In March 1919, several months after the end of World War I, a group of American soldiers who had fought in Europe came together in Paris, France, and formed the American Legion as a club for former U.S. servicemen [and later women].
In September of the same year, the U.S. Congress chartered the organization, which has spread out to posts all over the country. On Sunday, Oct. 13, American Legion Post 25 in Cottonwood held an event to celebrate the centennial of the organization and celebrate the area’s veterans.
Post 25 has its own history in the area that goes back nearly as long as the national organization. It was founded in 1925 in honor of Cpl. Elexandro Moisa, a Jerome resident who was drafted into the U.S. Army and died in France in 1918.
Since then the post moved from Jerome to Clarkdale, and eventually to its current location in Cottonwood, where it brings in veterans from all over the area, including some from Camp Verde who prefer it to their local post because its bar does not allow smoking.
In addition to the Legion’s usual Sunday activities, like drinks, food, bar games like pool and darts and live country-rock covers from local band, The Renegades, the anniversary event featured a bouncy castle and dunk tank, part of what Post Commander Bill Tinnin, himself an Army veteran stationed in Germany in the 1970s and ’80s, sees as an effort to bolster the local organization and bring in families and younger veterans.
“I think that over the years, it’s been thought of as just an old folks bar, but we do a lot of things for the community,” Tinnin said. He pointed to the Legion’s scholar- ship programs, support for the local football team, help for homeless vets and other volunteer activities. “We’d like to get more younger members, veterans or even sons of veterans. Daughters as well.”
Tinnin said that though the Legion is full of Vietnam-era veterans, it has had trouble attracting Iraq and Afghanistan War vets in the same numbers. He also pointed to the Legion Act, which was proposed in Congress by U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema [D- Ariz.] and signed by the president this July, which extended the eligibility for Legion membership to anyone who served even one day and was honorably discharged, going back to 1941.
“For anyone that has served, not being able to join an organization like this is kind of a slap in the face,” Tinnin said.
“There’s needy vets that belong to this place,” Kevin Nevvils, who served in the Marine Corps from 1957 to 1960, said. “If it weren’t there they wouldn’t be getting [community].”
In addition to Sunday’s event, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Post held an event for Vietnam War era veterans, providing them with a pin with an eagle on it to commemorate those who served, 50 years on from the war.
“I’d like to thank you all for your service,” Bill Crossman, an Air Force veteran with the Legion, said before shaking hands with each of the veterans who were given a pin. “I can’t say it enough.”
“It’s a great accommodation,” said Barry Dunham, who served in the Navy on the USS Coral Sea from 1961 through 1967. “I appreciate it very much. I never had any bad feelings.”
For Tinnin, even as the Legion focuses on honoring its veterans, he hopes to turn that around and keep the veterans helping the community.
“Volunteerism is kind of slacking,” Tinnin said. “A lot of people like using the services at the Legion but they don’t really do that much for it. And I would like to see that improve. But there’s a lot of things we can do for the community, a lot of things that we just don’t know about, because no one has voiced anything, asking for help.”
