New sign outlines park history ...

June 5, representatives of Lansing’s American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post installed new signage at the entrance to Mt. Hosmer Memorial Veterans Park on Sixth Street in Lansing. The sign contains metal emblems of the American Legion and VFW and a brief narrative about the origin of the park, which was created by Lansing’s Legion Post 50 and gifted to the City of Lansing in 1923 as a World War I Memorial. Three more veterans memorials were added to the park over the years. Installation of the sign, assembled by Tumbleweed Welding of Lansing, helps to mark the 100th anniversary of the Legion.

Also as part of the centennial commemoration, the Legion’s website, centennial.legion.org, has been updated with information on the history of Lansing’s Post 50. The page, located at centennial.legion.org/iowa/post50, contains historic photos of the Mt. Hosmer Veterans Memorial. Visitors to the site can also read stories about the founders of Post 50; about Harold “Red” Gaunitz, who became the Iowa Legion Commander in 1942; and about Lansing’s five Peters brothers, who served in the U.S. military for a combined total of seven decades.

Pictured above with the new sign located at the entrance to Mt. Hosmer are, left to right, Brian O’Neill of Tumbleweed Welding and Lansing-area veterans John Rethwisch, Bill Burke and Don Peters. Submitted photo.