American Legion Matawan Post 176 Launches Website

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a veterans service organization dedicated to mutual helpfulness. The organization has a long history of supporting patriotic programs and activities across the United States, and in select countries around the world.

American Legion Matawan Post 176 has been a fixture in the Matawan-Aberdeen community for the better part of 100 years. Founded in 1920, Post 176 has spearheaded and supported numerous community initiatives and events, to include Veterans Day history programs, charitable collections, social events and the dedication of military monuments around Matawan.

In 2019, the post planned for and oversaw the dedication of the Matawan World War II Memorial in historic Rose Hill Cemetery. Members of the post also supported local food and financial collections to help bring relief to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the community.

In early 2017, officers from Post 176 saw the need to preserve the rich history of the organization and its members. Discussions revolving around the best way to capture and present the post's history to the public led Post officers to establish a website.

What began as a platform to tell Post 176's story, in a historical fashion, became an initiative designed to better connect the historic veterans organization to members of the Matawan-Aberdeen community. Along with sections dedicated to its rich history and past members, Post 176's website has sections on current post affairs, recruiting and leadership.

A key feature of the website is the Oral History Project section, where visitors to the site can access interviews with a variety of veterans who have connections to the Matawan-Aberdeen area. Post 176 Adjutant Anthony Mapp, who served as an Army officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom, called the website, "a valuable asset in sharing the stories of our community's veterans."

Past Post 176 Commander and Matawan Town Historian, John "Al" Savolaine told Patch, "The recorded biographies of veterans of all ages can be shared with young people who are considering the value of a military experience in their future. We hope we can do our part in this noble effort of making history relevant to our daily lives."

For more information on American Legion Matawan Post 176 and the Oral History Project, visit the post's website at https://matawanpost176.com.