VFW POST 2442

March 21, 2007, the Miller County VFW Post 2442 celebrated the 75th anniversary of its charter. Over the years the post and its Ladies Auxiliary have served veterans with its Veterans Relief Fund (funded through Buddy Poppies), given scholarships to Eldon, Tuscumbia, School of the Osage and St. Elizabeth students, given charitable contributions to Camp Wonderland, the Eldon Fire Department and several other organizations. They have also provided flags to area nursing homes and schools.

The post has an honor guard which attends funerals of any former member of the military whose family requests it. The VFW Post has also had an active softball league which at one time had more than 40 teams playing. In fact, the Post has been a vital part of the community since its inception.

The men who founded the charter were mostly World War I veterans according to Carroll McCubbin and Clyde Farris. The post founders were farmers, railroad workers, a dentist, shop owners and laborers. The founding members are as follows: P.M. Adams, Matt t. Dolby, M.E. Atkinson, E.G. Cawthorne, John E. Salvani, Wilmer B. Lake, V.F. Bealer, Druary Watt, W.H. Brockman, J.A. Robinson, R.F. Clotworthy, Curtis Madole, Cell Miller, Charles Campbell, and Felix Browski.

Further members include Charles Fleetwood, Ray Kimbrell, Asa Gunn, Carl Vernon, Marion Cain, Nelson C. Atkins, Frederick V. Kallenbach, Charles G. Hines, Marion A. Kerr, W.M. Toole, Roy Logerbrinck, Loyd H. Johnson, Emil Schell, George Millburn Graham, Coby B. Karr, Andrew Henry Schwaller, Ford O'Eddy, Charles I. Clark, John Roy Robinson, Byron H. Hix, Leonard E. Kallenbach and Henry H. Pruitt.

Before the post purchased land the members used to meet on the second floor of the old Eldon City Hall building. Post membership has fluctuated over the years. Bungart says before the post purchased land, they had very low membership. Membership has been as high as 450, and is now around 300.

The World War II veterans began to run the post in the mid 1970s. Harold Mongold transferred his membership from Kansas City to Post 2442 in 1973; Clem Bungart joined in the mid-1970s; Carroll McCubbin transferred from the Iberia Post (which he helped start in 1948) in 1982; and Clyde Farris became a member in the early 1970s.

There have been a few times over the years when the post came close to closing its doors. "Before we purchased the land there really wasn't much of an incentive for people to join," says Bungart. "When we started the ball fields, the post was $34,000 in debt and $500 behind in interest. We had a lot of interesting times those first few years."

Since the post began the commanders are as follows: P.M. Adams 1931-1932 (he led the group before the charter was received.

Since then, Phillip Regalado and Farris have also been commanders.