Robert H. Hoke Linglestown American Legion Post 272

Robert H. Hoke Linglestown American Legion Post 272. . , During the Summer of 1919 on the third floor of the Eagle Hotel in Linglestown a group of men lead by Capt. John Mcllhenry Smith, Lt. Fred Hoke and Pvt. Nevin Moyer met to create the Welcome Home Parade for the returning world war one veterans. While there, they also applied for an American Legion Charter for their Village. On September 5th, the parade was formed on Linglestown Road and veterans from Lower Paxton, West Hanover and East Hanover Townships marched together. This was the first of what would become an annual parade held on Memorial Day., A few days later on September 8th the temporary Charter for American Legion Post 272 was granted. The Post also started visiting local cemeteries on Memorial Day in 1920 and have done it every year since. For the next 11 years the men of Post 272 met in each other's homes until August 29, 1931 when the Union Chapel on Mountain Road above the Square was dedicated to be their first home. That building is gone, but the Victorian home next to it still stands. Today Post 272 now resides at 505 North Mountain Rd. They have gone from the smallest American Legion Post to one of the largest in the state reaching out to everyone through community involvement., Find Soldier's Body by Word "Mother,” , Written in Letter to Be Sent Home , Details of how Corporal Robert H. Hoke, of Paxtonia, who served with Compan[y] I, 316th Infantry, met his death, after having first been reported missing, are contained [i]n letters from his cous[i]n, Lieut. John McI1henny Smith, of the 29th Division, and from his brother, Lieut. Frank Hoke, of the 79th Division., Lieutenant Smith writes in part: "We found a piece of a letter and the only word we could distinguish was the word 'Mother' and that word was written in the kid's handwriting. If it had not been for that we might have come away unsuccessful and the mystery remained unsolved. The letter put us on the track and in less than five minutes we had located the body., He and Sergeant Gregory had dug themselves in the night before in an old manure pile out in the open field. They stayed there that night. The next morning Sergeant Gregory was wounded in the leg. He turned over his pistol to Bob and Bob said to him, 'I'll get the dirty Hun that got you.' They advanced probably five hundred yards that morning. They crouched there in the bushes and mud waiting for supports to come but the supports never came. Corporal Hess, who was with the party said they were running out of ammunition and he saw a body lying in a ditch and saw the man was dead and cut the belt off of him to get the ammunition. This was poor old Bob, because we found the cut belt which substantiates Hess' story. No one saw him get hit but the assumption is that he caught a machine gun bullet full in the chest while ducking for a small drainage ditch for shelter.", Lieutenant Hoke says in part: "He was buried where he fell and by all indications by the Germans. His grave marked the extreme advance of the 79th Division. In fact his lieutenant told me he was farther in the German lines than any man of the 79th Division. We buried him in the American cemetery at Montfaucon, and had a funeral service for him. I had a casket made for him and it was made bet[t]er than one costing a few hundred dollars in the States. It was lined with tar paper on the inside, then stuffed with excelsior, lined again with canvass and then lined again with a good army blanket. The outside of the casket was also lined with tar paper. The idea of the tar paper is to keep it from decaying in the ground. I gave him the best burial possible under the circumstances, I have his cartridge belt and the flag we used at his funeral.", Robert H. Hoke [portrait], CORPORAL ROBERT H. HOKE , Military funeral services for Corporal Robert H. Hoke, who was killed during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, near Natilles, France, and whose body was found five months later by his brother, Lieutenant Franklin Hoke, were held yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, at the home of his father, Robert S. Hoke, Paxtonia. Burial was made in Shoop's Church Cemetery. Hundreds of friends attended., Nevin W. Moyer (1876-1950) , A teacher 1896-1946, Continuous military service 1902-1919 , National Guard Governor's Troop , 1st PA. Ca[v]. Troop C 1916-1917 Mexican Trouble, 2nd PA. Art. Bat. F, 101 U.S. Cav. Bat. C. and 108 U.S.F.A., Bat. F. 28th Division. Battles in France on the Marne , Fiemes , Champagne , Oise , Aisne , Clermont (Lorraine) Meuse , Argonne. In Belgium , Lys. One of the founders of the Robert H. Hoke Post 272 American Legion and the fourth Commander 1924-1925. He was also Post Historian from 1919 until his death in 1950., Legion Post to Drive for Home , Organization at Linglestown Plans an Entertainment to Raise Funds For Building , Linglestown Post No. 272, American Legion, is carrying on an aggressive campaign to raise funds for the purpose of providing a permanent home for the post. It is felt by the members that the work of the post will be very much handicapped until a meeting place can be secured which will offer some inducement to the boys to come out to the various meetings., With this in view the entertainment committee has arranged an excellent program which will be rendered at the Linglestown Union Chapel on Saturday evening, December 13. Tickets have been placed on sale for this entertainment, and the advance sale points to a crowded house., The entertainment will consist of readings and musical numbers. The readings will be given by Miss Sarah S[c]hreiner, a former resident of Linglestown, but now living in Philadelphia. Miss Schreiner's readings have always proved popular in Linglestown. During the war she worked in Philadelphia and New Jersey under the auspices of the War Camp Community Service, and her readings were enjoyed by thousands of the boys in the service., For the musical side of the program the committee has been very fortunate in being able to engage Miss Jean Rauch and Miss Frances Hamilton, of Harrisburg, who so delightfully entertained the audience at the celebration of Armistice Day., Mrs. Wetheroth and the Misses Fishburn, of Linglestown; Miss Kathryn Speas, of Penbrook; Miss Marion Smith, of Linglestown; Mrs. Frank Walters, of Harrisburg, and Dr. E. R. Rhein and family have been invited to give musical selections., In addition to this array of musical talent, pressure is being brought to bear upon some of the members of the post and it is possible that one or two more or less (mostly less) humorous numbers will be presented for the approval or disapproval of the audience.