AMERICAN LEGION
The purpose of the American Legion is to support American’s veterans.
Location:
North Walnut St.
Arnold, NE 69120
Contact: Charles Foran, (308) 848-2459
Meeting Time: 2nd Tuesday each month, 8 p.m. at Legion Hall
Building Rental: Legion Hall rental is available for $75 per day
Building Rental Contact: Melva Phillips at (308) 520-0343 or Joan Smith at (308) 636-8122
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY UNIT 130
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 130 salutes veterans, supports their activities, and promotes Americanism. Activities include: sponsoring a Girl’s State delegate each year, holding annual Poppy Day sales to support disabled veterans, coordinating the annual Poppy Day poster contest for younger children, awarding a scholarship to a high school graduate each year, and many other donations to the Veterans’ Home and Veterans’ Hospital in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Location:
North Walnut St.
Arnold, NE 69120
Contact: Wilda Foran, (308) 848-2459
Meeting Time: 4th Thursday each month at 2 p.m. at Legion Hall
VETERANS MEMORIAL
When Mike Harvey, Don Olson, and several American Legion members took a road trip to visit various veteran memorials around the state of Nebraska in November of 2023, they could not see the future, but they could envision one. Their vision included a veterans memorial visible to travelers on Hwy 92 or Hwy 40, one with flags encircling large stones engraved with the names of those who served from Arnold and the surrounding area. Travelers who have arrived at the junction of those two highways can see the outcome for themselves, a stunning visual consummation of this ambition.
The American flag flies center; on each side fly the flags of the armed services: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, Space Force, and a POW-MIA insignia. All flags encircle a large center black granite stone engraved and embellished with insignia from each of the services. Two benches sit at angles to the main memorial. One is dedicated to the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion; the other memorializes Air Force service member Scott Cool, donated by the Cool family.
But it is the five granite stones that sit in a semi-circle in front of the flags that hold Arnold’s history and the names of its treasure. These are engraved with the 400 names of local veterans and additionally another 120 names of veterans who have some association with the Arnold area. Included are veterans from Callaway, Stapleton and Gothenburg, for example, but also out-of-state vets from California, Texas, both Dakotas, and Minnesota, to name a few.
If you would like to donate to the memorial or have the name of an area veteran or a veteran with ties to Arnold engraved at the memorial, Contact Mike Harvey at 308-530-1065.
Location:
Hwy 40 & Hwy 92 intersection
Arnold, NE 69120
Contact: Mike Harvey (308) 530-1065
