Post History

In 1919, an informal community of former World War I Veterans existed. The decision to organize an American Legion Post resulted from the conclusion of these Veterans that the American Legion was the representative Veterans' organization in this country. That conclusion has been proven true as today the American Legion is the largest wartime Veterans' organization with nearly 13,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. Current national membership is over 2 million, and combined with the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of The American Legion, membership in what is known as The American Legion Family, exceeds 3 million who care about America, Veterans, their families, and our nation's youth.

The Legion was commissioned on December 11, 1919.

The reasoning for choosing to name the Legion after Ray I. Booth is not clear at this time. He may have been chosen as the namesake for the Legion since he was likely the last person to die in the war from the area. Ray was an infantryman in Company A, 38th Infantry of the United States Army. He enlisted in the Army on June 2, 1017, while he was living in Flint and driving a cab for the famous Checker Cab Company. He died in a battle in France on October 12, 1918, one month before the war ended. He was born on January 25, 1988, which means he was just 30 years old when he died.

His remains were shipped back home, and he is buried in the Forest Home Cemetery.