Trinity American Legion post to be formally closed

TRINITY — When Roy Trow was sent off to France during World War 1, it may never have occurred to him that he would never come home. In June 1918 while fighting in Belleau Wood, Roy would succumb to his injuries.

Interred in an American cemetery in France, the 20-year-old Roy reached his final resting place in Cedar Grove Cemetery.

In 1947, a group of Trinity veterans voted to form an American Legion post to assist local veterans and their families in times of need. In recognition of his sacrifice, the group voted to honor the hometown hero by naming the new post the Roy Trow American Legion Post 314, receiving their national charter later that year.

With the passing of a generation of World War II and Korean War veterans and our aging Vietnam veterans, membership has continued to decline to the point where the few remaining post members voted to close the Trinity Post 314.

In September, the Texas Department of the American Legion will recommend to the American Legion National Commander to officially cancel the charter of the Roy Trow American Legion Post 314.

Related Articles

Severe weather wreaks havoc in Trinity County

Severe weather wreaks havoc in Trinity County

This action shall forever erase 75 years of the storied and historic legacy of the American Legion in Trinity.

American Legion 7th District Commander Steve Storey said, “This, unfortunately is a pattern we see across the Nation. The gap between our aging Vietnam veterans and our working, family- oriented OIF/OEF/Iraq/Afghan veterans has created a vacuum in membership.”

Storey said posts are more than membership; it is veterans knowing there is a place they can go and share the comradery with the only people who understand their wants, needs, and struggles.

Nearly half of all those who served receive some form of service-related cash or non-cash benefits from the Veterans Administration. For the rest, veteran organizations like the American Legion are their only source of assistance during times of need or want.

Legionnaires are building wheel-chair ramps, providing food, assisting with travel to medical appointments, and the most important service — sitting down and visiting with a veteran. Being a Legionnaire is not about the dues, or the monthly meetings, or a bar, it is about fulfilling our sense of obligation that we as veterans have and our continued desire to help shipmates in need. It is about teaching our youth the meaning of having sacrifice and citizenship.

On Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. at the Trinity Community Center Annex, 640 S. Robb St., Storey will hold a final meeting in an effort to stop the closure. All veterans and their families with a genuine desire to save the legacy of the Trinity American Legion are invited to attend.