AMERICAN LEGION ACTIVE IN TREYNOR

Bill Bonar is a past Post Commander and a fifty year member of Treynor’s Lamar Hartje American Legion Post. Bonar, who served in the Korean War, described some of the history and listed many of the activities of Post 725.  The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. It is a community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. Bonar explained the Treynor Post was activated after World War II and named for the first young man from Treynor to die from injuries during that war, Lamar Hartje. Bonar noted the American Legion is primarily a fraternal organization to support veterans and look out for their treatment and welfare. But, it is also a social group that supports youth and community through many activities. The Treynor Post sponsors the Treynor Boy Scout Troop, a new youth trap and skeet team, Boy’s State and Girl’s State participation, senior scholarships, student letters to active military, and US flag information to elementary students. Bonar listed some of the Treynor Post community activities such as an inventory of equipment such as wheel chairs, walkers, etc.; color guards at sports events, funerals, and parades; periodic US flag disposal; holiday US flag street displays; Veteran’s grave flags; and Veteran’s Day programs. Bonar noted the Post gave their property to the city of Treynor in exchange for the right to meet in the new Community Building. They also purchased tables and chairs for their meeting room and equipment for the kitchen to facilitate meetings and fund raising fish frys.  Bonar expressed thanks to the community for support of their fish fry events. Our Optimist club meets in the room furnished by the Legion Post. Bonar noted the digital sign in f! ront of the Community Center was purchased by the Post. A future project being discussed is a memorial to all who served in the military defending our country. Current Post leaders are Commander Don Bowerman, Vice Commander Jerry Lustgraaf, and Vice Commander Graig Korkow.