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<p>KINGSTON &#8212; Amid an atmosphere of balloons, flags and history, the Kingston American Legion Post 395 marked its 100th anniversary Friday night &#8212; a distinction it shares with the national organization.</p><p>The American Legion, established by an act of Congress in 1919, was instrumental in getting the original GI Bill through Congress and previously helped push for the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the largest wartime veterans service organization with nearly 2 million members and more than 12,000 posts in communities throughout America.</p><p>In Kingston, membership stands at 189 veterans. About 260 others either serve in the Ladies Auxiliary, are social members, or are part of the Legion Riders motorcycle group.</p><p>Mike Ayers, Commander of Black Diamond Post 395, said the national organization was chartered in March 1919 and Kingston applied for its charter in October of the same year.</p><p>The first post home was on Market Street in Kingston, Ayers said, moving to the current location at 386 Wyoming Ave., near the corner of Pringle Street, in 1937.</p><p>Ayers said membership at one time was at 1,454. It currently has veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm among its membership.</p><p>The post&#8217;s senior member, Frank Steinberg, is 96 and a veteran of World War II. Ayers said Steinberg was unable to attend the 100th anniversary dinner, but he will serve as grand marshal in the annual Memorial Day Parade.</p><p>&#8220;We are here for our veterans primarily,&#8221; Ayers told about 60 in attendance. &#8220;We also help out in our community, especially to help organizations that serve children, and we promote Americanism.&#8221;</p><p>Ayers said the post works with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township, hosting breakfasts and offering help with navigating the VA system.</p><p>&#8220;We help cut through the red tape,&#8221; Ayers said.</p><p><strong>&#8216;True milestone&#8217;</strong></p><p>Before the dinner, past Commander Rich Pries offered a brief tour of the historical items on display at the front of the banquet hall. The items included:</p><p>&#8226; Discharge papers of William H. Bennett dated 1866. Bennett fought for the North in the Civil War.</p><p>&#8226; A diary of the post that was begun in 1919. Gary Isaac, post historian, read a few excerpts from the diary before dinner.</p><p>&#8226; Newspaper headlines that detailed Japan&#8217;s attack on Pearl Harbor and when Japan surrendered.</p><p>&#8226; Photographs of past Post 395 commanders.</p><p>&#8226; Four photographs of past U.S. Presidents Herbert Hoover, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge &#8212; all signed by the presidents with a personal note to the post.</p><p>Pries, a Vietnam veteran and a member of the Kingston post since 1971, said it&#8217;s an honor to share the 100-year anniversary with the national American Legion organization.</p><p>&#8220;This is a true milestone for this post,&#8221; Pries said. &#8220;The American Legion has stood the test of time and has done great work for veterans and for the communities it serves.&#8221;</p><p>Ayers said he was given three speeches by the national organization &#8212; a long speech, a medium-length speech and a short speech. He said he opted for the short speech.</p><p>&#8220;The American Legion was built on strengthening the nation, not themselves,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have impacted millions of lives. We stress education and good citizenship. The American Legion is timeless, having stood as the conscience of a grateful nation.&#8221;</p><p>As the American Legion and the Kingston Post 395 head into their next 100 years, Ayers noted: &#8220;We still have a mission &#8212; we still have a purpose.&#8221;</p><p>For more on the Legion: https://www.legion.org.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Silver Star recipient John Richards, left, and American Legion Black Diamond Post 395 past Commander Rich Pries were recognized at the 100th anniversary of the Kingston post at a ceremony Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Silver Star recipient John Richards, left, and American Legion Black Diamond Post 395 past Commander Rich Pries were recognized at the 100th anniversary of the Kingston post at a ceremony Friday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Former U.S. Presidents, left to right, Herbert Hoover, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Calvin Coolidge personally signed photos sent to the Kingston American Legion. In front is an authentic soldier&#8217;s helmet. The vintage items were on display at the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary celebration on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Former U.S. Presidents, left to right, Herbert Hoover, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Calvin Coolidge personally signed photos sent to the Kingston American Legion. In front is an authentic soldier&#8217;s helmet. The vintage items were on display at the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary celebration on Friday night. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre native and creater of the comic strip Joe Palooka, Ham Fisher, drew and donated images of people from a clambake in 1923 for the Kingston American Legion Post 395. The images were on display at the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary celebration Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-4-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wilkes-Barre native and creater of the comic strip Joe Palooka, Ham Fisher, drew and donated images of people from a clambake in 1923 for the Kingston American Legion Post 395. The images were on display at the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary celebration Friday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-5-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nationally, the American Legion began in March 1919 and the Kingston American Legion Post 395 began in October 1919. Shown is the original log book from 1919. The post celebrated its 100th birthday Friday evening with a dinner. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-5-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Nationally, the American Legion began in March 1919 and the Kingston American Legion Post 395 began in October 1919. Shown is the original log book from 1919. The post celebrated its 100th birthday Friday evening with a dinner. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Gary Isaac, Kingston American Legion Black Diamond Post 395&#8217;s chaplain and historian, left, and Mike Ayers, the post&#8217;s commander, conducted a program in honor of the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary Friday night. The Kingston post was founded just months after the national Legion organization was established by an act of Congress in 1919. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Am.-Leg-100th-anniversary-1-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Gary Isaac, Kingston American Legion Black Diamond Post 395&#8217;s chaplain and historian, left, and Mike Ayers, the post&#8217;s commander, conducted a program in honor of the post&#8217;s 100th anniversary Friday night. The Kingston post was founded just months after the national Legion organization was established by an act of Congress in 1919. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Kingston American Legion Post 395 celebrates 100th anniversary