Legion post marks 100 years

by Patty  Reiman  

This month, the Lee-Bishop American Legion  Post  in Hudson  commemorates its 100th  year since being chartered nationally and by the state of Ohio.  

Although there will be no organized  public  celebration, past and current members  can take pride in the rich history of local American Legion  activities  that have spanned 100 years.  

It may be possible for the Hudson post office to commemorate the anniversary with a special postmark, as it did for the 75th  anniversary of the  Lee-Bishop post.  

“We are hoping they can do something similar this year,” said Jim Garrison,  adjutant of Lee-Bishop Post 464.  Garrison is a Paid Up For Life member of the post. 

“The Hudson American Legion is here to assist military veterans in any way we can and to promote the values of Americanism, community service and family,” said  Garrison. 

Garrison said  the post’s main activity  is  to  host and coordinate  the annual Memorial Day parade  through Hudson.  The COVID-19 pandemic  prevented the parade from stepping off  in 2020, but he said this  wasn’t  the first year  the parade  had  to be canceled.  

“There was no parade during World War II, and then it resumed in 1946,’’ he said.

Outside of these exceptions, Garrison said, “Through the archives, we feel that there has been some sort of parade or gathering every year since the American Legion formation.”  

Since  the parade’s  return  in 1946  and  continuing  to  the present, one  Hudson  family has  headed up the parade committee. First, it was Elwin Kingsley. Then his niece, Martha Marsh, took over before turning over the leadership to her  daughter  and current  committee chair, Cindy  Suchan-Rothgery.  

“Cindy and the members of the unit do a fantastic job of planning and assembling the parade,” said Garrison.  

The Lee-Bishop post also  conducts an annual Memorial Day ceremony after the parade at the  Markillie  Cemetery to  memorialize service members lost in battle.  Also  during   Memorial Day weekend,  with  the  help  of  Hudson Scouts, members of Lee-Bishop  post place  flags  on the graves  of each veteran in all five Hudson cemeteries.  

The rest of the year, Garrison encourages  Hudsonites  to support the efforts of the American Legion  and  our country by  flying an American flag,  remembering veterans  and attending Legion events.  

On  Sept. 18, which  was  National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the post  planned a flag presentation  at Veterans Way Park.  Each  November, the post has  programs in remembrance of  Veterans Day.  Next May, the post hopes to resume its  fundraising tradition of selling poppies at area retailers  like Acme and Discount Drug Mart.  

“The poppy signifies the remembrance of the sacrifices made by the members of the armed forces,’’ Garrison said. “All  monies collected are used for veterans and their families.”  

Membership in the American Legion is open to  those who served  or are on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.  Honorable discharge is required.

Family members (spouse, child, grandchild) of an American  Legion  member can join the American Legion Auxiliary.  

Hudson  Post  464  is named for  David Hudson Lee and Orland R. Bishop.  Both men served in the military during World War I.  Lee  was  the great,  great grandson of David Hudson, founder of  Hudson, and fought with the Army in France. He died from  lobar pneumonia in Germany on  June 6, 1919.  

Bishop  belonged to a pioneer family from Twinsburg and fought in the Army overseas. He died in France on Oct. 7, 1918. of pericarditis.  

The bodies of both men were  eventually  returned to the U.S. Bishop is buried in Twinsburg’s  Locust Grove Cemetery. Lee is buried  in  Hudson’s  Markillie  Cemetery  (Lot 90, Grave 8).   “Hudson and Twinsburg were very close at that time, and these two soldiers, as far as we know, were the only ones from Hudson or Twinsburg to have lost their lives [in World War I]” said Garrison. 

Feature image photo caption: Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464 Commander Clark Wonderland (l) looks on as Hud

Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464 Commander Clark Wonderland (l) looks on as city employees Trent Wash and Jon Garwood raise flags during a POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at Veterans Way Park on Sept. 18.