75,000 Legionnaires capture New York
Creator: Illustrated Current News, Inc.
Date: August 29, 1952
These are picturegrams from the American Legion Convention in New York in 1952. "As some 3 million New Yorkers cheer their lagging footsteps, the delegates to the American Legion Convention, West Point Cadets, many bands, etc., parade on Fifth Ave. for 9 1/2 hours." 1. A zany 'Leapin Lena' gives the crowd a lot of laughs. 2. Presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Harry W. Colmery, march with the Kansas delegation. 3. Claude Buzich, Minneapolis, gives a reluctant policeman a great big kiss.

Address to be delivered at Versailles, October 6, 1937, at the dedication of the monument erected to General Pershing by the Republic of France
Creator: Colmery, Harry W., 1890-1979
Date: October 6, 1937
This speech was written and delivered by Harry W. Colmery at Versailles, France, October 6, 1937, at the dedication of the monument erected to General Pershing by the Republic of France. Harry Colmery was serving as the National Commander of the American Legion and represented that organization on this trip. He was a resident of Topeka, Kansas.

American Legion Auxiliary, Cimarron, Kansas
Date: 1925
This photograph shows members of the American Legion Auxiliary in Cimarron, Kansas. They are displaying a trophy.

American Legion Auxiliary, Woodson County
Date: 1921
An account of the formation of the Woodson Post of the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit #13. Also listed are officers elected, meeting happenings, and members.

American Legion members, Rossville, Kansas
Date: 1961
The Rossville American Legion Jimmie Lillard Unit 31 color guard and firing squad give their respects to fallen veterans on Memorial Day of May 1961. This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Colmery desk
Date: between 1943 and 1944
Wooden desk with green leather top. Harry W. Colmery (1890-1979) sat at this desk at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. while hand-writing the first draft of what would become the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill of Rights, over a period of five months. The desk was later moved to Colmery's law office in Topeka.

Emil Campbell audio interview on experiences in World War II
Creator: Campbell, Emil
Private First Class [PFC] Campbell was drafted into the Army (Infantry) in 1942 and served until 1946 in the Company B, 324th Regiment, 82nd Infantry Division, 9th Army. He was in an anti aircraft group that trained at Camp Wallace near Galveston, Texas. He ultimately served in Europe. He describes what they saw on Omaha Beach about a month after the invasions, the Siegfried Line, Berlin, and other places in Europe. He was interviewed by Suzette McCord-Rogers. He was born on the Iowa Reservation in Brown County, Kansas, on September 9, 1923. He said that he only finished 10th grade but that he also attended Haskell Institute (now Haskell Indian Nations University) in Lawrence, Kansas, for 2 years. After the war, he used the G. I. Bill for training to become a furniture finisher and upholsterer. He indicated that furniture refinishing was his occupation but at another point in the interview he said he worked in a packing house in Omaha, Nebraska. He also used the G. I. Bill for a home loan. The 2005 Kansas Legislature passed a bill funding the WWII Veterans Oral History grant program. This transcript is from one of the nine community institutions that received these grants. The transcript from the interview is presented here; the original audio copy of the interview is available through the Doniphan County Historical Society (Troy) and through the Kansas State Historical Society.

Glen Korthanke video interview on experiences in World War II (transcript)
Creator: Korthanke, Glen
Date: July 13, 2007
Glen Korthanke was inducted into the Navy in 1944 and served until 1946. He went to boot camp in Farragut, Idaho, and aircraft mechanics school in Norman, Oklahoma. He also attended gunnery school. He was trained as a control bomber PVT in Lake City, Florida and was then sent to the Pacific theater. He was born November 15, 1923 near Robinson, Kansas, and graduated from Hiawatha High School. He was a baseball player and provided a lot of information about that as well as his family. He was interviewed by Suzette McCord-Rogers on Jul 13, 2007. The 2005 Kansas Legislature passed a bill funding the WWII Veterans Oral History grant program. This transcript is from one of the community institutions receiving grants. The transcript of the interview is presented here; the original video copy of the interview is available through the Doniphan County Historical Society (Troy) and through the Kansas State Historical Society.

Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence, American Legion
Creator: Reed, Clyde Martin, 1871-1949
Date: 1930
This file includes subject correspondence relating to the American Legion which is part of a bigger collection of Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence.

Harry W. Colmery
Creator: American
Date: 1936
This is a campaign poster for Harry W. Colmery, who ran for National Commander of the American Legion. He was elected to that office and served 1936-1937. Throughout his life, Colmery was active in the American Legion serving as commander of his local post, Judge Advocate of Kansas Department, and Department Commander of Kansas.

Harry Walter Colmery
Creator: Underwood & Underwood
Date: Between 1937 and 1945
This is a formal portrait of Harry Walter Colmery (1890-1979), who was an attorney in Topeka, Kansas, the National Commander of the American Legion, and the author of the G. I. Bill of Rights.

Harry Walter Colmery
Creator: New York Times Studios
Date: between 1936 and 1945
This is a portrait of Harry W Colmery, 1890-1979, Topeka attorney, American Legion National Commander, and author of the G.I. Bill of Rights.

Harry Walter Colmery
Date: Between 1917 and April, 1919
This is a portrait of Harry Walter Colmery (1890-1979) dressed in his World War I uniform. Colmery was an attorney in Topeka, Kansas, an American Legion National Commander, and author of the G. I. Bill of Rights.

Harry Walter Colmery
Date: 1937
This is a portrait of Harry W. Colmery, Topeka, Kansas, attorney; American Legion National Commande; and author of the G. I. Bill of Rights.

Harry Walter Colmery
Creator: Allen Studios
Date: Between 1965 and 1970
This is a photograph of Harry Walter Colmery taken later in life.

Harry Walter Colmery, American Legion Commander, speaking at the dedication of the Flanders Field Chapel, Waeregham, Belgium.
Creator: American Battle Monuments Commission
Date: August 8, 1937
This is a photograph of Harry Walter Colmey, American Legion National Commander, speaking at the dedication of the Flanders Field Chapel, Waeregham, Belgium, August 8, 1937. It was copied from Dedications American War Memorials In Europe, 1937.

Harry Walter Colmery as a young boy.
Date: between 1900 and 1905
This is a portrait of Harry Walter Colmery, 1890-1979, Topeka attorney, American Legion National Commander, and author of the G. I. Bill of Rights. The photograph was taken when he was a young boy.

Harry Walter Colmery, as a young man.
Date: between 1910 and 1915
This is a photographic portrait of Harry Walter Colmery, 1890-1979, Topeka attorney, American Legion National Commander, and author of the G. I. Bill of Rights. The portrait of Colmery was taken as a young man.

Harry Walter Colmery at a World War I cemetery in Europe.
Creator: Studio Waroline
Date: 1937
this is a photograph of Harry W. Colmery, 1890-1979, American Legion National Commander, in a World War I military cemetery in Europe.

Harry Walter Colmery speaking at the Montsec Memorial Dedication, Montsec, France, August 3, 1937
Creator: Studio Waroline
Date: August 3, 1937
This is a photograph of Harry W. Colmery, Topeka attorney, American Legion National Commander, and author of the G. I. Bill of Rights speaking at the Montsec Memorial Dedication, Montsec, France, August 3, 1937

Harry Walter Colmery with his wife Minerva and children
Date: between 1930 and 1939
Harry W. Colmery, his wife Minerva (Mina), and their children Harry Jr., Mary, and Sarah are standing by a car.

Homer Henry Benjamin
Date: Between 1917 and 1919
Homer Henry Benjamin served in the 137th Inf. 35th Div WW I as a Army Wagoner.

Osborne's Big Frontier Roundup
Creator: Cody Lake Roundup Company
Date: Unknown
This poster announces Osborne's Big Frontier Roundup at Osborne, Kansas, on July 14th, 15th and 16th, with no year given. The event was produced by the Cody Lake Roundup Company. The poster advertises Thousands of Dollars in Prizes, Veritable Congress of Rough Riders, Lee's Concert Band of Kansas City, Great Street Carnival in Connection, and American Legion Dance Every Night were all part of this event.

Scenes from Sherman County, Kansas
Date: 1900-1930
Multiple scenes of Sherman County, Kansas.

Scenes from Sherman County, Kansas
Date: 1900-1930
Multiple scenes of Sherman County, Kansas.