Frank J. Peters was elected as a national vice commander of The American Legion during the 107th National Convention in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 3, 2026.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Peters served aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate during the Lebanon and Grenada conflicts. A retired Staten Island ferryboat captain, Peters was working on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York Harbor and piloted the last scheduled ferry out of Manhattan. He continued shuttling emergency services into, and evacuating people out of, Manhattan throughout the day. Peters was awarded the USDOT 9/11 medal by Secretary Norman Mineta to honor his actions taken during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. As a USCG civilian, Peters currently works as a Vessel Traffic Management Specialist in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Peters was featured in a 2021 American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast series presenting 20 stories in 20 episodes leading up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Peters is a paid-up-for-life (PUFL) member and past commander of American Legion Gold Star Post 1365 in Staten Island, New York. A past Department of New York commander, Peters currently chairs the Department’s Resolutions, Constitution and By-Law Committees, and also represents the Department of New York to the National Convention’s Constitutional Amendments Committee. Prior to his election as national vice commander, Peters was serving on The American Legion’s National Executive Committee.
Peters’ grandfather, a World War II veteran, and uncle, a Vietnam, veteran, preceded him as commanders of Gold Star Post 1365, and he has always considered himself a legacy member. “Growing up around the post and attending so many American Legion functions as a child, I always knew that if I served my country and became eligible, that I would join The American Legion.” Peters is also a member of The Sons of The American Legion, ANAVICUS, and the Past Department Commander’s Club.
His late wife, Mary, was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Together they have two daughters; Mary Berube and her husband Tyler, Navy veterans and Legionnaires. Emily Peters is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Frank and Mary Peters’ grandchildren Sebastian, Luna and Faye Berube are all part of the American Legion Family.
