By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

In 2007, James William Miesse American Legion Post 22 in Marion had membership to match its post number — 22. The post had been without a post home since 2000, and activities were limited, Adjutant Gary Chaput said.

But in the intervening years, the post has dramatically increased its membership, established affiliated organizations, became more involved in the community and veterans issues, and opened a new post home.

Those factors combined to earn the post a recent Post Excellence Award from the national American Legion organization. To receive the award, the post had to show increased membership, involvement with youth activities, and service to the community, current troops, and veterans.

Recent activity by the post includes opening its new post home in January 2010, placing flags on veterans’ grave sites before Memorial Day with help from Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, sending monthly care packages to troops overseas, attending sendoffs and homecomings for troops, assisting Boy Scouts with retiring flags, and helping Homes for our Troops build a home for disabled Afghanistan veteran Ryan Newell.

Since 2007, Post 22’s membership has swelled to 56. The post also established a Ladies’ Auxiliary with 26 members now, a chapter of Sons of the American Legion with nine members, and a chapter of American Legion Riders with 26 members.

Chaput has an idea what spurred the re-growth of the chapter.

“I think it’s people wanting to make a difference,” especially in supporting troops and honoring veterans, he said.

An influx of Vietnam and Persian Gulf veterans has driven the membership increase, he said. As a Vietnam veteran, Chaput said he didn’t want to see Afghanistan and Iraq veterans mistreated the way he was. He said he believed several of the other members felt the same way.

What drove Chaput to action was a family picketing at funerals of soldiers killed in action.

Chaput said the post continues to have great support from the remaining World War II and Korea veterans, who are happy to see the post reinvigorated.