Today, US Branch 25 is one of four branches in the Western US International Zone (and all four branches are based in California).  However, at one point in time US Branch 25 was a part of the Northern Zone of the Western Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. As you can see from the flag below, there were 13 branches that formed this zone.

Now in a speech Past President, Comrade Rutledge, gave a few years back, he indicated:

Posts were in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Washington states.

Sixteen in California alone: Culver City, Fresno, Gardena, Glendale, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Van Nuys, and West Covina.

And here in the bay area Berkeley, Oakland, Petaluma, Redwood City, and San Francisco.

Now on the flag the following branch numbers are represented:

15 Oakland
19 Sacramento
25 San Francisco
31 Fresno (“Vimy”)
48 Alameda
52 Peninsula (“Maple Leaf”) / Redwood City
57 Petaluma
113 Berkeley
114 Hayward
126 Santa Cruz
138 Contra Costa
161 San Mateo
171 ??

Most of the branches were connected by Comrade Charlie Martin and his wife Holly Martin.  In his research, he noted a 1931 Sacramento Bee article that referenced 16 posts and 3500 members in California at the time.  Comrade Martin and his wife also identified Post 10 – Los Angeles from a 1931 article in the LA Times, as well as Post 29 in Ventura and Post 12 in Santa Barbara from a 1932 article in the Ventura Star.

Finally, Comrade Martin noted that an October 1951 article from the Oakland Tribune noted the “newly founded San Mateo Post 161.”  Also, the flag still bears the crest of the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League, which was in use until 1953.  This means that the flag was produced sometime between 1951 and 1953.

As an aside, a description of an archive collection of documents from 1939-43 at the Bancroft Library reads:

Canadian Legion posts in California including: Contra Costa (Post No. 138), Marin County (Post No. 30), Oakland (Post No. 15), Peninsula (Post No. 52), San Jose (Post No. 35), Petaluma (Post No. 57), Hayward (Post No. 114), and Stockton (Post No. 34).

So in addition to the 13 branches represented on the flag, there were at least an additional three branches in the Bay Area only a decade earlier (i.e., the ones in bold above) – for a total of 16 branches in the Northern California region.

By the way, if anyone knows where Post 171 was located, please reach out to us.

As US Branch 25 embarks on its 90th anniversary year, it might be interesting to revisit the words of our late Comrade Howard Cavil, President of Branch 25 in 2001 about the branch’s 70th anniversary.

To view a PDF version of this letter, click here.

At present, the branch sits at approximately 40 members (or about 20 less than in 2001).  We still maintain our obligations…  The maintenance of Greenlawn Cemetery in Colma where we hold an annual US Memorial Day service and Liberty Cemetery in Petaluma where we host an annual Remembrance Day service.  We participate in the annual Petaluma Veterans Day parade, Service of Remembrance at Grace Cathedral, and Wreaths Across America events.  We sponsor a local naval sea cadet corps (without whom we would not be able to do the above mentioned).  Finally, we continue to “render assistance to members in need, to protect and honour the memorials to those who served, and to do what is necessary to present a positive image of Canadian heritage.”

2021 represents the 90th anniversary of US Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion – 12 August 2021 to be exact.  I know this because as the in-coming President, I have received several boxes and bags of files, photographs, and commemorative items that have been passed down by my predecessors.  Among the files are piles of old letterhead and stationary…

Over the holidays you may have noticed that we have been quietly adding historical items to our website.  For example, we have posted items such as:

• Armistice Day Parade – Sacramento (11 November 1938)
• Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary Float (1938)
• Canadian Legion Pipers – San Jose (1940-1950)
• Mayor Helen Putnam and members of the Royal Canadian Legion, Petaluma, CA (April 1977)
• Memorial Day (29 May 1983)
• Queen’s Birthday Ball  (09 June 1984)
• Basic Training Weekend (Spring 1985)
• Memorial Day (27 May 1985)
• Dunsmuir Highland Games (14 July 1985)
• 1st Btn, B Coy, 12th Plt Black Watch of Canada RHR Take San Francisco (06 December 1987)
• 8th Annual Festival of Remembrance (10 November 1991)
• Memorial Day 1995 (29 May 1995)
• 130th Annual Scottish Highland Gathering and Games in Pleasanton (02 September 1995)
• Festival of Remembrance 1995 (12 November 1995)
• Second Annual Canuck Bash (24 September 1998)
• 135th Annual Scottish Highland Gathering and Games in Pleasanton (03 September 2000)
• Vimy Day Dinner (07 April 2001)
• 136th Annual Scottish Highland Gathering and Games in Pleasanton (01 September 2001)
• Memorial Day 2009 (25 May 2009)

Additionally, we are in the process of digitizing all of the branch’s old monthly newsletters from 1996-2003 to be placed on the website this month (see the Newsletters tab above).

We hope that 2021 will be a year to celebrate our branch’s history in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California.  In that regard, if you have old files, photographs, or newspaper clippings – maybe even some old artifacts – related to the branch’s history, please share them with a member of our executive.