Surging White Bird post ready for romp and crawdads

American Legion Post 152 in the 91-population town of White Bird, Idaho, is expecting dozens of Legion Riders and others to rumble up the Salmon River or down from the prairie above to join a “Mini-Romp and 2nd annual Crawdad Boil” Friday and Saturday.

The post, chartered in 2017, has exceeded 265 percent of its membership target in the tiny town where the number of Legionnaires is soon on the way to topping the number of residents who live there.

Primarily composed of post-9/11 generation veterans, Post 152 has built its identity by providing recreational activities for others who have served, in particular those who have come home struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The post’s formation was inspired by Iraq veteran Matthew Wheeler, who spent nearly a year in White Bird with Post 152 Adjutant Homer Brown, who had served with him. After the post helped Wheeler through recreational therapy, camaraderie and VA outreach, he returned to the East Coast and began a college program to become a therapist for other veterans coping with readjustment difficulties. Last fall, Wheeler tragically died after a fall following a car accident.

The post is now raising funds to build White Bird’s veterans park and dedicate it in honor of Matthew Wheeler.

Those who wish to join Post 152 for a central-Idaho motorcycle tour of about 300 miles can meet in downtown White Bird at 11 a.m. Friday, June 29. On Saturday, June 30, gates open at 4 p.m. for the 2nd annual Crawdad Boil in downtown White Bird, where memorial pavers can be purchased to help with the park project.

To see a flyer about the weekend event, click here.

To learn about the buy-a-brick fundraiser for the park lock here.

For a story on the resurrection of the White Bird post and how it uses outdoor recreation to help veterans, visit here.