Post History
Our First Post Commander
The veteran who stepped forward to lead Post 36 in its earliest days, setting the standard of service that has guided the post for over a century.
FOUNDING LEADERSHIP
Leading from the Start
When American Legion Joseph B. Westnedge Post 36 was chartered on June 5, 1919, it needed a leader — a veteran who could bring together the men returning from the Great War and build something lasting in Kalamazoo. Captain James M. Wilson rose to that challenge, establishing the traditions, values, and community ties that Post 36 carries forward to this day.
The American Legion was itself brand new, founded in Paris just weeks before Post 36's charter. There were no established playbooks, no long-standing local traditions to follow. Captain Wilson had to build the post from the ground up — recruiting members, organizing meetings, connecting veterans with resources, and representing Post 36 in the broader Kalamazoo community.
His service in the Great War had prepared him for exactly this kind of leadership. The same qualities that made men effective officers in France — steadiness under pressure, care for those under their command, and an unwavering sense of duty — translated directly into the work of building a veterans post in the years after the Armistice.
Captain James M. Wilson
First Post Commander · 1919
American Legion
Joseph B. Westnedge Post 36
Kalamazoo, Michigan
POST DETAILS
First Post Commander
Captain James M. Wilson
Post Chartered
June 5, 1919
Service Branch
United States Army, World War I
Post Named For
Colonel Joseph B. Westnedge
Location
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Colonel Joseph B. Westnedge
Post namesake · 1872–1918
A LASTING IMPACT
A Foundation That Endures
The work of Captain Wilson laid the foundation for everything that followed. The post he helped establish has now served Kalamazoo's veterans for more than a century — through the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and every conflict since.
Each of the post commanders who followed built upon what he started. The commitment to veterans' welfare, the connection to the community, and the pride in carrying Colonel Westnedge's name — all of it traces back to those earliest days when the post was just finding its footing.
We honor Captain Wilson not only for what he accomplished, but for what he made possible. Post 36 endures because men like him believed it was worth building.
If you have records, photographs, or family history connected to Post 36's earliest commanders, we would be honored to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected].