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Madison’s
American Legion
serves community in many ways
Legion
offers more than just food, drink to veterans
By
Amy Casebier
Contributing Writer
(June 2008) – The American Legion
Post 9 in Madison, Ind., may be well known in the area as
a place to eat drink and be merry, but the legion also serves
veterans and the community.
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Photo
by Amy Casebier
Cmdr.
Geno Schneider
will soon enter his
second year at the helm
of the American Legion
Post 9 club in Madison.
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The legion, a not-for-profit organization whose
club is located at 707 Jefferson St., sponsors many events,
including the July 4 fireworks display during the Madison
Regatta Festival. The legion also participates in various
services and donates to numerous charities around the area.
The legion holds itself responsible for funerals for veterans,
including providing uniforms, bus transportation and services
at the funeral.
Memorial Day is a big event for the legion. It conducted a
10 a.m. service in Bedford, Ky., and a 1 p.m. service at the
Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison. Geno Schneider,
the commander of the legion, recently put a flag on every
veteran’s grave in Jefferson County, Ind., to help commemorate
Memorial Day.
Schneider has been commander for one year and is running unopposed
in the legion’s upcoming election to serve as commander
for another year.
“It puts a lot of pressure on me, but I wouldn’t
have it any other way,” he said.
Commanders serve on the executive board and manage and organize
all donations, including scholarships that the legion provides
to seniors in area high schools.
Several of the charities that the legion donates to include
the American Red Cross, the United Way, the Salvation Army
and the Lide White Memorial Boys and Girls Club.
The legion also collects donations to help local families
in need, such as families who lose their homes and possessions
in fires or families with a dire medical crisis.
Scott Croford has been the bar manager at the legion for more
than a year.
“There’s always common ground there,” he said
of the legion’s atmosphere. Croford added that veterans
of many different ages could talk about places they had all
visited during their service – just decades apart.
Croford, who was a U.S. Marine, said that one of the most
interesting parts about being at the legion was knowing people
with connections to prominent military figures. One of Croford’s
acquaintances was commissioned on the battlefield by Lt. Gen.
Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller, a famous figure in
the Marine Corps who “fought just about every major battle
there was,” in his nearly 40 years of service, Croford
said.
The American Legion began in 1919 after Congress chartered
it. There are around 15,000 posts across the nation that serve
nearly 3 million members, according to the American Legion
website. The American Legion Post 9 in Madison is one of the
largest posts in the state. To be a member of the legion or
the auxiliary, one must have either have been in the armed
forces or have a family member in the armed forces.
In addition to being a service organization and hangout for
veterans and their families, the legion also has a motorcycling
club called the Legion Riders that boasts around 85 members.
The restaurant and bar at the legion is open to the public
8 a.m. until 6 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays until 8
p.m.
• Contact the American Legion Post
9 at (812) 265-4417. For more information on the American
Legion nationwide, visit: www.legion.org.
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