The Altoona Tribune of Friday, June 19, 1953 informed its readers that 12 military veterans from Altoona and Claysburg had met on Wednesday, June 17, 1953 at the Booker T. Washington Community Center to elect a temporary commander and secretary for an American Legion Post. William Janes Witherspoon, executive director of the BTW Community Center had reached out to these veterans to meet at the BTW Community Center for this purpose. Speakers for this meeting included Captain Robert Richard, Lt. Robert Mohr, Lt. William R. Suckling, Randolph Clark and L.W.F Haberstroth. The first 3 speakers encouraged the attendees to join the local National Guard Reserve, the last two speakers informed the attendees of the benefits and advantages of creating an American Legion Post and what the steps were needed to create a temporary Legion organization. The 12 attendees elected Rev. Arthur Fitzgerald of Claysburg as temporary president and Mrs. Cora Cordova as temporary secretary. The attendees included William Barnes, George Winters, Frank McCall, Lonnie Smith, Harold Settles, Charles Kimbrough, P.L. Piper, James W. Ivery, John C. Piper and Arnold Knox. The next meeting of this temporary American Legion Post was to be held at the BTW Community Center on Tuesday, June 30.
