Crestview is located at the junction of three major highways (U.S. 90, State Road
85, and Interstate 10) which resulted in its acclaimed designation as the “Hub City” of northwest Florida.
The city is 50 miles east of Pensacola, 120 miles west of Tallahassee, and is 30 miles inland from the Gulf of
Mexico. Crestview’s elevation of 235 feet above sea level makes it one of the highest points in the state.
Also, it receives 65 inches of annual rainfall—the highest in the state of Florida!
The area has provided troops during wars and conflicts dating back to the Civil War. But, because this was a non-populated
area, the numbers were relatively small. During the 1930’s the Army Air Corps established a bombing and gunnery range south of Crestview. This has become the 464,000 acre Eglin AFB
reservation. Eglin is the center for development and testing for Air Force Conventional weapons. It is also home
for many operational Air Force units. The final phase of Army Ranger School is conducted on the Eglin reservation, and
the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal School is located at Eglin.
Eglin and surrounding communities
have supplied large numbers of troops during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Kosovo, and
the recent Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In addition to the active duty units at Eglin, the reserve
forces of the area also contributed a great deal.
American Legion Post 75 exemplifies the ideals of the founders of the American Legion. We recall that a group
of twenty officers who served in the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) in France in World War I is credited with planning
the Legion. A.E.F. Headquarters asked these officers to suggest ideas on how to improve troop morale. One officer,
Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., proposed an organization of veterans. In February 1919, this group formed
a temporary committee and selected several hundred officers who had the confidence and respect of the whole army.
Provided by:
T.K. Johnson
