History of Piper-Gardner American Legion Post191
American Legion Post 191 was organized by a group of local veterans, who had recently returned home from World War II. Rev. Maxie Gainey was the driving force behind the birth of this Post, it was through his unrelenting efforts that they began to organize into a cohesive group holding meetings at various members’ homes.
In June of 1946 they decided to apply to the Department of Florida for a temporary Charter. This initial request was returned by the Department with the explanation that the request must contain a name of an individual for whom the Post would be named for, and that it could not be named for any individual listed on the application. The group was discussing this situation while sitting on the front porch of Rev. Maxie Gainey’s house, who at that time lived on Race St. While this discussion was going on, a local house painter named Darmon V. Coleman happened to walk past the Gaineys house when one member very flippantly said, why not name it Darmon V. Coleman? The next day Rev. Gainey resubmitted the request with the name of Darmon V. Coleman on it, (Coleman as far as anyone knows did not have any connection to this group nor to the military).
This request was received and endorsed by the Department of Florida on 17 July 1946 and was given the Post number 191-c which designated it as a colored post. The request was then sent to the National Headquarters in Indianapolis, In., and was received there on 20 July 1946;
the application contained the names of 16 Charter members listed as follows:
1. Eddie Dixon 2. James K. Gramling
3. Samuel T. Piper 4. Willie Douglas
5. Maxie Gainey 6. Bernease L. Clark
7. James Stadom 8. Horace L. Delifus
9. Melvin Byrd 10. Louis E. Stokes
11. Lewis Byrd 12. John C. Lewis
13. Ned Harris Jr. 14. Laverna Harris
15. Coleman F. Horne 16. Lee E. Lewis
In February 1947, Post 191-c, initiated a program for the construction and operation of a community clinic with the intent of providing for the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, pre-natal care, infant and pre-school care. These plans were scrapped after three quarter completion of the housing facility for the clinic due to the inability of the post to raise sufficient funds to complete such an ambitious undertaking.
In August 1947, the Post applied for a permanent Charter and on 8 September 1947, the National Headquarters issued the post a permanent Charter with Samuel T. Piper listed as the Commander, and Rev. Maxie Gainey as the Post Adjutant, by this time two females Comrades, Lydia C. Diggs - Post Historian and Sophie J. Gay – Service Officer had become officers of the post.
The first Post Home was a small building on loan from the city in Main St. Park, which was then and still located at the north end of the intersection of Main St. and Jernigan Ave near the railroad tracks.
The Post fell on hard times in the early 1950s due to poor participation. In 1955 Rev. Gainey was again able to convince Joseph McNeil Sr., Abraham Edwards and several others to get involved in the post and they were able to obtain land from the county for one hundred dollars, this land was located on Monroe St. where Lipscomb St. Park is now located. In 1956, the members constructed a building on that property under the leadership of Commander Abraham Edwards. The Post prospered during this time holding many social functions and creating a small school where many members who had not completed high school was able to obtain a G.E.D.
In 1956, Commander Abraham Edwards received a call from the District Commander that Post 191 would no longer be designated a colored post. The facility on Monroe St. was eventually lost back to the county due to nonpayment of property taxes. After this period the Post have been located in various locations around the community but is most proud of its present location, the purchase of which begun under the leadership of Commander Walter Abel and dedicated under Commander Carl Finerson on 11 November 2007. The renovation of this building lasted for more than 6 years supervised by Past Commander Nathaniel Gardner until his death in May 2003. After Gardner’s death, Past Commander Robert Cherry oversaw the renovations until we moved into this facility in September 2007.
Several members of Post No. 191 have been elected and appointed to very esteemed positions within the American Legion. Most notables are Nathaniel Gardner, Jack (Eddie) Shepherd, Robert Cherry, Willie Harris, and Joseph McNeil Jr., all served as the Post, District, and Area Commanders. In addition, Robert Cherry served as Department Historian.
The Women’s Auxiliary was chartered on 4 October 1951, and the Sons of the American Legion were chartered on 10 December 1975.
The Post take great pride in that among its many accomplishments that in the 1960’s it sent a young high school student named Bill Nelson to Boys State who is now a U.S Senator, representing Florida in the U.S Senate. Over the years, the Post have sponsored many youth activities, funded scholarships, provided a meeting place for many civic organizations and have allowed many civic organizations to use our facilities to raise funds for themselves without charge by the Post, we have allowed informational conferences of community interest to be held again without charge to the organizers.
On August 8, 2012 during a regular membership meeting, the Post voted on and passed unanimously to change its name from Darmon V. Coleman to Piper-Gardner; in honor of two of our Past Commanders who dedicated their all to the development, growth and success of Post No. 191. On September 13, 2012 the National Department of the American Legion issued Piper-Gardner their new charter.
Footnotes:
The History of this Post was compiled over a number of years by Comrade Leonard D. Ross, 1st Vice Commander through the study of various Department and Post documents along with interviews of elderly members of the Post, several of them Charter members, all now deceased.( Samuel T. Piper, John C. Lewis, Willie N. Taylor, Ned Harris Jr., and Eddie Dixon). Abraham Edwards is the oldest active member of our Post.
*The following names submitted were inadvertently misspelled, see correct spelling: Melvin Byrd, Horace L. DeLifus and Laverna Harris.