POST 84, USA

In order to start we have to go back to World War I, or the Great War as it was known at the time. Almost 620,000 Canadians served from 1914-1918. This number includes many Americans who joined the Canadian Armed Forces before the United States entry into the war. Of those who served in the Canadian Forces, 66,655 were killed and 172,950 were wounded, a casualty rate of 38%.

By 1917, many wounded veterans were returning home and beginning to form veteran’s organizations to address various issues. The Canadian government asked these organizations to form a committee to address the government as a group, and in April of 1917 the Great War Veteran Association was originated.

1919 saw the end of the war and the return of all veterans. Numerous groups were formed, some that represented amputees only, or those men with tuberculosis, as well as more general service groups.

In 1921, Field Marshal Douglas Haig, the commander of the British Expeditionary Army in France founded the British Empire Service League (B.E.S.L.) in Cape Town, South Africa, as an umbrella organization for all veterans organizations in Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. If you look in the Maple Leaf room on the east wall of The RCL Post 84, you will see the B.E.S.L. charter. Field Marshal Haig came to Canada and asked the Canadian veterans groups to unite and so, in November, 1925, the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League was formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Canadian Legion was accepted into the B.E.S.L. in 1926. Nine years later, John Price and a group of Canadian and British ex-servicemen met at his home in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan and applied for a charter to the B.E.S.L. The charter was granted in December, 1935 with 31 members. By the next year, the number had risen to 57, and in 1938 they had their first home at 500 South Main Street in Royal Oak, Michigan with almost 100 members. They remained at that address until March of 1953 when the present building was purchased. From 1935-1960 we were the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. In 1960, by assent of Queen Elizabeth II, we became The “Royal” Canadian Legion, and in 1962 the B.E.S.L. was renamed the Royal Commonwealth Ex-services League.

So today, nearly 100 years after a war that killed and wounded millions, we are Maple Leaf Post 84 of The Royal Canadian Legion of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-services League.