Heroes Among Us: The American Legion Series

Here at Patch, we're all about community pride. This is the beginning of a series on Syosset's spirit where we will highlight members of the American Legion.  

Syosset's Memorial Day Parade, on Monday, May 31, starts at 10 a.m., moving north on Jackson Avenue starting at Dawes Avenue. Led by American Legion's Parade Committee chairman, 89-year-old Gus Scutari, family and friends march along Jackson Avenue, over the Long Island Rail Road tracks, culminating in dignitary speeches at Veterans Memorial Park at the start of Underhill Boulevard. Hot dogs, snacks and refreshments will be served at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall afterward.   

Home to 162 members, many of which were (are) captains of industry in and around town and served in active duty during wartime, American Legion Post 175 is named after Eugene S. Smith.

Born in 1888, Eugene Smith was part of a large family of four brothers and five sisters who moved from Greenlawn to Syosset in 1902.  Smith's father then became superintendent of the Syosset Pickle Works.

During World War I, when Smith was 30, the pickle factory closed, so he decided to join the Army. He was shipped to France in Company G of the 106th Infantry.  During an attack on the Hindenburg line, Germans thought they could hold the line but couldn't. After the four-day brutal battle, Smith was reported missing in action during the second assault.

Smith was wounded, taken prisoner and then died in a German hospital on Oct. 20, 1918, 22 days before the war ended. The American Legion honored Syosset's fallen hero by naming Post 175 after Eugene S. Smith.

"As far as we know, Smith was a single man with no children," says Ed G. Aulman, historian of the American Legion.

"His brother Raymond Smith became one of the early builders of the Syosset Volunteer Fire Department. Brother Clarence made his living in the Town of Oyster Bay Receiver of Taxes Office and Frank worked for the Town Highway Department. His nephew Ray Smith was a retired town worker and veteran of the Army Air Force," adds Aulman, who served as a Marine in Vietnam and is the former director of Nassau County Veterans' Affairs.

Currently, the following members run the American Legion in various roles. This month's vote might change positions.  Commander, Jean Quinn; Vice Commanders: Gus Scutari, 1st; Mike Walsh 2nd, Walter Perlowski 3rd; Adjutant, Guy Cullen; Treasurer, Richard Meinhardt; Judge Advocate, Nicholas Bartilucci; Trustees: Ed Carr 1st, Theresa Owczar 2nd, Paul Morin 3rd ; Service Officer, Richard Kaupke; Sargeant-at-Arms, Richard Meinhardt; Chaplain, Warren Church.

Created by Congress in 1919, after Smith's death, the American Legion is the nation's largest patriotic veterans organization, devoted to mutual helpfulness, mentoring and sponsorship of youth programs, and devotion to our fellow service members and veterans. The American Legion is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization using grassroots campaigns to influence legislation in Washington.

The American Legion has 2.6 million members throughout 14,000 worldwide posts (55 various departments including one for each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Philippines). The Legion isn't about politicking but is issue-driven to improve the quality of the lives and rights of veterans. They rely on membership and greatly need the community's help and support.

Preamble to the constitution of the American Legion:

"For God and Country, we associate ourselves together for the following purposes...

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and union; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good-will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."