Chester American Legion & Auxiliary

06/05/2026

05/22/2026

Happy National Poppy Day!

Our local Poppy Poster Winners:

4th Grade 1st -Mya Sandness; 2nd - Jade VanDerVliet; 3rd - William Busser

5th Grade 1st - Rilyn Guyer; 2nd - Kaylee Wardell; 3rd - Axl Olson

05/21/2026

Presentation of the Poppy Poster Award Winners

05/17/2026

https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/wwii-veteran-celebrates-a-century-of-life/

MADISON, S.D. (KELO) — A Madison man, who served the country during World War II, is being honored in a big way this weekend for his 100th birthday. Arthur Mauf was celebrated by his friends,…

05/16/2026

Celebrated the 100th birthday of Marine Corps Veteran and Legionnaire Art Mauf today with our friends at Madison American Legion Post #25 and VFW Post 2638 Madison, SD. Presented Art with a certificate, Pheasant pin and 100 year anniversary coin—as Dan noted, seemed appropriate. 😁 Incredibly well attended ceremony, which shows how loved and respected Art truly is—happy birthday, Art! 🥳🎂🇺🇸

04/16/2026

Back at it again this week, the Chester Ag students are continuing to crank up their efforts 💪🔥

They’re pushing through the heat and making serious progress—laying rock around the pedestals and helping bring the Chester Veterans Memorial one step closer to completion 🇺🇸

We couldn’t be more proud of this group and their work ethic. Thank you again for your dedication and willingness to give back to our community—it does not go unnoticed!

04/15/2026

Huge shoutout to the Chester Ag Class for getting after it and making awesome progress on the Chester Veterans Memorial 🇺🇸👏

This group showed up ready to work and give back to something that truly matters — we couldn’t be more grateful 🙌🔥

📸 Pictured:
✨ Kendalyn Dingman
✨ Teegan Hodne
✨ Chashmere Koranda
✨ Jaxton Opdahl
✨ Carter Vogel
✨ Chance Wyszynski
✨ JD Prorok

Special thanks to Mr. Aden Baumburger!

The Chester Ag Class will be back twice this week (weather permitting) to keep the momentum going 💪🌟 We seriously can’t thank them enough for their time, effort, and heart they’re putting into this project ❤️🇺🇸

03/21/2026

🇺🇸 Farewell to a Warrior

Chuck Norris has passed away at the age of 86.

Before he became a global icon, he was a man in uniform.

From 1958 to 1962, Norris served in the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman (now known as Security Forces), holding the rank of Airman First Class (A1C). His journey took him from Osan Air Base, South Korea to March Air Force Base, California — a young man chasing a future in law enforcement, grounded in discipline and duty.

It was in South Korea where his path changed forever.
There, he began training in Tang Soo Do, earning his black belt and laying the foundation for a legacy that would inspire generations. He later trained in Judo and went on to create his own martial art — Chun K*k Do.

But behind the strength was sacrifice.

His brother, Wieland Norris, gave his life during the Vietnam War. Chuck honored that loss through his Missing in Action films — not just as stories, but as remembrance.

Throughout his life, he never forgot where he came from:

Named Veteran of the Year by the U.S. Air Force (2001)

Honored as an Honorary Marine by James T. Conway (2007)

Visited deployed Airmen across Southwest Asia and Incirlik, Turkey — standing beside those still in the fight

He often said that everything he became… started with the military.

Discipline. Honor. Brotherhood.
He didn’t just represent these values — he lived them.

Today and the week ahead, we don’t just remember a legend of film or martial arts.
We remember a man who served.

Rest easy, Airman. Your watch is complete. 🇺🇸

Our thoughts are with his family, his brothers-in-arms, and all who carry his legacy forward.

03/13/2026

🎉 Fun Facts About the American Legion! 🇺🇸

• Did you know the American Legion was founded on March 15, 1919 in Paris, France? ✈️

• It was started by brave World War I veterans coming home wanting to serve their communities. 🌍

• This year, the Legion is celebrating 107 years of supporting veterans, families, and communities! 🎖️

• Fun fact: The Legion helped create the U.S. Flag Code and even started programs like Boys State & Girls State! 🏛️

• Local posts are hubs for community events, parades, and fun — a great place to meet neighbors and give back. 🤝

💬 Interested in the Chester Veterans Memorial or a paver form? Drop a comment or message us and we’ll get you the info!

🎂 A big thank you to the Auxiliary for the yummy birthday cake!

03/01/2026

Dan Wyatt
5h
·
🎓 Calling All South Dakota High School Juniors and Seniors!
The American Legion and the Auxiliary have a few spots left at Boy’s & Girls State.
We and are also looking forward to interviewing candidates for the Youth Trooper Academy .
One Week… that is the length of the course’s.
Will it actually make a difference. The short answer is Yes. When you go to college or tech school you will probably end up with a scholarship.
The long answer: The Friends you make during this week… Imagine the future “networking” with them that it can make.
South Dakota Boys State runs May 25-29 (You will be back for Baseball). Apply at:
https://southdakotaboysstate.org/apply
South Dakota Girls State is for High School Juniors. Apply at:
http://www.alasdgirlsstate.org/
SD Youth Trooper Academy. Open to Jr & Sr. HighSchool students. Apply at:
https://sdlegion.org/sd-youth-trooper-academy
Also you can contact you HighSchool counselor, your local American Legion post or message me and I will help.

South Dakota American Legion SD Youth Trooper Academy Information