: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the country for which it stands, Our Last Man's Club to the end, With liberty and justice to all." There are several slight differences between this and its current form. "Under God, indivisible" were added in 1954. It is not known why the clubs chose "and to the country" when all flag codes at that time were using "nation." Continuing the tradition started at the New Fort Allen Hotel meals, the men ate a "delcious turkey dinner prepared by the staff of the American Legion." This is the first LMC Dinner without its sole female member Mrs. Mary Kennedy Bayer. The flowers were donated by the WWII LMC and the WWI club reciprocated for their December banquet. It is certain that Lehighton's LMCs were rather rare. The speaker this year was former state Legion Commander Charles S. Cook. He said, "This is the first time I was ever a guest or present at a Last Man's Club meeting." He was impressed with the meeting and in particular the fireplace service when the glasses of the departed members are smashed. Last Man Clarence Hahn sang "Face to Face" and "A Glad Prayer" which were "enjoyed by all." The club made $22.31 profit from the 1948 banquet and earned $2.39 interest on their balance of $137.30. It was noted that one person gave a $1.00 donation. After spending $18 for the WWII LMC's flowers, the group had exactly $145 going forward. |
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| Undated WWI LMC Dinner - Appears to be in the former dining room of Post #314 and is Pre-1948 for the fact that Bert B. David, center in civilian suit, died on 24 September 1948. To his right is Wilbur Warner. Standing behind Warner is Mahlon Kistler Sr. And behind him looking off to his right is Frank Bayer Sr. The doors behind the men look like the doors leading to the large dining room. |
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| 34th Annual Officers from 1971. President Wilbur Person is left. Even into 1971, with all the changes to the national pledge allegience in place as they are today, the LMCs still said the pledge as follows: "I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, And to the COUNTRY for which it stands, Our Last Man's Club to the end, with Liberty and Justice for all." Last Man James G. Smith gave the Toast to the Dead, Last Man Raymond J. Rex gave the Toast to the Sick. Last MAn Wilbur Person went to the fireplace and broke glasses for: Jay Dreisbach (7/22/70), Robert C. Semmel (7/7/70), and Mark Zellner (5/31/70). Apparently the club recognized them from most recent to less. LMC Chaplain was Raymond J. Rex, Secretary Arthur F. Everett, and Herman Lewis was Treasurer. It appears Frank Bayer took over his wife's duties as Vice President. As was the normal custom, the group closed with "God Bless America" and the members then held hands "forming a continuous chain" and sang two stanzas of Blest Be the Tie That Binds." A list of all members present: George Acker, Leon B. Arner, Lloyd Arner, Charles Bauschpies, Frank Bayer, Al J. Evans, Charles Gerber, Arthur F. Everett, Clarence Hahn, Allen J. Fritch, Floyd Harleman, Mahlon Kistler, Floyd Kromer, Herman Lewis, Allen S. Mertz, Wilbur Person, William E. Reigel, Raymond J. Rex, James G. Smith, Raymond C. Smith, and Joseph Vanage. |
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| WWI LMC sometime in the 1950s - George Harmon is front center left facing the camera. In 1947 he gave the toast to the living. In the 1940s, he coached a youth baseball team for seven years. He also helped pioneer the early days of Lehighton's famed Soap Box Derbies. Originally from Delaware, born to a father who made a living as a "coachman," Harmon never left the states in WWI. He served as a mechanic in the segregated 2nd Company of the 154th Development Battalionat Fort Meade, Maryland. George was forever working on something both in his shoe repair shop or with the Fire Company or volunteering at the hospital. He was once quoted saying, "The only time I don't work is when I'm lazy, and this isn't very often." When it was his time to marry, the Legion Post hosted his wedding part after services were held on the second floor of Fire Co. No. 2. His wife Sarah moved here from Philadelphia. An active firefighter in his early years, Harmon spent the night of the devastating fire of December 1955, directing emergency services via radio dispatch. "It was a great experience. The religion, color or creed of the man behind the desk didn't matter. We all had a job and we did it." He work around the clock and did not charge a single cent after the 1955 flood making nearly 100 pair of shoes for the victims in Weissport. In 1955, suffering from daibetes, Harmon became deathly sick and spent 30 days in the hospital he helped create. Nearly destitute, the community came together (under the leadership of Wilbur Warner) to take care of Harmon's bills. Sarah died in 1959 and George followed in 1960. However, do not look for their graves. "I'm giving my body after death for research is my way of squaring my debt." Geroge's body went to Penn's medical school and Sarah's went to Jefferson's, both of Philadelphia. |
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| Lehighton's WWI Last Mans Club was enough of a state-wide oddity for the Gettysburg Times to pick up this Associated Press article describing how the bottle of Cognac is stored in the safety deposit vault during the year but retreived for each year's meeting. The fact that the club's purpose is explained in this detail shows the club's regimen is rather rare. |
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| How valuable was Harmon to his Fire Company? Members paid tribute to him in a 1950s Halloween parade to show just how many hats he was willing to wear. He kept the float sign as a fond reminder seen here looking at it from an August 1958 Morning Call article on him. |
World War II - Last Mans Club -
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| 1st Annual Last Mans Club Dinner - December 7, 1946 At this point, no member of the club had passed away. |
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| LAST CALL - This was the final letter urging any eligible members to join the Last Mans Club of WWII. Opening the membership was brought up at subsequent meetings but after the deadline above, no new members were ever accepted as near as can be certain. |
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| Marked "1947" which would make it the "2nd Annual - December 7, 1947" However, the club didn't experienced its first loss until 29 June 1948. David W. Reiner of Parryville broke his neck from a fall from a ladder while painting a building at his home. Therefore, this is probably either the 3rd or 4th Annual in 1948 or 1949 by virtue of the "1" on the floral hanging on the mantle. Since the photo below also has a "1" on it and is marked "1948," this photo could be from 1949. |
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| 3rd Annual - December 7,1948 |
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| "4th Annual - December 7, 1949" - It is marked "1949," however the is no discernable number on the wallhanging on the mantle. If so, that could make this one 1947, the 2nd Annual. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
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4th Annual Dinner - December 7, 1949 George "Yix" I. LaRose, Secretary-Treasurer; Arthur Webb, First Vice President; Michael Markovitz, National Legion Rehabilitation Officer; Richard Evans, Toast to Living; Donald "Jack" Anthony, President (shaking hands with Markovitz); Edward Knappenberger, Toastmaster and Norman Benner, Toast to the Dead. The portrait of William W. Shoemaker, the Post's WWI namesake, looks on from the back. Markovitz urged the veterans to fight for "a fair adjusted compensation" in PA, with 4 million WWI and 18 million WWII veterans, "we have more power than we realize." Lloyd Arnold was presented a gift from President Anthony for being the only member with dual membership in both the WWI and WWII Clubs. By a standing vote of 67-50, a motion was defeated to open the membership up for one year. NOTE - The #1 on the floral hanging on the wall signifies they had one departed comrade, David W. Reiner who fell off a ladder in 1948. The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September. |
 December 1949 - Markovitz, Evans, Anthony, and Benner. |
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| 7th Annual - December 7, 1952 In a dark suit and light tie, middle of the bar, standing near the seated man with glasses and bowtie is Atty Bill Bayer. |
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| 8th Annual - December 7, 1953 - This is the last group picture of this club found in the binders assemled by Past Commander ('82-'83) Carlos Teets around 2010. |
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| In terms of 1953 buying power, the $2.50 would spend like $22.45 today. Gas was 22 cents a gallon and a loaf of bread was 16 cents. Average income was $4,011 and the average house was $8,200. |
The Lehighton Legion Post #314 turns 100 this 19 September.