The American Legion Disney-Bell Post 66

In the late 20's and early 30's the WWI Veterans were having very hard times. In Bowie many had been gassed and wounded in WWI. There were no VA hospitals, no bonus, no compensation, plus the depression. Some were unable to do manual work. Things were hard for them. The Bonus Bill was vetoed, the Bonus Marchers were run out of Washington, D.C. by the military. But something was learned -promises to veterans are soon forgotten in peace time. Marching and rioting gets you no where, but turns the Government off.

It was soon learned by our Bowie Vets, the way was through proper channels -Congressmen, Senators and the President. The American Legion was founded March 15, 1919 in Paris, France and was having some success, but it did not have the membership to be heard loud and clear, so the National Organization was out recruiting. It took 15 wartime Veterans to form a local Post, so the Bowie Veterans recruited the necessary 15 locally, and a temporary Charter was granted February 20, 1932 to Bowie Post #66. It was the 66th Post formed in Maryland.

The first meetings were held in the members' homes, then the I.O.O.F. Hall, then Aaron's Lunch Room and then the Bowie School (which is now Huntington Community Center). In 1948, they were granted 7.6. acres from the Department of Interior by an act of Congress - last bill passed and sponsored by Senator Butler.

Day rooms from Ft. Belvoir were dismantled, moved to the site on Bowie-Laurel Road and reassembled. Over the years these buildings were replaced by what is now being used.

The name of the Post was changed after WWII, naming it after the first man killed from the Bowie area in WWI, William Aubrey Disney, and the first killed from the Bowie, area in WWII, Sylvester Bell, - thus the name Disney-Bell.