Charles Burrow Dollarhide, Department Service Officer Memorial

In May of 1940, The American Legion Department of Oklahoma and The Auxiliary of Oklahoma dedicated a memorial monument to honor Charles Burrow Dollarhide, the Department's Service Officer from 1926 to 1940. Legionnaire Dollarhide moved to Oklahoma from Arkansas at the age of 6. His father, William K. Dollarhide, was a veteran of the Civil War and was a county sheriff in Arkansas before the family moved to Oklahoma Territory. He completed High School in Wright City, Oklahoma. Mr. Dollarhide attended the Polytechnic in Ft. Worth, Texas and Henderson-Brown College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas before he returned to Oklahoma City. He was involved in early day Oklahoma politics before he joined Battery F, 71st Coast Artillery Corps, American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. His brother, Louis, also served with the AEF in the 36 INF DIV. Upon his return from France, Mr. Dollarhide joined the American First National Bank in Oklahoma City. He married Rosa Lee Hader on the 10th of July, 1919 and they had two sons. Mr. Dollarhide became a member of Post 35, Oklahoma City, The American Legion, Department of Oklahoma. Due to his previous background in politics, his community involvement through Post 35 and the Methodist Church, and his extensive public contact via the banking industry, Mr. Dollarhide he was in constantly working with "a large number of ex-servicemen." It was only natural that he was asked by his Comrade Legionnaires to be the Department Service Officer starting in 1920. By 1930, Oklahoma newspaper and book publisher/editor, V.E. Harlow, included Charles Dollarhide in his book "Makers of Government in Oklahoma", A descriptive roster of Oklahomans whose influence and activity make them significant in the course of public events in their state. Harlow noted that as Oklahoma American Legion Service Officer Charles Dollarhide had the full confidence of the state's Legionnaires. Department Service Officer Dollarhide died on the 7th of April, 1940. He was so well respected and liked that the Department and the Auxiliary of Oklahoma had a gray monument built and erected alongside his grave in the northwest corner of the Memorial Park Cemetery where American Legion Post 35, Oklahoma City had built the Tower of Memories in 1928-29. His wife, Rosa lived to be 100 years old and is buried next to him.