Carnie Welch American Legion
Carnie Welch American Legion
Oklahoma Post 27
Oklahoma Post 27
Our post was named to honor the first Sallisaw area young man to die while fighting during World War I which was also known as the Great War. Carnie Welch was wounded on 29 September 1918 at the Battle of St. Mihiel in France. He died 11 October 1918. As you can see from the photo of his headstone at Sallisaw Cemetery, he was part of the U.S Army's 90th Division, Company G, 358th Infantry. He was also a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
American Legion Post 27 was chartered by the American Legion National Headquarters close to two years after Carnie Welch's death. Since our post's beginning we have done our best honoring the memory of those who gave their lives serving our country, getting veterans involved in their communities, providing services in our area to help everyone remember what our veterans have done and are still doing, and keeping true to our oaths of enlistment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Our members have participated during the times of different wars since World War I. We each have memories from our times of service and some of us have had the pleasure to learn from others their memories whether those people were family, friends and/or other veterans. Our experiences may vary but our connection to our times of service have similar bonds.
(From the Aug. 8, 1919, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat and Star-Gazette)
—On Wednesday evening at a well-attended meeting held in Lake and Weems office, Post Carnie Welch of the American Legion was organized. The Post was named after the late Carnie Welch, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Welch, who lost his life on the battlefield during the great Saint Mihiel drive last September. The chairman appointed Jim McDonald, Barney Mabray and Grethel Priest, as a committee to solicit membership for the Legion.
This photo of Carnie Welch was posted on our Facebook page by Jeff Knowles. Thank you Jeff. This is the type of picture that helps us not only remember the individual but the time in which it was taken.