POST HISTORY
HISTORY OF POST #136, FLORIDA
The Pine Island American Legion Post #136 is located at 4106 Stringfellow Road, St. James City, FL 33956. Our mailing address is PO Box 776, St. James City, FL 33956.
The Pine Island American Legion Post #136 was instituted on Friday, July 1st, 1980 through a suggestion of the Past Department Commander of Florida, who resided on Pine Island. The Past Department Commander of the State of Florida at this period was Charles Kilgore.
The Pine Island American Legion Post #136 received its permanent "Charter" October 4th, 1980. The dates recorded on the "Charter" are October 10, 1980 and October 20, 1980. The October 10, 1980 date bears the signature of the National Commander and the National Adjutant. The October 20, 1980 date contains the signature of the Department of Florida Commander and Department of Florida Adjutant.
The American Legion was born at a caucus of the First Expeditionary Force, March 15-17, 1919 in Paris France. The Pine Island American Legion Post #136 is linked to the American Legion National Headquarters through the 13th District, upward to the Southwest Area and to the Florida State American Legion Department.
Pine Island is located about 30 miles west of Fort Myers and 20 miles from Cape Coral. The Island is 17 miles long and 2 miles wide. The year-round population is 7,000.
COMMANDERS REPORT 1980-1981
Pine Island American Legion Post 136 was instituted on Friday night at about 4:30 p. m. Past Commander of Florida, Charlie Kilgore, told a group of us islanderes that he had a kit to start a new American Legion Post, which he knew the island needed and that he knew it would make a big success. He said, "I'm going to the American Legion Department Convention in the morning and I would like to take the application to the new Commander, Ray Maddox." We left the home we were meeting in and told Charlie we would see him later when we got 15 charter members. We thought this would take us about a week and we told him we were sorry he didn't give it to us about a month sooner.
The group left in three directions, agreeing to meet in two hours to see how we were doing and what the veterans of the island thought.
In two hours we all met at the center of the island and between us all, we had just exactly 15 new membership forms filled out.
We went to Past Department Commander's Kilgores house to tell him and his wife, Alice, how everyone wanted a new American Legion Post on Pine Island.
He told us to leave as he was going to bed and leave very early in the morning for the convention and to present the new Department Commander, Ray Maddox, with the first application for a charter in 1980-1981.
The Southwest Area Commander and the 13th District Commander and their staff were all present for the election of the charter officers. They then installed the officers in a very impressive manner. That first meeting we had 52 new members present. Three of them paid for life.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE WEBSITE.
www.legion136@comcast.net
