American Legion, Ferdinand Branstetter Post No. 1

For the man the post is named for, the record is thin. Ferdinand Branstetter came to Wyoming from Nebraska about 1914 and took up a homestead south of Van Tassell; inducted in the First World War, he was among the first men from the area killed in action, and the county library's own history admits very little is known about him. The post first met on June 28, 1919. Its claim to be first in the nation is shared with Washington's George Washington Post No. 1. Its building is gone; the site was listed in 1969.

What the plaque says

American Legion Ferdinand Branstetter Post No. 1. Van Tassell, Wyoming The American Legion, founded at Paris, France in 1919, holds a long and enviable record of service to the nation and to the veterans of the nation's wars. Covering those formative years of rapid growth, Legion records are not always exact, but it is determinable that Van Tassell, Wyoming was among the first four posts organized within the nation, their charters all signed on the same day. Named for Ferdinand Branstetter, resident of Van Tassell community and among the first to cross broad seas and fall on the Field of Honor, Post No. 1 has led the roll of chartered posts throughout the history of the Legion's Wyoming Department. It has led that roll honorably in service to community, state and nation.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Texas Trail — 16 mi
• Rawhide Buttes — 18 mi
• The C & H Refinery — 20 mi
• Lusk Rest Area — 21 mi