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The American Legion Department of West Virginia
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The American Legion Department of West Virginia




Veterans Strengthening America

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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.

2023-2024 Department Officers

Department Commander Matthew Sampson

Commander Matthew Sampson

Commander Matthew Sampson

Matt Sampson is a retired Army officer. A native of Iowa, he graduated and was commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served a 20-year career in the Army with tours of duty stateside and overseas, including a 15-month deployment to Iraq. His final assignment was Professor of Military Science at WVU Army ROTC in Morgantown. Matt has been a volunteer at Mountaineer Boys State since 2010, first as a Counselor, then a Senior Counselor and now as Assistant Director. He is a quadruple member of the Mountaineer Post 174 Legion Family: Legion, Auxiliary, Sons, and Legion Riders. Matt is a 2021 graduate of the National American Legion College. He and his wife, who is also an Army veteran and a dual member of the Legion and Auxiliary, reside in Morgantown. They are the parents of a son and a daughter who are members of the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, respectively. Matt’s father is a Navy veteran and 57-year member of the Legion. Additionally, both of Matt’s brothers retired from military careers.

Department Officers

Commander – Matthew Sampson, Morgantown
Vice Commanders – Rich Crumm, Benwood
Vice Commanders – Rich Fraysier, Charles Town
Vice Commanders – Brian Krabbe, Bluefield
Judge Advocate – Richard H. Davison, Cameron
Historian – Robin Shingleton, Shinnston
Chaplain – Tony Setley, Morgantown
Sgt.-at-Arms – Richard Little II, Morgantown
Asst. Sgt.-at-Arms – Dick Battiste, Benwood
Asst. Sgt.-at-Arms – Joe Malcolm, Charles Town
Asst. Sgt.-at-Arms – John George, Bluefield
Membership Chairman – Jeff Wisley, Huntington
Membership Vice-Chairmen – Mike Wallace, Buckhannon
Membership Vice-Chairmen – Donnie Lambert, Elkins
Membership Vice-Chairmen – Ed Walker, Ceredo-Kenova
NEC – William Kile, Petersburg
Alternate NEC – Frank Cooley, Welch
CORRECTION Service Officer - Mike Immel, Martinsburg
Asst. Service Officer – David "Robbie" Robinson, Grafton
Asst. Service Officer – Doug Robinson, Grafton
Adjutant – Miles S. Epling, Point Pleasant

2023-2024 District Officers

Commanders

First District – Tom Mirabella, Follansbee
Second District – Rana Stephens, Grafton
Third District – Mike Wallace, Buckhannon
Fourth District – Stu Bennett, Parkersburg
Fifth District – Rob Dunlap, Barboursville
Sixth District – Ellis Vest, Beckley
Eighth District – Sonja Adkins, St Albins
Ninth District – Donnie Lambert, Elkins
Tenth District – Tom Hansen, Charles Town

Vice Commanders

First District – Robert "Doc" Pope, Newell
Second District – Elaine Sampson, Morgantown
Third District – Cliff Shingleton, Shinnston
Fourth District – Jim Viers, Parkersburg
Fifth District – Jeff Davis, Barboursville
Sixth District – Jimmy Slaughter, Bluefield
Eighth District – Andrea Hammock, South Charleston
Ninth District – Ed Hawkins, Richwood
Tenth District – Rich Fraysier, Charles Town

Past Department Commanders

  • 1910s
  • 1920s
  • 1930s
  • 1940s
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
  • 1970s
  • 1980s
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s

1910s

1919 Past Department Commander

  • 1919 *Jackson Arnold, Weston

*Deceased

1920s

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

1930s

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

1940s

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

1950s

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

1960s

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

1970s

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

1980s

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

1990s

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

2000s

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

2010s

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

2020s

2020-2029 Past Department Commanders

  • 2020 Barbara Burdette, Lewisburg
  • 2021 John A. Powell, Wheeling
  • 2022 William Haught, Follansbee
  • 2023 Tom Hicks, Moundsville
  • 2024 Matthew Sampson, Morgantown
  • 2025
  • 2026
  • 2027
  • 2028
  • 2029

* Deceased

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by The American Legion Department of West Virginia © All rights reserved
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