Post History
Biographies of Post Namesakes
The Mazomanie Greening – Buelow American Legion Post #437 was named after the first person from the area to give their life in each of the Great Wars. They were Wilbur Greening and Harlan Buelow.
Wilbur Greening
Corporal Wilbur C. Greening (1895-1918) was a World War I veteran whom the Mazomanie American Legion Post #437 is partially named after. He died in France.
Wilbur entered the service with his brother Russell at the beginning of World War I in September 1917. He was with his brother in Company C of the 123rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 33rd Division of the US Army. They left for Europe on the Agamemnon from Hoboken NJ on May 16, 1918. Both were wounded by the same shell on October 5, 1918. The brothers were involved in the Western Front’s Mease – Argonne Offensive that led directly to the Armistice of November 11, 1918. They were fighting the retreating Germans in the Argonne Valley along the Meuse River near Bois de la Lemont. The unit provided 750,000 rounds of harassing fire for the 4th Divisions right flank. They endured heavy German shelling and gas attaches. The 123rd suffered nine killed and 53 wounded.
Russell recovered in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC., but lost a leg. Wilbur recovered from his very bad right leg wound, near the hip, in a French base hospital, but contacted diphtheria. He got over the diphtheria and then developed blood poisoning, passing away from sepsis.
Wilbur died on November 22, 1918, over a month after the shell attack and was buried in France. He is interred at St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial, Thiaucourt, Lorraine France. Location is Plot A, Row 13, Grave 29. His military number was 2055273 and finished ranked as a Corporal. There is also a cenotaph in the Mazomanie Cemetery in Block 5, Lot 71, Grave 4.
Wilbur Charles Greening was born October 15, 1895 on a farm to the west of Mazomanie. He was the youngest of the four sons of English born, Civil War veteran farmer James Greening (1841-1919) and his second wife Leora Laws (1859-1940). Wilbur is first found in Mazomanie Township with his farming family at the 1900 US Census. Listing is James 58, Leora 40, Claude 9, Paul 7, Russell 6 and Wilbur four. He grew up there and graduated from the Mazomanie High School. Wilbur registered for the draft in 1917 as a single, medium build, tall man with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He worked for F.G. Mueller in Madison on a running launch.
Harlan Buelow
Private Harlan G. Buelow (1920-1943) was a World War II veteran whom the Mazomanie American Legion Post #437 is partially named after. He died in a Japanese prison camp.
Harlan George “Buff” Buelow was born in Wisconsin, the only son of South Dakota born, World War I veteran George Buelow (1889-1957) and Ethel Talbot (1894-1938). His exact birthdate is not known, but his obituary reports he was born in July 1920. Harlan is first found at the 1930 US Census of Mazomanie Township as the nine year old son of 41 year old dairy farmer George and his 35 year old house wife Ethel. They have moved into the village of Mazomanie at the 1940 US Census. George 51, is a gas station attendant. Harlan is his 19 year old son working on Timber Stand Improvement. Ethel is not recorded. Harlan graduated from Mazomanie High School in 1938 and was prominent in athletics. He had been in a CCC camp in northern Wisconsin for two years.
Harlan enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 19, 1940, prior to the war, in Milwaukee. At enlistment he was single without dependents, 70 inches tall and weighing 182 pounds. Harlan served as a Private, 14th Bomber Squadron, 7th Heavy Bomber Group of the US Army Air Force stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His service number was 16007874. He was in the Philippines at the time Corregidor fell, becoming a prisoner of war (POW) of the Japanese Army in May 1942.
His father George received a card from Harlan in March 1943, that was dated December 12, 1942. The card said he was well and safe in Japan and his health was as usual. Two weeks later his father was notified from the War Department through the International Red Cross that Harlan had died in a Japanese prison camp. It is listed that Harlan died a POW on October 15, 1943, but it was probably April 15, 1943. He died at the Tokyo POW Camp, Branch 2, Kawasaki, Tokyo Bay Area 35-139. Harlan probably died of beriberi as he had been hospitalized for it at the time. He is buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines. Burial is at Plot E Row 4, Grave 32. Harlan was awarded the Prisoner of War medal and the Purple Heart.
The following 26 members were initiated October 25, 1945 into American Legion Post #437. This charter initiation was performed by the Madison Post. About 150 people were present in the Mazomanie Community Building. The charter members were:
John Carter Lionel Mahocker Herman Roelke
Gayle Holcomb Hans Streich Clinton Wallace
William E. Linley William Brandon Bernard O’Hora
Donald Wilkinson Herbert H. Sternhagen Edward G. Lins
James Smith Glen Carter Paul Steensrud
Donovan Andrews Leonard Szudy Clinton Howard
Jack King Hugh Stewart Robert Endres
Harold Rochon Chester Howard Frank Cairns Sr.
Frank Cairns Jr. Gerald W. Shackleton
Past Post Commanders
1945-1946 Russell Greening/ Harold Rochon 1967-1968 Roman Reuter
1946-1947 Paul A. Steenerud 1968-1969 Hans Streich
1947-1948 Harold Moore 1969-1970 Hans Streich
1948-1949 Dennis Graceyalny/ Don Andrews 1970-1971 Merle Drager
1949-1950 Clinton Howard 1971-1972 Merle Drager
1950-1951 Herbert Sternhagen 1972-1973 Wayne Kobbervig
1951-1952 Earl Van Pollard 1973-1974 Wayne Kobbervig
1952-1953 Lenard Szudy 1974-1975 Merle Drager
1953-1954 Earl Van Pollard 1975-1976 Ben Hodgson
1954-1955 Ray Krause 1976-1977 Ben Hodgson
1955-1956 Claude Hawley 1977-1978 James Wages
1956-1957 Earl Van Pollard 1978-1979 James Wages
1957-1958 Robert Stoller 1979-1980 Jim Jonas
1958-1959 Earl Van Pollard 1980-1981 Robert Sutcliffe
1959-1960 Roman Reuter 1981-1982 Robert Sutcliffe
1960-1961 Ray Randall/ Hector Morrow 1982-1983 Robert Sutcliffe
1961-1962 Lloyd Richardson 1983-1984 Robert Sutcliffe
1962-1963 Venor Peckham 1984-1985 Robert Sutcliffe
1963-1964 Art Gilbertson 1985-1986 Ben Hodgson
1964-1965 Durlin Wyman 1986-1987 Ben Hodgson
1965-1966 Ray Krause 1987-1988 Les Sander
1966-1967 Donald Moen 1988-1989 Les Sander
1989-1990 David Clason 2010-2011 David Clason
1990-1991 David Clason 2011-2012 David Clason
1991-1992` Robert Stoller 2012-2013 David Clason
1992-1993 Robert Stoller 2013-2014 David Clason
1993-1994` Robert Sutcliffe 2014-2015 David Clason
1994-1995 Robert Sutcliffe 2015-2016 David Clason
1995-1996 Robert Sutcliffe 2016-2017 David Clason
1996-1997 Robert Stoller 2017-2018 David Clason
1997-1998 David Clason 2018-2019 David Clason
1998-1999 David Clason 2019-2020 Virgil Smith
1999-2000 Don Wallace 2020-2021 Virgil Smith
2000-2001 Don Wallace 2021-2022 Virgil Smith
2001-2002 Tom Borman 2022-2023 Virgil Smith
2002-2003 Tom Borman 2023-2024 Virgil Smith
2003-2004 Tom Borman 2024-2025 Virgil Smith
2004-2005 David Clason
2005-2006 David Clason
2006-2007 David Clason
2007-2008 David Clason
2008-2009 David Clason
2009-2010 David Clason