American Legion - Post 404 St Louis Service Women

10/17/2026

November's Food for Vets Registration is open!!

10/14/2026

This Veterans Day, November 11, the St. Louis Area Foodbank is giving back to those who’ve served our country and their immediate families with free food distribution events.

Veteran's Day Free Food Distribution Events: No pre-registration needed.
📆 Wednesday, November 11, 2026

IL Distribution | 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM | While supplies last.
📍First United Presbyterian Church
1303 Royal Heights Rd.
Belleville, IL 62223

MO Distribution | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | While supplies last.
📍All Star Lot (near Busch Stadium)
611 South 8th St.
St. Louis, MO 63102

Verification of active duty military or veteran status is required, such as a valid military ID or DD214.

You may pick up food for up to 2 households, but you must present an appropriate military or veteran ID for each household to receive food.

🚗 Drive-through event
🥬 Nutritious food and essential items provided
🏠 Serving 200 households at each event
☝️ First come, first served, while supplies last

10/14/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JCzYSJT4T/

The St. Louis Regional Veterans Day Parade & Family Festival returns to downtown St. Louis on Saturday, November 7!

Watch the Veterans Day Parade roll past Soldiers Memorial Military Museum at 10:30am, then stick around for a FREE family festival with patriotic activities, a rock-climbing wall, face painting, balloon creations, a visit from an American bald eagle and more.

Don't miss your chance to honor those who served and have a whole lot of fun while you’re at it!

📅 Saturday, November 7 | 9am–1pm
📍 Soldiers Memorial Military Museum
🎟️ FREE
🔗 For more information: https://bit.ly/4hAoiyR

10/14/2026

Happy 251st Birthday, US Navy!

10/11/2026

🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Honoring the Service of Marie Mountain Clark of the Women Air Force Service Pilots

Marie Mountain, of West Liberty Iowa, served with Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) and is noted as one of the the first female pilots to become initiated into the Caterpillar Club.

According to the Iowa Aviation Museum: "While studying music at Drake University in 1939, she joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), learned to fly at the Des Moines Flying Service, and taught navigation and meteorology in the military training courses at Dowling College."

"Prior to joining the WASPs in August 1943, she had logged 76 hours. When her instructor was demonstrating spins in a Fairchild PT-19, Marie’s seat belt became unfastened and she was thrown from the cockpit. She was then inducted into the Caterpillar Club, a select group of pilots whose lives have been saved by parachutes." - Iowa Aviation Museum

"Following graduation in February 1944 Marie was assigned as a pilot with the US Army Air Force, accumulating about 1000 hours in military aircraft, including the PT-19, BT-13, AT-11 and AT-6 training aircraft, the P-39 and P-63 fighter aircraft and as a copilot in the B-17 and B-26 bombers. Her military service was at the Las Vegas (Nevada) Air Force Base where her duties included giving instrument flying instruction to male pilots, flying mock fighter attacks on the B-17 “Flying Fortress” and serving as an engineering test pilot for P-39 and P-63 fighter aircraft." - Ann Arbor News

After the war, Marie worked for the Des Moines Flying Service and married John Alden Clark, a former WW2 bomber pilot in 1945. The couple relocated to Ann Arbor Michigan. Mary and John were married for 63 years and had two sons and a daughter.

In 2005 Marie published her World War II memoirs in the autobiography: Dear Mother and Daddy: World War II Letters Home from a WASP.

Marie Mountain Clark passed away on October 2, 2008 in Ann Arbor Michigan at the age of 93. She lies in rest at the Resthaven Cemetery in Des Moines Iowa. Lest We Forget.





WWII uncovered ©️ description and photos sourced by: Iowa Aviation Museum, Ann Arbor News, US Air Force and Final Flight. (Fair Use Photo)

10/10/2026

When the U.S. Navy promoted its first female four-star admiral, officials discovered something unexpected: the supply inventory didn't even carry four-star shoulder boards sized for a woman's uniform.

Michelle Howard had to special-order her insignia.

Born on an Air Force base in 1960 to a master sergeant, Howard decided at twelve years old that she wanted a career in the military. At the time, federal law barred women from attending military academies.

Her mother made her a bold promise: if the doors remained shut when Michelle turned eighteen, they would sue the federal government to open them.

They didn't need to. In 1976, Congress opened the service academies to women. Howard entered the United States Naval Academy in 1978 as part of only the third class to admit female midshipmen.

Where a third of her female peers dropped out under the intense pressure, Howard graduated in 1982.

From that moment on, she broke one barrier after another.

In 1999, she assumed command of the USS Rushmore, becoming the first African American woman in history to command a U.S. Navy warship. Ten years later, as a one-star rear admiral leading a counter-piracy task force in the Indian Ocean, she directed the high-stakes rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates, an operation later immortalized on screen in Captain Phillips.

On July 1, 2014, Howard made history once again.

She became the first woman promoted to four-star admiral in the 239-year history of the United States Navy, simultaneously stepping into the role of Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the second-highest military post in the entire branch.

She later took command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, becoming the first female four-star admiral to command operational forces in combat theaters before retiring after nearly thirty-five years of service.

When looking back at her ground-breaking achievements, Howard consistently credited the diverse teams around her, proving that true strength lies in including minds from every background to solve the toughest problems.

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DZ2P49Fx4/

10/07/2026