Post 1282, devoted to service
By Linda Delmonico-Prussen
Webmaster's Note: Dear Reader, this article is dated, Vincent J. Gabrielle was our Post Commander from 2001 to 2005, however, the article gives insights into what this organization is about and the activities that we are involved in. Therefore, I have decided to include this article on our blog page.
American Legion Post 1282 lies in the center of Merrick's Road's bustling business district in Merrick, and amid the swirl of cars pulling into and out of the various shops, fast-food eateries and gas stations, one might overlook the post building.
It is a humble, but neatly-kept gray house that, like Post 1282's members, doesn't scream for attention, but enjoys a long, proud history.
Past Commander Bob Wieboldt said that, over the years, the post has played an enormous role in the lives of veterans, helping them to get back on their feet once home from war or military service. "We needed to have a place to meet for all veterans to discuss their problems and do good work for veterans and their families," he said.
No commentsMerrick Legion Post 1282, as I remember
By Jake J. Bohn
Editor's Note: The following is account of how Merrick American Legion Post 1282, formed in the words of one of its founders, 94-year old John J. Bohn.
In the beginning there wasn't a veteran's organization in the Merricks. It was a community of people working together of respect and dedication. The population at the end of World War II was a mere 25,000.
Yes, I could be wrong, but when I was a young boy around 1915, I believe the population was something like 12,000. But after WWII, The Merricks grew like every other community on Long Island. It is now perhaps a city in some respects with a population of some 45,000. I would love to go back to the 1930s when you could walk the Merrick Village and know every storekeeper and every other person shopping in Merrick. Merrick was just a step above a whistle stop for the Long Island Rail Road. We had a nice railroad station house, small but quaint.
After WWII, some of the veterans wanted an organization and a place to meet.
List of Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion, Commanders and the years they served
Note 1: The American Legion Calendar Year is from July to June.
Note 2: Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion, is part of 1st Division, District #: 10.
Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion, receives a Mail/Flag Box from the Town of Hempstead
On the Night of March 7, 2013 or in the early morning of March 8, 2013, a vehicle drove through the front property of the Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion, damaging the Post's Mail Box, which we use to store old U.S. flags that need to be disposed of.