Gone But Not Forgotten

The History of the American Legion in Sea Isle City

Sea Isle City has a long history of active veterans working to make Sea Isle City a great community. As summer turns to fall, Veterans Day is not too far away and it is a great time to remember a group of veterans who made Sea Isle City a much better place.

Members of Smith-Lamanna-Revelle American Legion Post 340 Standing Down near the beach during the City’s Memorial Day Observance in May 1963 (from left): Howard Westcott, Fred Fourqurean, George Town, Edward Town

The fall of 1945 was, for the most part, a very happy time in Sea Isle City. Most of the community’s men were returning home after serving their country during World War II. Families were reunited as mothers and fathers welcomed their sons (and a few daughters) back home. New brides looked forward to living a normal life and perhaps even raising a family.

Sea Isle City in 1945 was a small but growing community, with most residents either employed in commercial fishing or in businesses associated with the town’s vibrant tourism industry. Although small, the city was home to many active, community-minded citizens.

In the late summer and early fall of 1945, a few veterans of World War I got together with a number of the returning World War II veterans and decided that to honor their military service while improving their community, an American Legion Post should be established in Sea Isle.

On Nov. 23, 1945, not even three months after the end of World War II, 16 local veterans from both wars petitioned the National American Legion Organization to create a post. On Dec. 5, 1945, a temporary charter was issued establishing the American Legion in Sea Isle City, and on Dec. 20, 1945, the first meeting was held at the home of Luther Struthers.

The post’s charter officers were: Struthers (commander), Roger Dever (vice commander), Howard Westcott (junior commander), Charles Dalrymple (adjunct), Frank Van Artsdalen (treasurer), Gennaro Monachetti (master of arms); and Adolph Wilsey (chaplain). Charter members included Sidney Bush, former Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Captain Antonio Cannavo, Luca Castaldi, Robert Clayton, William Feeney, Richard Hess, Joseph La Rosa, Cornell Nelson, and Norman Vanaman of Ocean View.

The post was assigned No. 340, and was named after local veterans who were killed during World War II: Capt. Celestino “Chel” Lamanna and Pvt. James Revelle, both of the U.S. Army. On April 2, 1946, the name of William Smith was added to the Post’s title. Smith was the only Sea Isle City resident to die in World War I.

The organization was now known as Smith-Lamanna-Revelle Post 340 of the American Legion.

From its establishment, the organization grew along with the town. Soon, an American Legion Auxiliary was established. This was the women’s arm of the men’s organization. Charter officers of the auxiliary included relatives of two of the post’s namesakes: Lamanna’s mother Mary (president) and Smith’s sister Margaret Van Artsdalen (secretary), along with Mrs. Raymond Mayhood (treasurer). Members included Anna Fricker, Edna Dramis, Theresa Feeney, Margaret Feeney, Ida Dever, Alice La Rosa, Rose Ann Monachetti, Rose Monachetti, and Seona Izzi.

Legion member and coach Fred Fourqurean.

The Legion post began meeting at the Excursion Hall that was located at the foot of 41st Street (now John F. Kennedy Boulevard) and the boardwalk. The building was a hub for the community, housing a variety of events. On the second floor, there was even a full-sized indoor basketball court that was used by the town’s Recreation Department and community businesses. In the summer, it housed dances for young residents and visitors alike.

By the end of the 1950s, the post was extremely active throughout the community. Like many organizations, the post was spearheaded by a group of about 10 men, but overall boasted a membership of more than 40. In addition to assisting in many other community activities, the post took the lead in three major areas: sending a boy to the New Jersey Boys State every summer; sponsoring the community youth Halloween party; and along with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, honoring the community’s deceased veterans on Memorial Day at a public observance. Legionnaires also provided a solemn observance at local cemeteries.

Boys State is a weeklong encampment sponsored by the American Legion that promotes young adults from all over New Jersey teaching the young men about government, civics, and patriotism. The community Halloween Party was an event that Sea Isle City’s many school-aged children looked forward to every year. Held in the Excursion House, the event featured children clad in their Halloween costumes. The highlight of the evening was an indoor parade and the selection of the best costumes.

During the solemn observance of Memorial Day, veterans from the American Legion and local VFW posts would parade down Landis Avenue to the park on West Jersey Avenue. At the park, an observance ceremony was held that included a flag salute, patriotic songs, and the reading of an honor roll of Sea Isle City residents who had served their county in the armed forces and had since died. The capstone of the event was members of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol rowing a small boat of flowers out through the surf.

The evening before Memorial Day, Legionnaires would plant red geraniums on the graves of veterans at Calvary Baptist and Woodland cemeteries in Ocean View. Members would then line up to form an honor guard and fire three rounds of salutes. A local youth or one of the member’s children would then play “Taps.” There also was a small private cemetery alongside Route 9.

March 7, 1962 was a very bad day for both Smith-Lamanna-Revelle Post 340, and the rest of Sea Isle City. It was the second day of the infamous March 1962 storm that completely devastated the community. It was on that day the ocean knocked down the Excursion House where the Legionnaires met, taking with it all of the material assets that the post owned.

After the storm and as the entire community attempted to rebuild, the American Legion members faced a daunting dilemma. In an era before flood insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they had lost everything to the sea. Unbeknown to the members at the time, March 7, 1962 was the beginning of the end to the American Legion’s existence in Sea Isle City.

With no place to meet and few material items, members decided to rotate their meeting locations among the members’ homes. Throughout the rest of the 1960s, records indicate a yearly commitment to continue to send a young adult from the community to New Jersey Boys State, as well as participating in the community Memorial Day observance and spearheading a cemetery ceremony. However, with no place to meet, the community Halloween party eventually became a victim of the storm after a few years of attempting to carry on.

As the 1960s progressed, many changes were occurring in our country and in Sea Isle City. The rebuilding process in the community in the wake of the storm gave rise to a building boom. As prices rose and land became more valuable, it became financially impossible for the American Legion post to build a new headquarters. In turn, this forced the post to continue to rotate monthly meetings among the homes of the members. On paper, the post was very healthy, with more new members being added each year. Awards and citations were being received for surpassing membership goals, excellence in blood drives, and Americanism. But with no permanent place to meet and share camaraderie, the actual amount of working members began to dwindle.

The SIC Recreation Department basketball team at the Excursion House indoor court. Team members include: (back from left) Steven Libro, Edward “Buddy” Adamcyzk, coach Fred Fourqurean, Vincent Farina, unknown; (bottom from left) Chum Robbins, Mike Stafford. Coach Fourqurean was a longstanding active American Legion member.

By the early 1970s, the mood of the nation had changed. Veterans were no longer being celebrated. Many of the soldiers returning home from the Vietnam War were scorned, with a majority of them only wanting to come home, forget their military service, and blend in to the community.

The demographics of the community also were changing. With the staggering increase in the price of land, many young lifelong residents were being forced to move off-shore to live and raise their families. While this was happening, the core members of the American Legion post were getting older. Many of the World War I veterans had passed away, while others were in their late 80s or 90s. The World War II veterans who were the catalyst to create the post and serve their community were in their late 50s and early 60s.

Events surrounding the Vietnam War had split the nation, and most people wanted to look past what had occurred and move forward. In many ways, this resulted in all veterans’ sacrifices being forgotten and even actively ignored, taking a back seat to whatever was current.

Seemingly to illustrate the malaise that had overtaken the country, for a reason that no one understood or for that matter even seemed to question, Sea Isle City canceled the Memorial Day parade in 1974. No observance was planned. Compounding this, the weather on Memorial Day was rainy and dreary, so the city would have probably canceled any events anyway.

The lack of any events to honor Sea Isle City’s fallen veterans did not sit well with members of Post 340. As a point of pride and honor, the Legionnaires took matters into their own hands. As a newspaper reported at the time: “The Four Horsemen Ride Again.”

Braving the wind, rain, and Memorial Day traffic, four Legionnaires marched “to the rhythm of raindrops and the tune of traffic,” down Landis Avenue through the heart of Sea Isle City. The small procession marched through the town, blocking traffic as the veterans took it upon themselves to honor their fallen comrades. As one marcher told the newspaper, “For 28 years, I’ve marched in this parade and I’m not going to stop now.”

Unfortunately, this remarkable show of patriotism did little to enhance the overall membership of the Legion post. The organization now numbered approximately seven or eight active members. The World War I veterans had all died, and the World War II veterans were all getting older. There were few interested Korean War veterans in the community, and the Vietnam veterans for the most part just wanted to be left alone. Additionally, it was very difficult to entice new members to the organization as meetings were rotating among members’ homes. Veterans moving into the community had a difficult enough time adjusting to their new surroundings and were reluctant to sit in an unfamiliar home with a group of strangers. The lack of a formal meeting home to call their own was slowing killing the post.

The reduced number of active members did not deter those Legionnaires who remained from continuing their dedication to their community and fellow veterans. A charter member, La Rosa, was elected to a statewide position of vice commander.

In his official capacity, he attended veteran memorials and ceremonies throughout New Jersey, many of which were taking place at various county veterans’ cemeteries. These visits alerted him to the need for Cape May County to have its own veterans’ cemetery. Working with county commissioners and other interested veterans, La Rosa was appointed to a committee created to study the feasibility of a county cemetery. In May of 1980, the Cape May County Veterans’ Cemetery became a reality. In a gesture of thanks and respect, the name Joseph A. La Rosa is first on the list of names on the plaque honoring those who helped to make the cemetery a reality.

As the 1980s wore on, significant changes were still happening to the community. These changes also included the local youth. It was becoming increasingly difficult to identify young men who were willing to go to Boys State. Employers were now reluctant to part with a seasonal employee during the 10-week summer season. Most importantly, there was a drastic change in the attitudes of the young men, with little value being placed on American Legion functions.

With the community Halloween party and their involvement in Boys State ending, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the Legionnaires of Post 340 maintained their commitment to honor deceased veterans with ceremonies at the local cemeteries. This small group of Legionnaires continued to make their yearly cemetery pilgrimage every Memorial Day. Due to their reduced ranks, the gun salute was eventually discontinued, as was the playing of “Taps.” However, with more veterans passing away each year, every grave still received a red geranium to honor the deceased’s service to our country.

In 1995, the post observed its 50th anniversary. There was no celebration, and the date went unnoticed. The small cadre of men who were the core of the club for most of those years continued to shrink, now down to three or four active members. Children of those core members who had completed military service were recruited to assist their fathers in an attempt to keep the post alive, while also keeping a keen eye on the older veterans.

As the last of these honorable World War II veterans died, so did the post. In May 2002, the charter was returned to the National American Legion Organization, and Smith-Lamanna-Revelle Post 340 of the American Legion officially ended.

Photos courtesy of Barbara McKeefery