Show STARTED LEGION IN FRANCE Franklin DOlier National Commander Command er One of the Twenty Men to Found Organization Franklin DOlier DOlfer national commander command command- er of the American Legion was born April 28 1877 in a. a Burlington N. N J. J where he attended local school an and prepared for tor Princeton r sit He was graduated grad grad- V ua ted from Princeton Princeton Princeton Prince Prince- ton In n and Immediately y entered entered entered en en- h business u sin e s s with his father William DOlier Co commission merchants In cotton and yarns in Philadelphia Upon his fathers father's retirement retirement re re- retirement from business ss the firm finn name was changed to Franklin DOlier Co Mr Ir DOlier entered the military service of or the United States in April 1917 1117 as a captain In n the quartermaster ter tel corps corps After a few weeks' weeks service at the Philadelphia depot and several months at nt Boston Doston he was ordered to France In August 1017 1917 Owing to 0 great scarcity of tonnage at that time and anil the necessity for salving material on a large Jarge scale Mr DOlier DOller was assigned assigned as as- signed to the newly organized salvage service and In January 1918 1018 took command command command com com- mand of ot the first salvage depot that was operated by the American arm army Within six months the work had grown so rapidly that the p personnel Increased from 12 to and this depot was salm salvaging for about t men an and was larger than nn any depot operated operate by either the tile British or French armies This depot was at St. St Pierre des Corps near Tours France the headquarters of the service of supply In July 1918 1018 Captain DOller DOlier was ordered to to- L Lyons ons France to organize the second large depot which at the time of the armistice lead a capacity of taking care of salvaging for upward of a million and a half men He was promoted to the rank ranI of major and nd then lieutenant colonel and assigned to the general staff and und after two years years' service In th tho army 20 months of which was In the A A. A E. E F. F was discharged from the service In April 1919 1010 Mr l DOlier DOller was one of the original 20 men who Initiated the American Legion Leon In France c February 1 15 1919 1019 and attended ed the Paris caucus ot of the American Legion on March Murch 15 1919 lOW After Aner his discharge from the service Mr DOlier DOller Joined Theodore Roosevelt who lio was at ut that time time early early In n 1919 1010 perfecting the preliminary organization tion of the American Legion Lelon In the United States preparatory to the St. St Louis Lous caucus Ma May 8 9 D an and 10 Mr 11 DOlier DOller was chairman of the time Pennsylvania delegation at nt the St. St Louis Lous caucus and a U member of the national na an- executive committee from flom Penn Penn- P nn- nn sylvania After tho the St. St Louis Lous caucus he was placed place In charge of the state statu organization organization or or- J division at national headquarters headquarters head head- j I quarters New York city and gave his entire time without any remuneration i ver to American Le Legion lon work In preparation for Cor the Minneapolis convention Mr work for the Legion hn has been to operate co-operate with an and coordinate coordinate co co- co ordinate the work of the state organIzations organizations organizations organ organ- of the time Legion an and to direct the preparations for Cor the Minneapolis convention For his work wort In n France Mr received a Distinguished Service Medal from the United States government an and the Legion of Honor from the French g government |