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Show The AMERICAN LEGION sS. (Copy for This Depa-runent Supplied by the Anienran I,L'!on New KOSCIUSKO POST, THE STRANGEST AND MOST ADVENTUROUS i . - -- - - a Here are the charter members of Kosciusko post in their dining car. Left to right: Edward Corsl, G. M. Crawford, K. O. Shrewsbury, Pan Spad, Carl Clark, A. H. Kelly, M. C. Cooper, Edwin Noble. Born in a box-car on the way to the battlefields of Poland last fall, and with its membership today sadly depleted de-pleted by casualties, Kosciuska post of the American Legion, formed out of the American aviators who compose com-pose the famous Kosciusko squadron, is regarded as the strangest and most adventurous of the 0,600 units of the veterans' organization. In the fighting about Warsaw when the fate of the Polish capital hung in doubt the Legionnaires of the Kosciusko Kosci-usko squadron were battling night and day against the advancing waves of the bolshevlki. When the tide of battle bat-tle turned and the reds retreated the machine gun fire from the planes of the Americans went far to turn their retreat into a rout. The men of Kosciusko post are hardened veterans. A year ago they signed up for service with the Polish army after they had flown battle planes In many engagements against the Germans in the World war. Sent out on active service shortly after their squadron was formed these adventurers ad-venturers fought on every front in Poland and many times were cited for their daring in action. The charter members of Kosciusko post were: Capt. Merlan O. Cooper of Jacksonville, Fla., who has been reported re-ported missing; Capt. A. H. Kelly, Richmond, Va. ; Capt. Edward KorsI, Brooklyn ; Lieut G. M. Crawford, Wilmington, Wil-mington, Del. ; Lieut. Kenneth O. Shrewsbury, Charleston, W. Va. ; Lieut. Carl Clark, Tulsa, Okla. ; Lieut Edwin Noble, Boston, Mass. ; Lieut. E. W. Chess, El Paso, Tex., and Lieut. E. P. Graves, Boston, Mass., who has been killed. The squadron was formed under the command of Maj. O. E. Fauntleroy of Chicago. Joe Stehlln of Sheepshead Bay, L. I., who served two years with the French aviation service and won many decorations, joined the Kosciusko squadron as a captain after the post had been organized. "Tell 'em, if folks ever get discontented discon-tented with things back home, they ought to have a look at central Europe," Eu-rope," was the message that came from Captain Cooper when the post was formed, "and then thank God for America and put their backs into the fight to keep America sane." |