American Legion Post 555

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Ely, IA
American Legion Post 555

Post 555 of the American Legion is located in Ely, Iowa. On 1 Mar 1921, fifteen veterans from the town in Ely applied for a charter to the American Legion.

The national level officials signed the charter on 1 Feb 1922 and the Ely Legion was born. On 1 March 1921, fifteen veterans from the town in Ely applied for a charter to the American Legion. The national level officials signed the charter on 1 February 1922 and the Ely American Legion was born. The St Quentin Post 555 gets its name from the Battle of St Quentin Canal in which two WW1 Soldiers fro

m the Ely area died in action. Both PVT Charles Noska and PVT Joseph Dvorak were serving as part of the 30th Infantry Division when killed in action during October of 1918. In 1954 and 1955, members designed and built a new building at the current location of 1545 Main Street in Ely. Since built, the building has been the home to many wedding receptions, dances, anniversaries, and community events. The Ely Legion currently has around fifty members from the Ely areas and is always looking to expand its membership. The Ely Legion is active in supporting Legion events like the 5th Grade Essay Contest, the Oratorical Contest, and Boy’s State. The Ely Legion also supports multiple community youth programs.

05/30/2026

Welcome IANG soldier and Ely Legion member Alex Bantam back from a year in Iraq and combat tour as part of Operation Epic Fury.

05/15/2026

🏅Scholarships were awarded this week from the American Legion Post 555 at CR Prairie. Congratulations to Jade, Chase and Lucillia on your scholarship .

04/22/2026

We’re excited to share an important update regarding the Ely Legion Hall.

St. Quentin Post 555 has officially contracted to install an inclined platform lift similar to that shown in the photo providing even better access to the Ely American Legion Hall.

This project is a significant step in ensuring that everyone in our community can more easily participate in the events and activities held in the hall, from breakfasts and card games to youth programs and civic gatherings.

Our hall has served Ely for nearly 70 years as a volunteer-built community center. This improvement continues that tradition by helping us keep the building welcoming and accessible for all.

We appreciate the continued support of our members and the community as we move forward with this project. More updates will be shared as installation progresses!

04/14/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our 2026 Scholarship Award Recipients! 🎉
The Ely American Legion family of groups is proud to announce and celebrate this year’s scholarship winners: Jade, Chase and Lucillia
Your hard work, dedication, and achievements have not gone unnoticed. We are honored to support your future education and excited to see all the great things you will accomplish!
Thank you to all who applied and to our generous donors and volunteers who make these scholarships possible each year, there is incredible talent from the three counties of applicants that we received!!
Wishing Jade, Chase, and Lucillia continued success as they pursue their dreams!
Learn more about the scholarship: https://elylegion.com/?page_id=2863

04/13/2026

Kelly at Mission of Hope Food Pantry in Marion filling their nearly empty food coolers with surplus orange juice and eggs from the Ely Legion breakfast.

04/11/2026

Breakfast at the Ely Legion tomorrow, April 12th. Join us 7:00am to noon. We are ready.

04/01/2026

The application period has now closed for the American Legion Post 555 family of organizations. Stay tuned for updated, the scholarship winners will be announced by April 15!

03/30/2026

Pfc. Joseph M. Pospisil of Ely was one of a picked group of Rangers who took part in the raid led by Lt. Gen. Krueger’s Sixth Army which freed more than 500 American and Allied prisoners from the Japanese concentration camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines in February. An expert rifleman, he is the son of George W. Pospisil of Ely.

Pospisil was among the men who took part in the daring raid at Cabanatuan during World War II, one of the most successful and dramatic rescue missions of the Pacific Theater. In January 1945, a small force of U.S. Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas penetrated deep behind Japanese lines on the island of Luzon to liberate more than 500 American prisoners of war. These prisoners, many of them survivors of the Bataan Death March, had endured years of starvation, disease, and brutal treatment. The raid required extraordinary planning, stealth, and coordination, and it remains a powerful example of courage, leadership, and determination under extreme conditions.

The story of this mission is told in compelling detail in the bestselling book Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. The narrative brings together the perspectives of the rescuers, the prisoners, and the Filipino resistance fighters, creating a vivid and highly readable account that unfolds with the tension of a novel while remaining grounded in careful historical research.

The raid also served as the basis for the 2005 film The Great Raid, which brings the events to life on screen and highlights the scale and risk of the operation. While no film can capture every detail, it effectively conveys the drama and significance of the mission.

Both the book and the film offer excellent portrayals of this remarkable operation, and together they preserve the memory of the men involved, including the soldier from Ely who played a part in one of the most extraordinary rescue efforts of the war.

03/26/2026

Appreciation is extended to the American Legion Post 555 rifle team for commemorating the season's conclusion with a pizza celebration this week. Interested in learning more? Classes in the fall, sign up will be shared in July.
https://elylegion.com/?page_id=1502

08/11/2025

Today is national son and daughter day! Check out this program together online - https://elylegion.com/?page_id=1502

Address

1545 Main Street
Ely, IA
52227

Telephone

(319) 848-7604

Website

http://elylegion.com/

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