Pride, service fill 100-year-old Utah post

American Legion Baker Merrill Post 9 in Ogden, Utah, has a storied history, celebrating its 100th anniversary last July. Post members see a linkage of their 100 years of community service to the next century of assisting veterans, mentoring youth and finding new ways to serve their community in the next 100 years.

Utah’s National Executive Committeeman Terry Schow pointed out a recent example of how post members strive to remember and honor the past for future generations. The post worked with the Pritzker Foundation and Ogden community groups to refurbish a World War I Doughboy statue and return it to public view.

In the 1920s, Gilbert P. Risvold sculpted the state’s first Doughboy statue. For years, the World War I memorial stood on the balcony of Post 9. After World War II, it was moved to the Ogden City Cemetery, where vandalism and weather eventually took a toll.

“It’s part of our history and history matters,” said Schow, who insisted the statue include the Legion emblem upon its re-dedication in November 2018. “We don’t want people to forget the sacrifices that were made. One hundred years ago is a long time. It’s a matter of keeping our history alive.”

The post takes pride in serving Ogden, says Adjutant Bob Yeaman.

Post members place an American flag on every veteran’s gravesite on Memorial Day. They also take lead roles in community Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day services, as well as providing leadership opportunities for local youth with programs such as Boys State and the Oratorical contest.

“Boys State is a big deal; in fact, we are ramping up for that now.”

Even though the post has a 100-year foothold in the community, members keep focused on the future.

“We need to go out and remind people who we are,” explained Yeaman, a Vietnam veteran who served 23 years in the Navy. “We need to keep the push on and keep the numbers and involvement up. We want to keep that proud history going and be proud of our service and keep The American Legion going.”