AUBURN – Joseph Paradis, longtime member of Post 22, American Legion, Lewiston, has been named chairman of the organization’s founding anniversary celebration on Friday, March 19, at the American Legion hall at 426 Washington St.

A social hour will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Toni Blouin, Auxiliary 22 president, and members will serve a buffet-style meal at 6, followed by live music for dancing from 7 to 10 p.m.

Donations will be $5 a person at the door. For more information or tickets, call 786-0488, 782-5700 or 782-6139.

Also serving on the Birthday Committee will be Senior Vice Commander Doris Hamel, trustee Don Dube and Donald Robitaille, Building Committee member.

Paradis, Post 22 trustee, also serves on the LA Veterans Council and is a founder of the new Veterans Memorial Park.

He said veterans are still requesting to have their names placed on plaques in the new park. During the celebration a table will be set aside to accommodate veterans with proper ID form 214 or ID papers. Membership dues will also be processed. All veterans organizations and guests are invited to celebrate the Legion’s 85th birthday.

In March 1919 a group of 20 officers, who served in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, held the first organizational meeting Paris, France.

About 1,000 officers and enlisted men attended the session, known as the Paris Caucus. They adopted a temporary constitution and the name of the American Legion.

The Legion held a second organizational caucus in St. Louis in May 1919. It set up temporary headquarters in New York City and began its relief, employment and Americanism programs.

The founding anniversary will be observed the week of March 15.