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Show T3fie AMERICAN .LEGlOMa (Copy for This Department Supplied by the American Legion News Service.) REALIZE VALUE OF LEGION Victims of Arkansas City (Kan.) Flood Appreciate Aid Rendered by Ex-Service Men. Citizens of Arkansas City, Kan., realized the value of an active post of the American Legion during the recent re-cent flood disaster which destroyed many lives and caused millions of dollars dol-lars in property damage to communities communi-ties In southern Kansas. With the town placed under what approximated martial law, members of the Shelton Beaty post of the Legion Le-gion assumed a task that only men with military training could master. The duty was to act in conjunction with the city authorities to obtain obedience of laws formulated hurriedly hurried-ly for the benefit of the town and to guard the flooded area from the pillaging pil-laging of unscrupulous persons who flocked to the stricken district to loot what the water had left. An organization was formed in short order by the Legionnaires and a cordon cor-don of guards was thrown about the water front. Guard shifts were chosen from 125 volunteers, who performed this task for three nights until the flood abated. A battery of field artillery artil-lery of the National Guard, called out with the start of the flood, wns in the midst of a drive for recruits, and It was necessary for Legionnaires to fill the depleted ranks of the organization to save its members from the strain of night and day service. The Legionnaires' members had underwritten un-derwritten in part a guarantee to a Chautauqua company before the disaster disas-ter occurred. Communicating with Chautauqua officials they obtained release re-lease from their contract and an offer from the company to stage the program pro-gram for the benefit of the flood relief fund. Now the veterans propose to co-operate in plans to be formulated by civic organizations working toward repair of damage caused by the flood and for permanent relief to persons who lost their homes and property. |