George H. Breuler joined The American Legion almost immediately upon discharge following World War II. He served at Utah Beach, in Vienna, Austria and Czechoslovakia, he said.
Breuler returned home from war just in time for Christmas in 1945. His timing was impeccable. He met his wife, Evelyn, at a hockey game on New Year's.
"She was with this other fella, and I said, 'I'll call you.' That's how it all started," Breuler said. They were married in June 1946.
That same year, he joined the Legion. He had been brought up in the organization. His father, George B. Breuler, was a World War I Navy vet. Though his father never went overseas during the war, he joined the Legion early in its history. He took his son alongside him to the parties, dances and shows.
One of Breuler's most treasured childhood memories is attending the 1938 convention in Los Angeles.
"We were in the Coliseum … and we went to the studios," Breuler said. "I'll never forget, Marie Wilson, a famous actress, kissed me."
As an active Legionnaire for nearly 70 years, Breuler said attitudes and patriotism have changed. To him, the WWI generation still stands out.
"Looking back on my dad and my dad's buddies, those guys they were the happiest bunch of guys. They knew how to have fun. When they went to conventions you should see the things they did," he said. "One guy … he lost his false teeth down the toilet, so he had to call management — 'Stop the toilets!' They helped him get his teeth back. ... They were great guys. They don't compare to any other group."
When Breuler returned from Europe, he joined his father's post, 119, which required railroad membership. His father saw him inducted as a commander at that post. Breuler wore a borrowed uniform to make the ceremony look "appropriate."
"But I could see there was no future in that post," he said. "Actually they went defunct because they lacked membership."
So he joined Post 76 in North Haven, Conn. There, he served as post commander twice. He said he got about 50 members to join, and at one time the post boasted more than 300 members. In 1985, under Breuler's leadership, the post was selected as Post of the Nation.
He also ran the town's Memorial Day Parade for 14 years, managed the post's baseball team twice, helped decorate veterans' graves with poppies and persuaded a friend to donate more than $10,000 to the post. In 2013, he was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.
His advice for potential post commanders is simple.
"You have to have a friendly attitude, believe me. You have to welcome [members], and you have to tell them that the American Legion is the veterans organization that we have to keep alive for the future," he said.
