Brief History of William Clinton Story Post No.342

Freeport Organization Spotlight -

American Legion

By Regina G. Feeney and Cynthia J. Krieg

The American Legion, William Clinton Story Post No. 342, was organized in 1919 soon after the end of World War I.  It was named for William Clinton Story who was one of the first Freeporters to die during the war.  Story (1892-1918) was a 1908 graduate of Freeport High School, where he was salutatorian. He graduated from Princeton University in 1913, with honors. When the United States entered World War I, he enlisted with the hopes of becoming an aviator. He died near Memphis, TN, during a training flight.

Merritt Cutler was voted to be the organization’s first president. Merritt D. Cutler served as a corporal during World War I in Company I, 107^th Infantry, and 27th Division.  He saw action near Ronssoy, France.  Despite suffering wounds, he braved enemy fire and dragged two wounded comrades to safety. Later the same day he organized a stretcher party and brought in three wounded comrades under machine-gun fire, which was so severe that it had stopped the advance of neighboring troops.  For these actions he won the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre, British Military Medal, and the Purple Heart.

The American Legion has always been involved in the community. In 1920, Post No. 342 organized Freeport’s first Memorial Day observation.  In 1925, the organization built a home for the widow of a war veteran.  They supported the movement to organize a community hospital in Freeport in 1927. In 1932, the American Legion went on record favoring the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition). 

They sponsored a dinner to honor the Freeport High School football team in 1936.  The Legion dedicated the Gold Star Mothers’ window at the library in 1961 and a Vietnam memorial on the library’s lawn in 1968.  A plaque honoring the 21 Freeporters who died in Korea and Vietnam was unveiled at the Library by the Legion in 1985. In 2000, the American Legion dedicated a new memorial on the front lawn of the library to honor all the Freeporters who died from the Civil War to Vietnam.

The Legion’s first clubhouse was opened in 1924.  As the organization grew, a larger clubhouse, known as the Dugout, was dedicated on Sunrise Highway in 1928.  Today, the Legion is working to establish a new clubhouse near the Nautical Mile.

In addition to the Memorial Day Parade, the American Legion sponsors the Veterans Day Service in November. 

Scholarships are awarded annually to graduating seniors from Freeport High School by the Legion.  The American Legion also advocates tirelessly for the rights of veterans and their families.

The American Legion meets on third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Freeport Memorial Library.  For more information about the American Legion, William Clinton Story Post No. 342, visit them online: http://legionpost342.blogspot.com/.