The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.
Hundreds of local American Legion programs and activities strengthen the nation one community at a time. American Legion Baseball is one of the nation’s most successful amateur athletic programs, educating young people about the importance of sportsmanship, citizenship and fitness. The Heroes to Hometowns program connects local Legionnaires with recovering wounded warriors and their families, providing a variety of support activities. The Legion raises millions of dollars in donations at the local, state and national levels to help veterans and their families and to provide college scholarship opportunities.
The American Legion is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization with great political influence perpetuated by its grass-roots involvement in the legislation process from local districts to Capitol Hill. Legionnaires’ sense of obligation to community, state and nation drives an honest advocacy for veterans in Washington. The Legion stands behind the issues most important to the nation's veterans community, backed by resolutions passed by volunteer leadership.
The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism. The organization belongs to the people it serves and the communities in which it thrives.
Find out more information about our organization on https://legion.org.
2022-2023 Department Officers
Department Commander Tom Hicks
Commander Tom Hicks
2022-2023 District Officers
Past Department Commanders
1919 Past Department Commander
- 1919 *Jackson Arnold, Weston
*Deceased
1920-1929 Past Department Commanders
- 1921 *J. B. Nickerson, Wheeling
- 1922 *A. Edmiston, Jr., Weston
- 1923 *Spiller Hicks, Bluefield
- 1924 *R. E. O’Connor, Elkins
- 1925 *J. H. MCGinnis, Beckley
- 1926 *A. G. Yates, Grafton
- 1927 *R. B. McDougle, Parkersburg
- 1928 *A. E. Haan, Huntington
- 1929 *S. C. Morris, Clarksburg
*Deceased
1930-1939 Past Department Commanders
- 1930 *J. A. Duff, Martinsburg
- 1931 *L. A. Johnson, Clarksburg
- 1932 *J. H. Thornton, Sistersville
- 1933 *H. S. Pownall, Moorefield
- 1934 *H. S. Ellis, Huntington
- 1935 *C. L. Smith, St. Albans
- 1936 *W. G. Stathers, Clarksburg
- 1937 *C. E. Booth, Huntington
- 1938 *F. W. Turner, Charleston
- 1939 *W. E. Nefflen, Keyser
* Deceased
1940-1949 Past Department Commanders
- 1940 *F. B. Poling, Philippi
*T. F. Williams, Logan - 1941 *R. C. Hall, Elkins
- 1942 *R. H. Patterson, Wellsburg
*E. Mck. Hardesty, Mt Hope - 1943 *Heatherington, Clarksburg
- 1944 *T. H. MCGovran, Charleston
- 1945 *P. E. Kercheval, Kingwood
- 1946 *R. C. Burg, Piedmont
- 1947 *E. L. Jones, Wheeling
- 1948 *W. R. Fugitt, Beckley
- 1949 *D. R. Wilson, Clarksburg
* Deceased
1950-1959 Past Department Commanders
- 1950 *Walker Long, Huntington
- 1951 *Frank Everhart, Kingwood
- 1952 *Tommy E. Jones, Beckley
- 1953 *Harry W. Miller, Fayetteville
- 1954 *Gaujot Bias, Williamson
- 1955 *L. O. Bickel, Fairmont
- 1956 *Chester Phillips, Elkins
- 1957 *E. D. Hardman, Charleston
- 1958 *W. Dewey Mentz, Welch
- 1959 *Lincoln Cox, Kirby
* Deceased
1960-1969 Past Department Commanders
- 1960 *Bonn Brown, Elkins
- 1961 *Robert Lester, St. Albans
- 1962 *Jack R. Adams, Wheeling
- 1963 *Chester M. Matney, Welch
- 1964 *H. Paige Bell, Parkersburg
- 1965 *Isaac Mayfield, Bridgeport
- 1966 *William T. Black, Bartley
- 1967 *Richard Davies,Morgantown
- 1968 *John A. Jones, Weirton
- 1969 *Charles A. Kuhn, Fairmont
* Deceased
1970-1979 Past Department Commanders
- 1970 *Thomas Malloy, Parkersburg
- 1971 *J. H. Ashcraft, Hundred
- 1972 *George Siehl, Fayetteville
- 1973 *Charles Forsythe, Clarksburg
- 1974 *Harry Slaughter, St. Albans
- 1975 *M. D. Herzburn, Welch
- 1976 *Jack Miller, Parkersburg
- 1977 *Jack T. Gribben, Hurricane
- 1978 *Roderick Devison, Fairmont
- 1979 *Robert Vass, Sr, Barboursville
*Deceased
1980-1989 Past Department Commanders
- 1980 *George Zanos,Sr.,Wellsburg
- 1981 *Dana Orndorff, St. Albans
- 1982 *James Shade, Martinsburg
- 1983 *Paul Brewster, Welch
- 1984 Miles S. Epling, Pt. Pleasant
- 1985 *Olin Wharton, Parkersburg
- 1986 *George Vickers, Ranson
- 1987 *Eugene Billmeyer, Rio
- 1988 *J. Carl Durhan, Newell
- 1989 *Thomas Wimmer, Bradshaw
* Deceased
1990-1999 Past Department Commanders
- 1990 William Kile, Petersburg
- 1991 *Robert Rulen, Mason
- 1992 *John E. Shumate, Beckley
- 1993 *Glenwood Burton, Capon Bridge
- 1994 *Donal Squires, Fairmont
- 1995 *Dale E. Hoover, Keyser
- 1996 William Burkett, Moundsville
Honorary *David Baker, Huntington - 1997 *Forrest Simpson, Bridgeport
- 1998 *Jack P. McConnell, Mannington
- 1999 *Dale Lutman, Berkeley Springs
* Deceased
2000-2009 Past Department Commanders
- 2000 *Arthur P. Oger, Paden City
- 2001 *Ada Henderson, Ceredo
- 2002 Billy Karnes, Huntington
- 2003 James Davis, McMechen
- 2004 W. A. “Webb” Holley, Vienna
- 2005 *Joseph Grahame, Elkins
- 2006 Robert Mayo, Williamstown
- 2007 *Harold Plants, Capon Bridge
- 2008 George Sinkewitz, Huntington
- 2009 David R. Hall, New Haven
* Deceased
2010-2019 Past Department Commanders
- 2010 Gary Wolfe, McMechen
- 2011 *Robert “Greek” Fochalis, Augusta
- 2012 Tom Hayes, Kenova
- 2013 Jack Gerrard, Clarksburg
- 2014 Frank Nicholson, Shinnston
- 2015 Fred Buchanan, Ona
Honorary C. William Harris, Glen Easton - 2016 Kenneth Smith, Barboursville
- 2017 Sherman W. Baxa Jr., Buckhannon
- 2018 Frank Cooley, Welch
- 2019 William “Bill” Combs, Pt. Pleasant
* Deceased
2020-2029 Past Department Commanders
- 2020 Barbara Burdette, Lewisburg
- 2021 John A. Powell, Wheeling
- 2022 William Haught, Follansbee
- 2023 Tom Hicks
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
- 2029
* Deceased