Female Army veteran becomes first woman to serve as local American Legion Post Commander
Katherine Mansfield/O-R
In June, Linda Hagyari stepped into her role of post commander of American Legion Post 954 in Jefferson. Hagyari said she is proud to have served her country during the Vietnam War and is enjoying continued service to country as post commander.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Army veteran Linda Hagyari salutes the flag before the Veterans Day parade and ceremony begins at the Greene County Fairgrounds last weekend. Hagyari, who lives in Jefferson, was recently elected the first female post commander of American Legion Post 954.
The first thing you notice about Linda Hagyari is quiet confidence. The well-spoken woman from Jefferson, Pa., stands tall and smiles easily.
Then you notice the red hair revealing her resilient spirit and the cap, which tells you she’s an Army veteran.
Hagyari was born and raised in Buckingham, Va., about 30 minutes from Appomattox. The call to serve runs deep in that area and in her blood.
Hagyari’s father was a Marine. Her brother Stephen, 18 months her elder, enlisted in the Navy (he died from Agent Orange exposure, but not before living six years longer than expected). She followed suit, shipping off to Army boot camp at Fort McClellan, Ala., shortly after high school graduation.
“It’s just something I wanted to do,” she said. “If I had to do over, I would do the same thing. It was an honor serving my country.”
Hagyari received advanced individual training in communications at Fort Gordon in Georgia and was permanently stationed at Fort Meyers, Va., where she spent her two years of service – 1969 and 1970 – working in the Pentagon.
“I worked in Army switch. A lot of it was top secret,” Hagyari said. “We had a through-line straight to Vietnam.”
After leaving service, Hagyari settled into domestic life, but she couldn’t shake her allegiance to country. She’s been an active member of the American Legion for 49 years and earlier this year stepped into one of her proudest military roles yet: commander of American Legion Post 954 in Jefferson, the first female to lead her post.
“I take it very seriously because I love my country. It’s an honor to be chosen to be commander, and I hope that I prove myself worthy of the job,” said Hagyari, who was voted into her position in June after serving for several years as post adjutant. “I have to say that my post, the men that come to our meetings and our post, they have my back 100%. They’re really good guys.
Hagyari’s election follows the appointment of U.S. Army veteran Denise Rohan to National Commander of the American Legion. Rohan made headlines in 2017 as the first female to lead the Legion, the country’s largest veterans organization.
Hagyari is one of 30 female veterans in Pennsylvania serving as post commanders for the 2022 membership year. There are more than 800 American Legion posts in the state.
Like Rohan, Hagyari transitioned into her role with grace. She’s appeared at district meetings and hosted events at her own post, including a recent Veterans Council meeting attended by nearly 30 vets.
“She’s an inspiration as being a commander at the Jefferson Post,” said Angela Baker, a Navy veteran who served during Desert Storm and counts Hagyari among her closest friends.
Recently, Hagyari was paying respects at her father-in-law’s grave when a gentleman asked if he could pray with her.
The two chatted; Hagyari listened as the stranger recounted his good, old days and when she got home, the encounter weighed so heavily on her mind that she put it to paper in poem form.
“We stood there and talked, and cried. Then he said, ‘Thank you for taking the time to talk to this old man for a while,'” she wrote in her piece titled, “Just a Little Talk.” “As he slowly walked away, I knew that I wasn’t alone.”
With every passing year, Hagyari said, she thinks more about her time in the service.
“The older I get, the more I see those faces of those young men. I believe there were 30 of us in basic training. Thirty in my class, and 29 of them were men. I believe 28 of them were shipped straight to Vietnam after (basic training),” Hagyari recalled. “It’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and wonder if they made it home. I know I’ll carry it with me until the day I die.”
There’s still a lot of life left in the Army veteran, and Hagyari is looking forward to the world reopening after the pandemic. She’s ready to host Santa Claus and Easter parties at her post and celebrate life with her family, including two children, three grandchildren and Larry – “the love of my life.” The pair celebrates 43 years of marriage later this month.
Larry is quick to recognize his wife’s service and achievements.
“I’m proud of her,” he said. “She’s worked hard for it.”
“I love my country and I love my American Legion, too,” Hagyari added. “Helping our community in any way we can … to let the younger people know what being a veteran is all about, that’s what we do. We’re there. I love the work that we do.”
by Linda Hagyari
Commander, Post 954
I went to the cemetery today.
And oh, the field of flags waving proudly I was to see on my way
As I stopped by my father-in-law’s grave to pay my respect and pray,
Then I heard a gentle voice ask, “Ma’am, may I pray here, too?”
I noticed right away the hat he was holding in his hand.
It read Veteran of Vietnam.
Well I thanked him for his service and we talked like old friends.
He said, “I visit here often. I knew a lot of these brave men!
And I’m the last one of them.”
I saw a tear fall slowly down his face as he pointed
“Over there is my final resting place,” he said and slowly bowed his head.
“I’ll see my buddies once again, this I truly know
and any time my name is called I’ll be ready to go!”
We stood there and talked, and cried.
Then he said, “Thank you for taking the time to talk to this old man for a while!”
Then he turned to walk away after shaking my hand
And I wondered why I hadn’t told him that I, too, am a veteran of Vietnam!
And I knew in a flash why I didn’t tell this gentle man.
This needed to e his time, not mine.
And then I did understand!
For just a little while he was back with his buddies
Being a happy, carefree boy.
He needed this time to talk about his memories, pain and joy.
As he slowly walked away, I knew that I wasn’t alone.
I often think about the men I trained with so long ago,
Hoping they all made it home!
To them, I say, “Thank you for your service, you’re never out of my mind!
It’s been over fifty years but it never stops, ‘this thing called time!'”
I’ll never forget any of you, you gave your all, your best!
And the day I won’t remember is the day, in the cemetery,
they lay me down to rest.