American Legion Post 17, Greenville, Texas

The American Legion began in 1919 as a place where service members would find comradeship after their service in World War One. The Otho Morgan Post received a temporary charter in 1919 but did not receive its permanent charter till 1921. The Post is named after Otho Morgan who was the first Hunt County soldier to die in World War One. Pvt. Otho Morgan was born in Hunt County, Texas on January 13, 1891. He received his early education in the county public schools, finishing at Burleson College and the East Texas Normal in Commerce, Texas. He was the son of J.D. and Ophelia Morgan of Greenville, Texas. When the United States declared war on Germany he joined the Army on September, 20, 1917. He was ordered to Camp Travis, San Antonio, Texas where he was assigned to A Company; 359th Infantry which was part of the 90th Division. He trained at Camp Travis until June 1918, when his division was ordered to Camp Mills, which is the place he embarked for his overseas duty. The division would train for about six additional weeks after their arrival in France. Around the middle of August 1918 he and his comrades were ordered to relieve the First Division. According to records the soldiers of the 359th Infantry, and of the whole 90th Division, showed absolute fearlessness and devotion of duty. Morgan’s principal participations were in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. On September 26, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne campaign he was wounded by machine gun bullets in both lower limbs and in the left thigh. A short time later he was picked up by German stretcher bearers and taken to a hospital in Metz. While recovering he was able to write four postcards home but the family didn’t receive them till the war was over. He died of his wounds on October 23, 1918 and was buried outside of Metz until some years later when his body was returned home. The American Legion is founded on four principles: Veterans Affairs, Americanism, National Security, Children and Youth. In the nearly hundred years that the Greenville American Legion post has been in existence they have donated millions of dollars and volunteer hours to programs within the community that support these principles. The American Legion was integral part of the creation of the Veterans Administration and here locally the post has helped veterans receive financial compensation for disabilities, employment, and financial assistance for veterans in need. Legionnaires love America, its values and strives to promote the love for this country through its many programs. No other organization offers such a wide-variety of programs designed to enhance the attributes of good citizenship, discipline, community service, education and patriotism. The American Legion supports national security in many different ways; from ensuring our troops have the proper equipment, supporting the Department of Homeland Security to ensuring that wounded soldiers receive the proper care they deserve. The Otho Morgan post has supported many different youth programs throughout the years. These programs include Special Olympics, Boys Scouts of America, Boys State and the Greenville NJROTC program along with many other programs.