What's Our Mission
- To support and assist all veterans and their families
- To provide child, youth and community programs that instill teamwork, citizenship, and patriotism
- To encourage our elected leaders to support legislation that ensure our service members are properly trained, equipped, and receive the benefits they have earned
- To honor the sacrifices made by our veterans in defense of our nation.
“Serving veterans, serving the community”
Commander
Ole Olson
- Graduated Albert Lea Senior High and enlisted into Army– 1973
- Active Duty thru December 1976 as a Specialist 5 (Sp5)
- Graduated college U of M Ag School, Waseca, MN – 1980 – AAS Business Degree
- Joined MN Army National Guard as Infantry Team Leader – E5 – 1978
- Worked Retail Sales 1980 – 1982
- Worked as a Manufacturer Rep for 3 Roofing Manufacturers 1982 – Present
- Deployed for Iraq 2005 – 2007
- Deployed for Afghanistan – 2011 – 2012
- Retired from military - October 2013
- Inducted into the Court of Honor – Camp Ripley – October 2017
- Past 2 years as Church Council President for Central Freeborn Lutheran Church
- Board of Director for Manchester/Hartland Telephone Company
- Albert Lea American Legion Post 56 Honor Guard and now as Post Commander
1st Vice President
Jim Hockinson
- Enlisted into Army 1973- 1976 - ended as a E-5 Sergeant and went for training in the Canine Corp at Fort Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX
- Deployed to Korean in 1974 in the Canine Unit
- 1976 joined the MN Army National Guard in Rochester and trained as a Medic at Fort Sam Houston, TX
- 1986 went to school for Combat Medic training at Fort Sam Houston, Tx
- 1990 moved to the rank Staff Sergeant in the Battalion Evac Combat Medic Corp
- Retired from the MN National Guard in 1996
- Member of the Disabled American Veteran Chapter 16, Veterans of Foreign Wars Chapter 447, and the American Legion Post 56
- Volunteers as a life guard at the YMCA and volunteers at the American Legion
- Currently First Vice Commander for Post 56.
Club Manager
Jo Hertaus
- Graduated from New Prague High School 1986
- Formally from New Prague and moved to Alden in 2018.
- Married John L Hertaus Jr. Oct 13, 1990 who served in the Army National Guard for 21 years. He passed away Dec 21, 2012.
- Three children are Julia, Jeanna, and John III.
- Currently an Auxiliary member at the Albert Lea Legion
- For the past 25 years worked in customer service and managerial positions at Subway and Lonsdale American Legion.