The “Strong-Wolf” American Legion Post #234 of Hart has a “strong” history in the Hart area. The post, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020 and has been closed since the Covid pandemic, is in the process of reorganizing and hopes to once again be a place for veterans and supporters to gather.
“It’s not going to be quick. It (the post) hasn’t been active since Covid. But we’re trying to get people excited again and gain community support,” Commander Kim Loncar said.
A small board consists of local veterans: Loncar, Jason LaFever as treasurer, and Terry Haynor as adjutant. Loncar was excited to share that the two 57mm canons on the front bank, which had become engulfed by brush, were recently restored by Hart Township resident Cal Moul and one of them will be in the Veterans Day parade Saturday, Nov. 9.
According to the www.legion.org website, “The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. Membership swiftly grew to over 1 million, and local posts sprang up across the country.”
The Fred W. Strong American Legion Post #234, was formed by a local group of WWI veterans and named in memory of the first WWI casualty from Hart, Fred W. Strong, killed on May 18, 1918 in France. The post’s auxiliary, made up of wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters of veterans, was organized in 1921.
Together, the post and auxiliary had numerous home bases in the Hart area. They grew in number, volunteering, raising money and giving back to the community. In 1946, the post’s name changed to the Fred W. Strong-Donald W. Wolf Post. The addition of Wolf’s name was to memorialize Wolf as the first WWII soldier casualty from Hart, who was killed at Guadalcanal on Oct. 8, 1942.
In 1967, property northeast of Hart on Lake Road was donated by the Phil Glover family in memory of their son, Frank (Corky) Glover, who had been killed in an auto accident in 1966. Corky was a Korean Marine Veteran who had been very active in the legion. In 1969 a new legion hall, reported to have cost $20,000, was built on the property and has been the post’s home ever since. The sign, located on the south side of the building facing Oceana Drive, was installed in late 1978.
At its peak, the post had several hundred members, now its membership roll lists 20 members. “It (the loss of members) is hitting posts all across the country. A lot of people used to be connected socially (through the American Legion). But now with an all-volunteer military, numbers are a quarter of what they used to be. We were able to fill our recruiting quota this spring and currently have some untapped potentials we are working to speak with soon,” Loncar said.
Even though numbers are down, Loncar is anxious to see the post become alive once again. The post sits on a beautiful seven-acre wooded lot with several hundred feet of lake access on Hart Lake. However, due to lack of manpower, brush has overtaken the south side of the property, making it barely visible from Oceana Drive. Loncar would love to see the overgrown bank and lake access cleared and developed for future recreation.
When asked what their immediate needs were, Loncar said the priority right now is some water issues in the basement. In the short-term he feels these could be addressed with the installation of new gutters. A longer-term solution would be to upgrade drainage from the parking lot, which sits at road level. Eventually they hope to upgrade the heating system and update the building’s aesthetics.
“It’s a beautiful location with a lot of potential,” Loncar said. “I got involved because I didn’t want to see it go.”
Those wishing to learn more about the post, or about how to join or donate, can reach out on the post’s recently “reopened” Facebook page or by emailing Loncar at Kloncar1966@gmail.com.
