FARMINGTON – Roderick-Crosby Post 28 Legionnaires will celebrate the American Legion’s 105th birthday on Friday, March 15 at the Farmington Legion Hall. A dinner will be held followed by the annual cake cutting ceremony and remarks.
Leading to the Friday birthday celebration, a special interest event will occur on Wednesday, March 13 at 1 p.m. at the home of Dennis and Janet O’Neil who will play a piano music paper roll titled The American Legion song published in November 1919 on their player piano.
As background, The American Legion Department of Maine sent a delegation of Legionnaires to the annual national convention, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina last August. Some members of the state delegation who are graduates of the National American Legion College (NALC) attended a special fundraising gathering and auction of NALC alumni to raise money for American Legion programs. Department Judge Advocate Drew Goodridge, a member of Farmington Post 28 and history buff, purchased several American Legion memorabilia items at the fundraiser auction to include a near pristine player piano music roll. Goodridge immediately recognized an opportunity to incorporate the music roll into this year’s birthday celebration albeit the primary challenge of finding a working player piano.
A social media search on a local Farmington forum connected Farmington residents, the O’Neils, with Judge Advocate Goodridge. The O’Neil’s music roll collection numbers approximately one hundred. Dennis O’Neil explained that their player piano blows air using foot petals through the perforated music paper roll.
The American Legion Song (March and One-Step) is credited to James L. Shearer, a World War I veteran who composed the song while recovering in France from an injury. Upon return to the States, Mr. Shearer aggressively marketed his music to the American Legion national organization and to Posts across the country. Mr. Shearer successfully marketed his song to several player piano companies. Several other composers and musicians were contemporaneously marketing their own American Legion song in recognition of this newly emerging veteran service organization. Mr. Shearer’s version is widely regarded as one of the most recognized versions at the time. Goodridge obtained this music roll published by QRS Music Company with an original price labeled at $1.25.
The playing of the music roll will be the first time many Legionnaires to include Goodridge will have heard The American Legion Song as recordings are limited. Goodridge will donate the music roll to the American Legion Department of Maine to include in their memorabilia collection at the headquarters campus in Winslow.
