About the American Legion and the Blanchard-Currey Post 1040

 The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. Membership swiftly grew to over 1 million, and local posts sprang up across the country. 

Today, membership stands at nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide. The posts are organized into 55 departments: one each for the 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines.

Over the years, the Legion has influenced considerable social change in America, won hundreds of benefits for veterans and produced many important programs for children and youth. 

Winthrop P. Robinson, a charter member of the Lt. Herman Silverstein Post of Albany, conceived the idea of forming an American Legion Post in the Town of Bethlehem after he pur­chased a home in Delmar in 1929. 

Robinson compiled a list of potential members by culling the telephone directory. The organizational meeting was held in the Elsmere Fire hall with Mr. Robinson elected Chairman, and, after the Post charter was granted, he became the first Post Commander at a meeting held in what now is the Bethlehem Town Hall. Other officers elected were Otto deHeus, George M. Fowler and Frederick w. Whitney, Vice Commanders; Fred D. Dysinger, Adjutant; Harry J. Kellan, Finance Officer; Edwin B. Piper, Historian, Alfred J. Brown, Service Officer, and George Lauer, Chaplain. There were 107 charter members. 

The new Post was named for Nathaniel Adams Blanchard, a member of one of the founding families of Delmar, and the only Delmar resident killed during World War I. He was born in what is now Town Hall, and was 22 years old when he died on November 19, 1918, two days before the termination of hostili­ties. He was a member of the 307th Infantry. 

Subsequent to the initial meeting, bi-monthly meetings were held in what is now the Delmar Elementary School until the first Post building was obtained on Poplar Drive, Elsmere, in 1931. The old building was a former railroad station and also served as one of Elsmere's early schools. 

The cornerstone of the first Post headquarters was laid on October 10, in 1931. 

Blanchard Post now totals almost 600 members. 

The Post Auxiliary was formed in February, 1930, with Mrs. Ralph S. Butler as President.

The Post Sons of the American Legion was formed in 2002.

The Post was renamed to the Blanchard-Currey Post in 2022, in honor of Francis Sherman Currey (June 29, 1925 – October 8, 2019). Frank Currey was a United States Army technical sergeant and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.