University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept.

Records, 1947-1979.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 53

2 cubic ft. (3 archives boxes, and 1 small archives box)

ABSTRACT: Records of the Wisconsin unit of the Polish Legion of American Veterans, with headquarters in Milwaukee, consisting of administrative records correspondence, minutes, newsletters, news releases, rosters of officers and members, reports of the state and post commanders, and other papers. Also included are minutes and memoranda of the national PLAV organization, with rosters and reports of the eight individual posts located in Wisconsin.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection consists of records of the national and Wisconsin department of PLAV, and of individual Wisconsin PLAV posts, as collected by the officers of the State Department. Included are constitutions and by-laws, incorporation papers; correspondence and memos, with many from the national organization; a manual of rituals and ceremonies; minutes of state department meetings, national and state conventions, and national executive committee meetings; newsletters; news releases; reports; and rosters. Regarding the individual posts are rosters of officers and members, and reports of the post commanders, usually submitted following the monthly post meetings. A small file of address cards also gives information about members.

Most of the records date from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s; the more recent material was incorporated from the records of the Ladies' Auxiliary, which form a separate collection.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: The Polish Legion of American Veterans, the largest organization of American veterans of Polish ancestry in the U.S., was formed in 1931. Comprising the new group were Alliance of American Veterans of Polish Extraction organizations from Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan, and the Polish Legion of the American Army from New York. The name was taken from the 58th New York Infantry Regiment commanded during the Civil War by General Wladimir Krzyzanowski, and known as the "Polish Legion."

The first chapter, or post, of the Polish Legion of American Veterans organized in Wisconsin was Woodrow Wilson Post #11, founded on Milwaukee's south side on 28 September 1923. The founder and first commander was Walter Lewandowski. Other Wisconsin posts soon followed, including Walter J. Muszynski Post #26, Cudahy; Thaddeus Kosciuszko Post #33, Racine; George Washington Post #34, Kenosha; Quentin Roosevelt Post #48, Milwaukee (now inactive?) John Kobus (now Kobus-Molenda) Post #49, South Milwaukee; Richard Jakubiak Post #67, Milwaukee; St. Francis Post #172, St. Francis; and Sgt. Gerald Bannach Post #173, Stevens Point. The individual posts are united under the Wisconsin or State Department of the PLAV, which in turn is a division of the national PLAV. The State Department was incorporated in 1967. In its 1968 Constitution, the Wisconsin Department listed as its purposes "to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, to encourage active interest in all manifestations and demonstrations of patriotic nature, to combat the destructive propaganda of communism, and to maintain and preserve the true spirit of fraternity and patriotism arising from the sacrifices in the World Wars and to perpetuate friendships and associations arising therefrom by mutual aid and co-operation in patriotic, charitable, educational and civic activities."

Membership in the PLAV is open to any American citizen of Polish or part-Polish ancestry, or one married to a person of Polish or part-Polish ancestry, who has served in the U.S. armed forces. A ladies' auxiliary was formed in 1925. The PLAV and the ladies' auxiliary hold state conventions biennially and local meetings monthly.

PLAV activities include patriotic parades and commemorative ceremonies for Veterans and Memorial Days, fund-raising and volunteer support for veterans' hospitals, rallying support for the war in Vietnam, and such social events as bowling tournaments, a queen contest, dinners and banquets, and dances.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept. Records, 1947-1979. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 53. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. Golda Meir Library. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Kobus-Molenda Post No. 49 (South Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1965-1979. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 54 and Milwaukee Tape 9)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Post 172 (St. Francis, Wis.). Records, 1973 and 1980. (Milwaukee Small Collection 138)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Richard Jakubiak Post No. 67 (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1968-1977. (Milwaukee Small Collection 101)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept. Ladies' Auxiliary. Records, 1937-1979. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 55)

Spott, Barney F. (Bronislaw Francis), 1898-1975. Papers, 1906-1975. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 41 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 34)

ACQUISITION: Presented by the Polish Legion of American Veterans, Wisconsin State Department, via Norbert Pulkowiak, and by the Polish Legion of American Veterans, Wisconsin State Department Ladies' Auxiliary, via Rosemarie Broskowski of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1981 (accession numbers M81-184, and M81-361).

PROCESSING: Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt in April 1982.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
Polish Americans--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--History.
World War, 1939-45--Veterans--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 53	BOX	FOLDER
Address Cards, 1968-1972	5
Applications for Post Charter, 1971	1	1
Attendance Records, State Department Meetings, 1963-1967	1	2
Constitutions and By-Laws, 1968, 1976	1	3
Correspondence and Memos, 1961-1978, undated	1	4-8
Honorary Members, 1966-1969	1	9
Incorporation Papers, 1967	1	10
Manual of Rituals and Ceremonies, 1960	1	11
Minutes and Programs of National Conventions, 1948-1950, undated	4	1
Minutes and Programs of National Conventions, 1966-1976	2	1
Minutes and Programs of State Conventions, 1947-1961	4	2
Minutes and Programs of State Conventions, 1949-1965	2	3
Minutes and Programs of State Conventions, 1967-1971	2	4
Minutes and Programs of State Conventions, 1973-1979	2	5
Minutes of State Department Meetings, 1954-1961 (volume 1)	4
Minutes of State Department Meetings, 1962-1965 (volume 2)	4
Minutes of State Department Meetings, 1964-1965	1	12
Minutes of State Department Meetings, 1965-1969 (volume 3)	4
Miscellaneous, 1963-1980, undated	2	6
National Executive Committee Meetings, Minutes and Reports, 1965-1969	2	2
News Releases, 1974-1976	3	2
Newsletters, 1975-1979	3	1
Reports of the State Commander and Post Commanders, 1966-1967	3	3
Reports of the State Commander and Post Commanders, 1967-1968	3	4
Reports of the State Commander and Post Commanders, 1968-1969	3	5
Reports of the State Commander and Post Commanders, 1969-1973	3	6
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #11, Woodrow Wilson Post, 1964-1970	3	8
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #172, St. Francis, Wisconsin, St. Francis Post, 1968-1970	3	14
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #173, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Sgt. Gerald Bannach Post, 1969-1970	3	15
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #26, Walter J. Muszynski Post, 1966-1970	3	9
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #33, Thaddeus Kosciuszko Post, 1967-1970	3	10
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #34, George Washington Post, 1966-1970	3	11
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #49, Kobus-Molenda Post, 1966-1970	3	12
Rosters of Officers and Members, Post #67, Richard Jakubiak Post, 1968-1970	3	13
Rosters of State Department Officers, 1964-1967, 1972, 1978-1979	3	7
Rules for State Conventions, 1966, undated	3	16