See Our Schedule Updated Aug. 7, 2005

Welcome to American Legion  (Bowen Franklin Knox) Post #55  of Fredericksburg, Virginia A Little About Our Post Post 55 is among the oldest posts in continuous operation in the State of Virginia. We received our charter on September 26, 1919. It was founded by returning World War One veterans and has remained a key influence in our community, working as an advocate for fellow veterans and for the betterment of all. Although our founding members have all passed on, their legacy remains. For those of us who are members of Post 55 we are all Veterans who have served our country and seek to continue our service in our community. Our objective is to form a bond between Veterans and the community and to perpetuate the principles that our country was founded on. We do this by sponsoring a variety of programs in our community and are personally committed to promoting patriotism, the principles of freedom and our democratic form of government. Post 55 is named after three local soldiers who gave their lives for freedom on the battlefields of France during the Great War of 1914-1918. Harry L. Bowen Mercer W. Franklin Douglas H. Knox Qualifications for membership If you have served active duty in the armed forces of the United States during any of the war eras listed below, and have been honorably discharged or are still serving you are eligible for membership in The American Legion! *August 2, 1990 to today (Operation Desert Shield/Storm) December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990 (Operation Just Cause - Panama) August 24, 1982 to July 31, 1984 (Lebanon/Grenada) February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975 (Vietnam War) June 25, 1950 to January 31, 1955 (Korean War) December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946 (World War II) U.S. Merchant Marine eligible only from Dec. 7, 1941 to Aug. 16, 1945. April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 (World War I) *Because eligibility dates remain open, all members of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to join The American Legion at this time, until the date of the end of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States. We have a regular business meeting the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM at our Post 55 home, located on Fall Hill Avenue at Woodford Street in Fredericksburg, VA. In addition we have many other activities which we are currently pursuing: Establishing a Post Museum. Over the years Post 55 has accumulated an abundance of artifacts, souvenirs and other memorabilia on display at the Post Home. Much of this material is uniquely related to Fredericksburg having been donated by returning veterans. Currently this museum is not open on a regular schedule, but keep an eye on our event schedule. Special arrangements can be made by contacting our webmaster. Establishing an Area War Memorial. Veterans throughout the Fredericksburg area are nearing the final phase of the establishment of an area wide memorial. The memorial consists of six columns of granite upon which the names of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of freedom will be etched.  The names have been drawn from an approximate 20 mile area surrounding Fredericksburg VA.  This memorial seeks to ensure that those who gave their lives in the 20th and 21st centuries will no be forgotten.  Post 55 has worked continuously on this project since it inception in 1988 and is glad to report we are nearing the reality of this worthy cause. You may wish to visit the Fredericksburg Area Veterans Council web site at http://www.favchomepage.org/ for more information and who to contact for your support. Youth Programs. Post 55 sponsors a number of youth programs. These programs include youth baseball, with our teams competing throughout Virginia. We also sponsor programs that provide youth with training in leadership and development of skills that will help them to become leaders in the community. For additional information please contact: Post 55 Commander, Rita Chandler Webmaster,  Glenn Hyatt

American Legion Post 55 Schedule of Events (Updated Aug. 7, 2005)

American Legion Post 55 Ladies Auxiliary

The American Legion, National Headquarters

Post 55 Past Events

American Legion BLUE STAR FLAG OPEN HOUSE May 21st 2005 We hope you had a chance to visit with us. Photos are available if you wish to visit by clicking on the image at the left.

PHOTO GALLERY  Veterans Day Dinner, November 14, 2003. Each year around the Veterans' Day holiday Post 55 hosts a dinner for its members and their guests. As part of the evenings entertainment we presented a program honoring our veterans. This year our program Freedom is Not Free includes letters from soldiers serving in harms way during the 20th Century. The first letter was written home from the trenches in WWI. Young Francis Kennedy's letter to his mother just as timely today as it was in 1917. Kennedy's hope for the future would all be washed away as he was killed in action in August of 1917. WWI LETTER The second letter was written to a resident of our community and concerned the loss of her son in the skies over Germany during the daylight bombing raids of 1944. WW2 LETTER A third letter was shared by the Breeden family, members of Post 55. Their son, Lt. Charles Breeden, is currently on the front line in Irag, once again defending our freedom. Below are some photos of the dinner.

VETERANS DAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998. On this 80th anniversary of the great Armistice of 1918, Post 55 opened our post home and our museum exhibits to the residents of our community, inviting them to an open house. The objective was to educate our fellow citizens as to the significance of November 11, the history of the Armistice and to remember the men and women who served and sacrificed in the Great World War of 1914-1918. Our program included special exhibits as well as reenactors dressed in authentic WWI uniforms. Below you will find some of the pictures snapped at this Post 55 event.