American Legion John P. Hand Post 250

06/03/2026

We Remember Wednesday.

Today, we remember and honor Commissaryman First Class Ward Karl Patton, a Miami County native who gave his life while serving our country during the Vietnam War.

Ward Karl Patton was born on January 18, 1934, and his home of record was Fontana, Kansas. He served in the United States Navy as a Commissaryman First Class, also listed as Petty Officer First Class.

During the Vietnam War, CS1 Patton served aboard YRBM-18, a Navy repair, berthing, and messing barge operating in South Vietnam. On July 27, 1968, while returning at night to his vessel on the My Tho River in Vinh Long Province, he fell into the river’s strong current. Search efforts were made, but his remains were never recovered.

Because his remains were never found, CS1 Patton is among those service members whose families never had the comfort of bringing him home. His name stands as a solemn reminder that sacrifice in war is not limited to the battlefield. It includes every duty, every post, and every place where American service members were called to serve.

CS1 Ward Karl Patton is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., on Panel 50W, Line 20. He is also memorialized at the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Today, we remember a Navy veteran from Miami County whose service and sacrifice must never be forgotten. His story is a reminder that every name on the Wall represents a family, a hometown, and a life given in service to our nation.

05/27/2026

We Remeber Wednesday…

In the quiet records of Miami County history, the name Forrest E. Hazlett stands among those who never returned home from World War I.

Forrest was a young man from Miami County, Kansas, born in the late 1890s (exact birth date not confirmed in surviving digitized records). He grew up in a rural Kansas community shaped by farming, family ties, and a way of life that would soon be changed forever by a global war.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Forrest answered the call to serve. He joined Company D, 137th Infantry Regiment, a Kansas National Guard unit that was federalized and became part of the American Expeditionary Forces sent to France.

Like many Kansas soldiers of the era, Forrest trained in the United States before deploying overseas in 1918. By that time, American troops were being rapidly integrated into the final Allied offensives of the First World War, operations that would bring the conflict to its closing months. These battles were fought under harsh conditions, often in trench systems marked by mud, artillery fire, and constant movement along the Western Front.

Forrest E. Hazlett was killed in action while serving in France during World War I (1918). His sacrifice is recorded on the Miami County Veterans Memorial, where his name stands alongside other local men who gave their lives in the Great War.

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About the image

The photograph accompanying this post shows American infantry soldiers in France during World War I (circa 1918). These men represent the type of unit Forrest served in, soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces operating on the Western Front.

While this is not an image of Forrest himself, it reflects the reality faced by Kansas soldiers like him: long marches under full equipment, trench warfare conditions, and the final Allied push that ultimately ended the war.

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Final remembrance

Forrest E. Hazlett’s name is one among many from Miami County, but each represents a life interrupted, a family affected, and a community that bore the cost of war.

More than a century later, his name remains part of the county’s living memory. We remember.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor the men and women from Louisburg and the surrounding communities who gave their lives in service to our country.

Over the past several days, we have shared the stories of local heroes including Private John P. Hand, Seaman First Class Herman Edwin “Ed” Rosner, Corporal Lawrence Edward “Eddie” Bauer, and First Lieutenant Clarence Lewis. All young men from small Kansas communities who answered the call to serve during World War I, World War II, and Vietnam.

Their stories represent courage, sacrifice, and patriotism, but they are only a few among many local veterans who served and sacrificed throughout our nation’s history.

Some names have been preserved in records, memorials, and family stories. Others have faded with time, but their service and sacrifice are no less important. Across every generation, men and women from this community stepped forward during times of war, many never returning home.

Memorial Day is a time to remember all of them, not only the well-known stories, but also the forgotten names, the quiet heroes, and every servicemember who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom.

May we never forget what they gave for our country and for future generations. God bless our fallen heroes and their families. 🇺🇸

05/25/2026

Tonight we remember Herman Edwin “Ed” Rosner of Wea, Kansas, a young Navy sailor who gave his life serving his country during World War II.

Ed Rosner was born on February 18, 1926, at his family home in Wea, Kansas, to Herman and Anna (Kelly) Rosner. He attended Wea Grade School and later completed two years of high school in Bucyrus before answering the call to serve during World War II.

On June 8, 1944, at just 18 years old, Ed enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve. He completed boot training at Great Lakes, Illinois, before continuing training at Camp Perry, Virginia, and later Seattle, Washington.

Ed was eventually assigned to the USS Marathon, serving aboard a troop and cargo ship in the Pacific Theater during some of the fiercest fighting of the war. His service took him across Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, the Russell Islands, and Okinawa as American forces pushed toward victory against Japan.

On July 22, 1945, while stationed in Buckner Bay near Okinawa, Japan, the USS Marathon was struck by a Japanese su***de submarine during one of the final stages of the war in the Pacific. Seaman First Class Ed Rosner was killed in action.

He became the first World War II casualty among the 34 servicemen listed on the Holy Rosary honor roll in Wea, Kansas.

For his sacrifice and service, Ed was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.

Though he was only 19 years old, Ed Rosner’s courage and sacrifice remain an important part of Louisburg and Wea history, a reminder of the young Americans from small Kansas communities who gave everything during World War II.

Tonight we honor and remember Herman Edwin “Ed” Rosner and all those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. 🇺🇸

05/24/2026

Today we remember First Lieutenant Clarence Lewis of Louisburg, Kansas, a young Air Force pilot who gave his life serving his country during the Vietnam War.

Clarence graduated from Louisburg High School in 1965 and later joined the United States Air Force in 1968. At a time when America was deeply involved in the war in Vietnam, he chose to serve and eventually became a pilot of the legendary C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

Lieutenant Lewis was assigned to the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron, 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, where crews regularly flew dangerous combat support missions throughout Vietnam. These missions delivered troops, ammunition, medical supplies, and equipment into active war zones, often under enemy attack.

On May 17, 1972, Clarence was flying a combat resupply mission into Kontum Airfield in South Vietnam when his aircraft came under enemy rocket fire. During the attack, the aircraft was struck and crashed near the airfield.

Three crew members lost their lives in the crash. Clarence survived the initial impact and was rescued from the wreckage, but his injuries were severe. He was evacuated to a United States military hospital in Japan, where he later died from his wounds on May 21, 1972. He was only 25 years old.

Today we honor and remember First Lieutenant Clarence Lewis and all those who gave their lives defending our freedom. 🇺🇸

05/23/2026

Today we remember Corporal Lawrence Edward “Eddie” Bauer of Louisburg, Kansas who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War.

Born and raised in Louisburg, Eddie graduated from Louisburg High School. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Church and the John P. Hand Post #250 American Legion, reflecting his deep ties to the Louisburg community.

Eddie entered military service in May 1968 and trained at Fort Carson, Colorado, before deploying to Vietnam on January 24, 1969. He proudly served with Gun Section 4, B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 18th Artillery, Americal Division, U.S. Army Vietnam.

On the afternoon of April 30, 1969, just 14 days after his 23rd birthday, Corporal Bauer was serving as a gunner aboard a self-propelled howitzer near the village of Phuoc Nich in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. While moving to a new position northeast of Tam Ky City, the howitzer struck a concealed enemy land mine, causing a deadly explosion.

Corporal Bauer suffered fatal wounds in the blast while serving alongside his fellow soldiers in combat.

He became the first man from Louisburg to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. For his courage and sacrifice, Eddie was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Those honors represent not only bravery under combat conditions, but also the heavy price paid by young Americans who answered the call to serve.

Today we honor and remember Corporal Lawrence Edward “Eddie” Bauer and all those who gave their lives in service to our nation. 🇺🇸

05/23/2026

Today we remember Private John P. Hand of Louisburg, Kansas, a local hero who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.

Born on April 5, 1892, in Miami County, John Philip Hand answered the call to serve his country in the United States Army during one of the most dangerous conflicts in world history. He served with the 60th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division, and fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, the largest and deadliest operation involving American forces during World War I.

On October 14, 1918, Private Hand was killed in action, only weeks before the war officially ended on November 11, 1918.

His sacrifice deeply impacted the Louisburg community. In honor of his courage and service, in 1932 we were officially chartered as American Legion John P. Hand Post 250.

Private Hand is buried today at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France, alongside thousands of other American heroes who gave their lives in service to our nation.

More than 100 years later, his name and legacy continue to stand as a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism for the Louisburg community and future generations.

We honor and remember Private John P. Hand. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Today we kicked of Memorial Day weekend by placing flags on veteran headstones. Each flag serves as a reminder that freedom is never free, and we are proud to remember and recognize the men and women who served our country with courage and sacrifice.

Thank you to the Wildcat Shooting Club student athletes for volunteering their time to help keep this tradition alive. Please take a moment this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who gave everything for our nation. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

We have 4 spots open for Power Red donors. These donations collect the red blood cells but returns most of the plasma and platelets to the donor. These donors must meet specific requirements and have blood type A Neg, B Neg, or O.

Join American Legion Post 250 in Louisburg, KS as we partner with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday.

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: American Legion Post 250 Hall
403 S 9th St, Louisburg, KS 66053

Give blood. Help save lives. We have 22 open slots available so after those are filled up anyone who signs up will be a reserve donor.

Schedule your appointment here:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=AmericanLegionPost250

12/30/2025

The clubroom has a new page, be sure to follow for important updates!