Evening star., 1931-06-07
American Legion

James A. Drain, who had come to the
city to make the Memorial day address
at Arlington. Department Comdr. B. C.
MacNeil, member Of the post, also
was present. Mr.. Drain gave the COM
mittee some interesting informa ton
concerning American Legion activities
on the Pacific Coast and in the North
west.
The committee voted to hold the
June meeting of the post at the Po-
tomac Boat Club June IS. The Barbe-
que and Field Day Committee an
nounced that plans are being made for
the outing at the Raccar Canoe Club
camp on the Upper Potomac River
| June 20. Comdr. James H. Phillips an
nounced that the post had exceeded its
membership quota and stood among the
leaders Of the posts of the department..
Louis P. Allwine, chairman OF the Bar
beque Committee, announced meet
ing of his committee tomorrow night
at the Portner Hotel.
Replacement of modern stone mark
ers for the old tombstones Of veterans
buried in Arlington National Cemetery
was advocated at meeting Of George
washington Post, No. 1, last Tuesday
Island avenue.
In connection with reports on the
inspection and decorating of graves for
Memorial day, Past Comdr. Wallace
Streator invited attention to the con-
dition Of markers in Arlington Gene
terry of veterans of the Civil War and
suggested that steps be taken to have
them replaced. A resolution on the
subject was unanimously adopted, and
copies will be sent to the War Depart
ment and to the Grand Army OF the
THrnnroft0n
advising Of the action Of the post. Past
Comdr. Bernard c. MCGEE reported on
the decorating of graves in Rock Greek
Cemetery. including the grave OF Past
Comdr. Charles B. Hanford.
Past Comdr. Howard S. Fisk, who
served on committees of the Grand
Army of the Republic Memorial Day
CORPORATION, outlined the history OF the
organization and the manner in which
it has functioned for the past three
years. The five veteran organizations
comprising the corporation under the
provisions Of the act of Congress incor-
porating these bodies he said included
the Grand Army Of the Republic,
United Spanish War Veterans, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, the American Legion
and Disabled American Veterans Of the
World War. The board of directors is
composed Of four members from each
ORGANIZATION and from these 20 vet
erans are elected the officers. The
speaker referred to the gradual dwin-
ding of the ranks of the Grand Army
veterans and that out of the $500 resid-
ing in the District at one time but
119 now are living. The youngest OF
these is Mai. Gen. John L. Glen, who
is member of George Washington Post,
80 years of age, and Maj. S. Willard
Sexton, the oldest living member, who
Is 1O2 years of age. Gen. Clem is fa-
nous as the Drummer Boy of Shiloh" !"
There are but five Grand Army posts
out Of the 20 originally chartered in
the Department Of the Potomac. At his
reuest this data was incorporated in
the records Of the post for future ref
erence.
Maj. F.. S. Love, who started his mill
tary career with the British Army in
1893, also referred to the tributes paid
to his deceased comrades who rest in
Arlington Cemetery, where he found
British flags flying and flowers on their
graves on Memorial day. when he at
tended the exercises in the Amphithea-
ter. He related some of his army ex-
periences, telling of his service with
Lord Kitchener in the Egyptian cam
paign, the Boer War in South America
and in the World War. He was wound
ed in the second battle Of the Marine
and was evacuated to London in 1915,
later coming to the United States.
The colors Of the post will join the