Veteran with deep roots to American Legion post is ready to help

Published 11:06 am Tuesday, November 10, 2015

For veterans returning from war or for the widows of those who once served who have passed, negotiating the paperwork and bureaucracy to get the benefits and rights so richly earned can sometimes be very difficult.

Thankfully for many, that’s where John Houser and the American Legion come in.

As the service officer for Renton’s Fred Hancock Post No. 19, Houser’s job is to help connect veterans with the resources they need, the rights they’ve earned and the benefits to which they are entitled. That can include everything from making sure a vet gets a proper burial to helping find job opportunities to medical and financial assistance and everything in between.

“We’re kind of a conduit to information for what’s available to the veterans,” Houser said this week in between preparation for Veterans Day services and returning phone calls about burial benefits.

Houser is quick to say he is not an expert but just here to help veterans navigate the myriad forms and phone calls required when dealing with the government.

It’s something of a labor of love for the 73-year-old Houser, who described his own service as “fairly mundane,” except for the time period, the mid-60s. Houser said he worked teletype maintenance at Andrews Air Force Base from 1963-66 and was on the tarmac when the body of President John F. Kennedy arrived from Dallas.

“Mom said she saw me on TV,” he said.

Houser is originally from Bryn Mawr and has been around aviation his whole life. He fondly remembers visiting the Renton airport as a child and seeing the Boeing planes taking off and landing.

After the service, Houser worked on-and-off at Boeing for 41 years, completing his bachelor’s degree at age 61 to finish his career as a composite engineer.

After his time in the service, Houser said he was approached by Doc Ambrose, a World War I veteran and one of the original members of the Fred Hancock Post, who told him that his connection to the American Legion runs deep.

“He said, ‘You will join the post.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said ‘Your grandfather started it,” Houser said. “I said, ‘That’s a good argument.’”

It was true; Houser’s grandfather, Paul Houser, was the post’s first commander when it was formed back in 1919.

The post, which is named for the first WWI casualty from Renton, was disbanded briefly from 1921-28 (Houser said the reasons have been lost to history), but when it was re-formed, Paul Houser was again involved, this time as a member of the Executive Committee.

Houser, of course, signed up and has been a Legionnaire for 42 years now.

Unlike the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion is open to all veterans, regardless of whether they served in a foreign land during wartimes. But even still, Houser said the post’s membership is down as veterans from the most recent wars have not rushed to sign up, which Houser said is likely due to having young families.

But Houser said there is a certain camaraderie that comes between post members, even if they didn’t serve at the same times. In fact, Houser said the more recent vets seem to drift toward and truly appreciate talking to those from the Vietnam Era about their experiences.

This week, in honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the Legion will be hosting a memorial at 9 a.m. at the new memorial behind the Renton Senior Center. They will also be at Tahoma Cemetery at 11 a.m. for honor guard duties.

In addition, the Legion will be marching in Auburn’s parade on Nov. 7.

But when next week’s ceremonies and memorials end, you can bet Houser and his fellow Legionnaires will be back at their core mission, helping veterans.

“We are here and we’re available and willing to assist veterans in their dealings with the VA and to adjust back to society as best we can,” he said.

That’s a family legacy to be proud of.