Post and Auxiliary History
The Russell
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6240 was chartered on February 24, 1946. The first meeting was held in
the basement of the Russell City Building and meetings continued there until the meeting place was moved to the old Masonic
Hall above the present Ace Hardware Store at Seventh and Main Streets. Floyd Kirkman served as the first
commander and his wife Rachel was the first president of the auxiliary.
In 1948 with Chester R. Dawson as commander, Russ Homan
and Joe Mahoney offered the post a tract of land for a future home which the organization accepted. Dawson
was elected to serve a second term giving him the opportunity to complete the project of constructing a building for use as
a meeting place. An officer’s building at the Walker Air Base was purchased, dismantled and moved
to Russell where it was erected on the present site in 1949. It was used until January, 1970 when it was
razed to make room for the present post home. The present post home was dedicated and the 25th
Anniversary of its Charter observed on May 2, 1971, with Past Commander-in-Chief Ray Gallagher as the principal speaker for
the occasion. The mortgage on the home was burned five years later at a grand celebration on March 27,
1976.
Membership in the post increased from the original 186 Charter Members to 823 members at the end of 25 years, and to
a high point of 1,177 members, (of which 1,041 were life members). On September 13, 1974, Past Commander-in-Chief
“Horsecollar” Brannaman was present, along with six other past chiefs, to designate Russell Post 6240 as the Largest
Life Member Post in the World, a title held for a number of years until attrition and increased membership in posts located
in large metropolitan areas overcome it. The post continued its high standard of membership by reaching
100% for 29 consecutive years. Due to continual loss of members, as of December 15, 2008, the post has
a total membership of 679.
Post 6240 has had perhaps the highest honor a post could have, when one of its members, Norman G. Staab, was installed
as National Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States at the National Convention held in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, in August 1986. Other members have brought honor to the post, Fred Weigel, Jr., as the National
Inspector General, and others as Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Members of various National Committees. The
post has the distinction of having several All American Post Commanders, All State Post Commanders, District Commanders, All
State District Commanders and All State Quartermasters. The Auxiliary has had members serve as State President
and District President.
In September, 1976, Post 6240 provided an honor guard and color guard for President Gerald Ford, along with our own
Senator Bob Dole, when they came to Russell to kick off their campaign for President and Vice President of the United States.
President Ford a VFW Life Member said he was really impressed with our Post Home.
On April 14, 1995, a monument was unveiled on the grounds
with a plaque commemorating 50 years since the injury sustained in Italy during World War II by our very distinguished Charter
Life Member Senator Robert J. Dole. Television and other news media was extensive and a large crowd was
on hand for the occasion. The officers and members of Russell Post 6240 are very proud of all they have
been able to accomplish, and will continue to strive “To honor the dead by serving the living”.
