Guide to the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Wiregrass Chapter Records
Record Group 270
Date Span: 1973-1974
Extent: 1 scrapbook, 11.5 x 12 x 3.5"
Organizational Sketch: The Fort-Rucker Chapter of the Association of the US Army began as the Southeastern Alabama Chapter when it was chartered on October 31, 1957. At its first meeting, Ft. Rucker CO, Brig. Gen. Bogardus S. Cairns presided over the election of provisional officers. After Cairns died in a helicopter crash in 1958, the chapter renamed itself the Bogardus S. Cairns Chapter, and in 1995 renamed itself the Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Chapter.
The mission of AUSA, headquartered in Arlington, VA, is to "support soldiers, their families, and Army civilians, provide a voice for the Army and honor those who have served" [verb tenses changed]
(Sources: Larry Walker, "AUSA Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Chapter Celebrates 45th Anniversary," Southeast Sun [Ozark, AL], November 29, 2002, https://www.southeastsun.com/fortrucker/article_ea081a84-3ef2-534e-9055-7fce11979841.html; "Bogardus Snowden Cairns," Wikipedia, accessed July 22, 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogardus_Snowden_Cairns; Association of the United States Army webpage, accessed July 22, 2022, https://www.ausa.org/ ; AUSA has 120 chapters worldwide. "Chapters," AUSA, accessed July 22, 2022, https://www.ausa.org/chapters.)
Scope / Content: Scrapbook of one-year tenure of chapter president Dr. John H. Lester of the Bogardus S. Cairns Chapter, AUSA, covering 1973-1974. Documents the major events of Lester's term, including officer inauguration, speakers like Governor George Wallace, picnics, regular meetings, etc. Includes photographs and newspaper clippings in 49 pages.
Provenance: Provided as part of the gift-transfer to the Wiregrass Archives of local records acquired by the Houston-Love Memorial Library when the Library moved into its new building in 2014. Provenance of how the Houston-Love Library acquired the scrapbook is unknown.
Preferred Citation: AUSA Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Chapter Records, RG 270, Wiregrass Archives, Troy University Dothan Campus, Dothan, AL
Access: Open
Date processed: July 22, 2022
Processed By: MTO/TB
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