POST 63 KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN

The Cape Girardeau American Legion Post wants a new one-level home because some of its members "can't negotiate the stairs" anymore.

The 80-year-old Louis K. Juden Post 63 has been at 811 Broadway since 1926.

"It's upstairs," said post commander Jerome "Jerry" Stauber. "We've reached the point where a new facility is a key in our continued success and service to the community. We've outgrown our current outdated building."

The Cape Girardeau American Legion has announced the kickoff of a major, $650,000, fund-raising campaign for the a new one-level facility on Thomas Drive.

"We already own property there," said Tom Giles, a member and former post commander.

The Thomas Drive site offers more parking, ample meeting and banquet facilities and easy access for older and disabled members, including residents of the Missouri Veterans Home.

The legion will offer its Broadway facility for sale.

"We're hoping for a late-year start on the new facility," said Gene Rhodes, businessman and veteran He chairs the committee heading up the fund-raising efforts.

"We already have an architect," Rhodes said.

The fund-raising campaign will start following the July 4 holiday.

Rhodes, Stauber and Giles are members of the Post 63 Building Fund Raising Committee. Others on the committee are Lory Stahly, Carl "Mack" Estes, John "Doc" Yallaly, John Dragoni Sr., Melvin Amelunke, Dean Monahan, Floyd Smith and Charles Woodford.

"We have two-person teams ready to start calling on businesses and individuals," said Rhodes. Bricks, to be placed inside the new facility, with donors' names on them will be available to people donating $100 or more. For those who donate more hefty sums, a few rooms in the facility will be available to bear their names.

"We think the people will respond to our campaign," said Rhodes. "The American Legion has conducted a number of fund campaigns in the past, for community projects, but this is the first time we're asking people to help us for us."

Veterans have been important in the history of our nation, said Rhodes. Without the sacrifices of millions of young American soldiers we would not enjoy the freedom and standard of living that we enjoy as an nation today.

The Legion is involved in a number of programs in Cape Girardeau:

* American Legion Baseball (two teams)

* American Legion Boys and Girls State.

* School awards.

* Flag education program.

* Patriotic holiday observance programs.

* Maintenance of Freedom Corner and Cape Rock Park.

* Color guard services at civic activities, parades, and funerals.

* Financial and volunteer support for the Missouri Veterans Home.

The post provided about 2,500 hours of services and $2,000 in financial aid to the Missouri Veterans Home during the past year.

Over the years, the American Legion has been busy on the state level:

* Post 63 initiated and was the driving force behind the naming of the Missouri Mule as the official state animal.

* The local post initiated funding and creation of the chapel at the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home, which is now part of the design of all veterans homes in Missouri.

* The post initiated the campaign and was influential for the design of the Department of Missouri legionnaires cap, which includes the Missouri Mule emblem.

The local American Legion post has 317 members, a membership that has gone from its early post-World War II peak of more than 600 to a low of 200.

"We now have members from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and from battles during the 1990s," said Stauber.

The post, named for Lt. Louis K. Juden, a Cape Girardeau youth who lost his life during WWI, was chartered in 1920, and was one of the first American Legion Posts in Missouri.