Colonel Joseph B. Westnedge

Joseph Burchnall Westnedge was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on August 16, 1872. He enrolled in the Preparatory Department of Kalamazoo College in January of 1893, and in 1894 joined the Michigan National Guard. A star halfback on the undefeated Kalamazoo College football team in 1895, Joe was as formidable on the field as he would prove to be in uniform.

After graduating, Westnedge continued to serve with the Michigan National Guard, steadily climbing the military hierarchy: first as a captain during the Spanish-American War in 1898, then as a lieutenant-colonel during the Jackson prison riot of 1911, and finally as a colonel after his service on the Mexican border in 1916.

When the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, "Colonel Joe" was a manager at a Kalamazoo paper company. He again volunteered to serve his country, stating: "We are going, perhaps never to return, and the parting is hard, but a call greater than any other summons us away." He was one of the few National Guard officers to retain his command in the National Army, leading the 126th Infantry — part of the famous 32nd "Red Arrow" Division — when they arrived in France in March 1918.

The 126th Infantry participated in a number of key offensives across France. A few days before the Armistice was signed, Colonel Westnedge — suffering from the effects of mustard gas — was sent to an army hospital in Nantes, France. He died on November 29, 1918, at the age of 46, eighteen days after the war had ended.

Two years later, Colonel Westnedge was finally brought home to Kalamazoo and reburied at Riverside Cemetery. Thousands of people lined the streets for his funeral procession. West Street was renamed Westnedge Avenue as a tribute to the city's fallen hero. He was awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and the French Croix de Guerre.

In his honor, American Legion Post 36 — chartered on June 5, 1919 — bears his name. For over a century, Post 36 has carried his legacy forward by serving veterans, supporting families, and strengthening the community he loved.