Graves and Johnson candidates for top American Legion positions

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    For the first time in recent history, two out of the three major offices in the American Legion in Maine will be held by Piscataquis County veterans.
    Richard Graves, commander of the Joseph E. Chaisson Post in Milo, is poised to be elected department commander or state president while Peter B. Johnson, a past commander of the Cecil R. Cole Post in Greenville, is a candidate for second vice-commander.

    Since neither candidate faces opposition at the June 13-14 annual convention at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, the two county Legionnaires say they’re ready and willing to serve.
    Graves has been a Legion member for 13 and became active in the Milo post almost immediately. “I started right off as adjutant (secretary) and held that office for eight years,” Graves said. “I’ll be only the second department commander from Piscataquis County. I believe there was one back in the 1950s.”
    While moving up the ladder at the local, district and state level, Graves said he’s proud of his post’s visibility and commitment in the community. “We’re the seventh largest post in the state with 230 members right now. We still do a lot of things that other towns have given up on, like the Memorial Day parades and other patriotic events,” Graves said.
    Like other veterans’ organizations, the average age of the American Legion member is creeping upwards, but Graves said that renewed efforts are being made to recruit Gulf War veterans. “Many of them are going to school or raising families, so they don’t feel they have time to join,” Graves said. “But national headquarters is working on a public relations campaign to reach them, so I’m optimistic.”
Graves

   Graves joined the Air Force in 1958 and served on the honor guard in Washington, D.C. and as a military police security officer. He also did a tour of duty in Japan during the Vietnam era and eventually joined the Maine Army National Guard where he retired as a command sergeant major.
    Johnson will finish his fourth and final term in the Maine Legislature this year but won’t give up his public service completely. He’s running for a seat on the Greenville School Committee where he served for several years before concentrating on his legislative seat.
    He’s also served as a state American Legion officer previously. “I was appointed chaplain in 2008-09, but this will be my first elected office. I’ve also served on the Boys’ State Committee for six years; and now that I’m retiring from the legislature, I’ll serve on the Legion Legislative Committee as well,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to serving with Dick (Graves). The Legion has a lot of good things going for it,” Johnson said.

Johnson

    Johnson has been a member of the Cecil R. Cole Post for 12 years and served eight terms as post commander. “We’re very active on the community and participate in all the patriotic activities. We have people in here four days a week for coffee in the morning. The Scouts meet here, Plum Creek uses the hall for training and we have quite a few rentals for weddings and anniversaries,” Johnson said. The post currently has 149 members.
    Johnson retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel in the military intelligence field. He served 30 years in the service and earned numerous awards and commendations including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal. He also served in the Maine Air National Guard prior to his Army service.
    For more information, visit www.mainelegion.org.