Post History

Our Post was originally chartered on August 10, 1942 as Lakewood Village Post 496 and was part of a small but growing community of defense workers employed at the new Douglas Aircraft plant and other defense contractors during World War II. As the war ended, many returning veterans wanted to remain in SoCal and the area continued to grow. By the early 1950's the area was booming with a home construction pace that broke records!

On July 28, 1952 our Post was rechartered as Lakewood Post 496 and soon afterward relocated to its current location. During this entire time the area was unincorporated land within Los Angeles County, but efforts were underway to form the City of Lakewood. The City of Long Beach was also interested in annexing the area and in 1954 a series of ballot measures were voted on by the residents designating which neighborhoods would become part of Lakewood or Long Beach. Our Post is now located within Long Beach city limits but retains its Lakewood Post 496 name as chartered and welcomes veterans from Lakewood, Long Beach, and all communities to join us!

Affiliated Organizations

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 496 was formed on July 28, 1952.

Sons of the Legion Squadron 496 was formed on _______

Patriotic Days

MEMORIAL DAY has always been an outstanding occasion in this community. The goal of every Veteran is to keep MEMORIAL DAY sacred to the memory of our war dead of all of the wars of the country; and all graves are decorated on this National Holiday. We coordinate with the City of Lakewood to host the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Del Valle Park. After the ceremony all veterans and families in attendance are invited to our Post for an afternoon of refreshments and comaraderie.

ARMISTICE DAY, now called VETERANS' DAY, originally marked the end of fighting in World War I. It is an important holiday on the calendar of Legionnaires everywhere and in the hearts of all Veterans.

Join Us and Keep this History Alive