American Legion in Albion upgrades building, welcome more members
New commander steps forward after loss of 2 longtime leaders
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Mike Donahue plays Taps as part of the Honor Guard on Veterans’ Day on Saturday at the American Legion post on Gaines Basin Road.
The Honor Guard observed Veterans’ Day at four other stops: The Veterans Service Agency in Albion, Orleans County Courthouse, memorial outside the middle school and the VFW post.
Rex Hults and other members of the Honor Guard fired three rounds in a 21-gun salute at each stop.
The Honor Guard is outside the American Legion on Gaines Basin Road The former clubhouse at Pap Pap’s Par 3 is now the home for the Legion. The veterans’ organization in the past year has put a new roof and siding on the building, as well as electrical and lighting upgrades, and an installation of flags from each branch of the military.
The organization has 120 members and welcomes more. They could be a veterans, son of a veteran, a member of the ladies auxiliary or a social member.
Brad Rouse, a Marine Corps veteran, is the new commander of the Legion. He was instrumental in the building improvements. Rouse also is recently retired from the Village of Albion in maintenance and as a mechanic at the sewer plant.
The Legion also put in a new concrete front patio and placed seven spent rounds, and one live round. The live round is in honor of the military currently deployed, the seven other bullets represent the gun salute from the Honor Guard, with three volleys of seven rounds.
This tribute is in front of a memorial bench for the late Jason Johnston, who was 24 when he was killed by a roadside bomb on Dec. 26, 2009 in Arghandab, Afghanistan.
His father Brad is an active member of the Legion in Albion. Jason Johnston, a specialist and paratrooper in the Army, is the only soldier from Orleans County to be killed in combat during the Afghanistan War.
The legion has added a display case with the Legion uniform for Kevin Christy, who was the group’s commander at the time of his death at age 72 on Nov. 16, 2022. Christy was a long-time leader of the local American Legion and also created the Sons of the American Legion for the organization in Albion.
Roger Ettinger made the display for Christy’s Legion and also the display case for the Army uniform worn by Gary Befus.
The uniform for Gary Befus also is in a display case at the Legion. Befus served with the Army during the Vietnam War. He died at age 76 on Oct. 3, 2022. He was involved for many years with the Legion and helped organize parades and the annual oratorical contest.
