History

Several WWI and WWII veterans, including Ralph King, Jack King, Charles Lee, Joe Linhart, James Malcom, George Means, Paul Mikler, James Kelsey, and Philip Packard, among other local veterans, met in caucus in the city of Oviedo, Florida, to discuss the feasibility of establishing a local Post in the American Legion, Department of Florida

An outgrowth of the Oviedo caucus was the creating of an "Application for Post of the American Legion" for Oviedo, Florida, listing thirty-nine qualified hometown WWII veterans representing all of the services, as prospective members for the new Post.  The application was endorsed by the Department of Florida Adjutant Reid K. Mann, and submitted to the American Legion National Headquarters, Indianapolis, where it was endorsed by National Adjutant Donald G Glascoff, thereby approving the charter.

The resultant Preliminary Charter presented to the Post listed Philip Packard, Commander; JM Staley, Vice Commander; JG Kasell, Finance Officer; Henry Wolcott, Adjutant; WH Martin, Historian; JI Beasley, Chaplain; TL Lingo, Sr., Sergeant at Arms; and JE Evans, Service Officer.  This was recorded in Sanford, Seminole County, Florida, 13 May 1948 by MB Smith, Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Seminole County, Florida.

Application for Permanent Charter for the Post listed Leo Chester Olliff, Commander; Henry A Wolcott, Vice Commander; James E Pearson, Adjutant; John Wesley Evans, Finance Officer; George C Means, Chaplain; Paul Mikler, Sergeant at Arms; William Henry Martin, Historian; and BF Wheeler, Service Officer.  This was submitted by incumbent Post Commander JE Kelsey on 10 July 1952 to Department of Florida Adjutant Ernest A Rowton who approved the application on 3 September 1952 recommending a Permanent Post Charter, which was issued on 8 September 1952 under Registration Number 20,104.

Our Post is a living memorial to Oviedo hometown patriots, who gave their lives for freedom in defense of our country

Arthur Riles Hunter

USN, lost at sea, 30 July 1945 in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during the 1945 Leyte Gulf Operations, Philippine Islands.

Gordon W Johnson

USA Air Corps, member of the 70th Staging Squadron, 20th Ferrying Group, Nashville, TN, killed in an air crash, 29 December 1944, Nigeria, Africa.

Walter Eugene Olliff

USA, killed in action, 22 September 1944, at Schevenhotte, Germany.

James Arthur Partin

USMC, wounded in action, 22 June 1944, and died 6 July 1944, on Saipan, the Marianas Islands.