Wiley B. Murray Post No. 27 Part 5 of 10
The Interwar Years, 1919 WWII In late 1920, the French finally lifted their ban on the return of American bodies. The remains of over 46,000 soldiers were repatriated at the family’s request. The first organized activities of the Legion post focused on honoring these men as they came home to San Saba County. Dressed in their old uniforms, they would typically accompany the casket from the local rail station and to the church for the memorial. The honor guard would accompany the body to the cemetery for an elaborate military ritual, complete with flag presentation and rifle salute. The first funeral service was for their namesake, Wiley B. Murray, who was returned in November 1920, and buried at the Oddfellows (San Saba) Cemetery. This scene would be repeated many times in other cemeteries throughout the county and even after the next world war. 18
The Wiley B. Murray Post was civic minded and was involved with many community projects and improvements. One project of importance was Mill Pond Park. On May 31, 1928, the San Saba News reported: “American Legion Active in City The Wiley B. Murray Post of the American Legion is assuming much interest in the affairs of San Saba and besides being a brotherly organization is doing much to help San Saba in civic improvements. They have under consideration now the laying out of a beautiful park in or near San Saba, something that the people of this city will be proud of.”
By 1931, the San Saba Chamber of Commerce openly called for the American Legion to “take over Mill Pond property and convert it into a beautiful park complete with walkways, flower gardens and children’s playgrounds.” For the most part they did. Over the years and by raising their own funds, they managed to pave a road from the courthouse to the park and construct a ballpark named Legion Field, or sometimes called Memorial Park. This began decades of organized youth baseball, a men’s softball league, and even amateur baseball in the Central Texas Amateur Baseball League.
There were other notable projects for the benefit of the town. In 1928, the American Legion led the campaign for mosquito control. Working with the city administration and other civic organizations, they were able to secure assistance from the State Department of Health improving the situation. In 1932, the Legion began marking the streets and residences of the town. On March 17, 1932, the San Saba News reported: “The Wiley B. Murray Post is doing one of the finest pieces of civil improvements ever suggested for the town. The Legion is marking the streets in both the business and residence districts of town. Every street, as designated in the plots, will be marked. On the paved streets the markings will be on the curbing and on all other streets regulation iron posts are being set and the markings placed on the posts. Hats off to the American Legion!”