The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-22
A Plea to Ex-Scrvice Men to Join
the American Legion

/ the American Legion.
Editor Daily Item:
| 1 do not know what your person
al feelings are regarding the
! American Legion but. regardless Of
! what they. are. I wish to let the
| reading public of Sumter know that
YOU have been the benefactor Of
| our local post in the past and have
ALWAYS sought to give us the ad-
vantage of any space we asked for
and T feel it due. you that we ex-
press to you publicly, our sincere
gratitude.
We have no other way, except
through the press. of sending a
message to the many ex-service
men in Sumter county. We are
on the verge of starting drive for
membership in 1923 and would like,
if you will permit us. to put one
| final plea in your paper. to the ex-
service men, before the drive
starts
/ Men, who have fought the good
fight, you who have won for your
selves the undying gratitude of q
fond nation, do you realize for an
Instant that it would be very neg
ligent in you after having accom-
plished your deeds of valor not to
affiliate with some organization
whose purpose it as to perpetuate
with a monument eternal the
giories of the heroic actions of our
living and the supreme sacrifices
of our dead, of this recent world
war Financially there can be no
objection raised as you are asked
Ito contribute the sum of $500 per
year. which sum includes a sub
iseription to the American Legion
Weekly and this magazine alone
is well worth the sum asked.
If Your father or grandfather
wore the gray Of Confederate
soldier, You want to know it. It is
your rightful heritage that you
should know it and the society
|'known as the United Confederate
Veterans is one of the principal
means that has been made use Of
to transmit this knowledge to you
first hand. Your son or grandson
has the same right to look back
with pride upon your record, in the
years which are to follow, and
what better means will you be able
to offer in 20 or % years hence,
to show where you stood in the war
OF. 1914 to 1913. than by showing
bona fde membership in the Le-
gion, which is the only recognized
national society Of Veterans Of the
world war?
If on the other hand you are
young man. strong and active and
at the time OF your eountrys dire
need you did Something that you
are ashamed of, if you sought by
every means possible to keep out of
the fight. in other words if you are
Stacker and your conscience will
not permit you to- forget that
fact. then I warn you fairly, the
Legion doesn't need you and it
would be q. very bad place to seek
forgetfulness and sweet oblivion,
for. the men of the Legion are de-
termined that our people shall new
er forget the fact that in Flanders
field today under bleak and Win
try November sky lie buried thou
sands Of our buddies.
These boys were your school
mates, friends. loved ones. They
gladly paid the price called for and
the very least that we, who are left,
can do is to commemorate their
brave deeds in song and story, un-
til nowhere within the borders of
our land will there remain group
of people who have failed to hear
lit. How can we do this any better
than by banding ourselves together
into a society and meeting occa-
sionafly to talk it over. The Le-
gion is already well blished. 1t
fulfills our every need and desire,
then why not come into the Le
gion aid bring some one with you
or maybe branch out and start a
society of your own?
1 I've. talked to good many men
in the last few days about member
ship. Only one of them has said
he didn't wish to come in. but
many have had some form of COM
plant to enter. I know that their
complaints are justifable. We
have made errors in the mast and
all Of US, looking to brighter and
better days, hope to rectify them
but we are all human so put your
hammer on the shelf and help boost
our post.
Membership in the Legion is on
merit You cannot come in except
it be that you can show sufficient
service in the army, navy or ma
rine corps. Our post should have
At least ESQ men. We have or
ganized this year with the deter
Eaipation Of going over the top in
every way. The first of the big
guns will be fred on Tuesday night,
November 28th with.a banquet at
the Claremont Hotel 125 cards
will go out to eX-service men to-
morrow announcing this banquet
Now if you don't get card come
anyhow because you are cordially
invited whether card was mailed
you or not. We do not know ev-
cry ex-service man in the county
tn,,} oh ~