By Joe Felice, Special to the Times
On September 6th, I had the opportunity to enjoy the festivities at First Friday in Coatesville. While walking along the many tables and displays I was overwhelmed with joy when I came across a familiar face, Claresa Whitfield. Claresa along with John Ney had both set up a table to represent Sahler-Sedan VFW Post 287.
For John and I, this was our first time meeting. John represented the auxiliary branch of the post. Claresa and I had met in July 2019 after I wrote to her inquiring about the history of Post 287. At that time, very little was known about the post’s namesake, Cpl. Wellington G. Sahler. She not only encouraged me to research his life, but invited me to present my findings that December at the post’s centennial celebration. Fortunately, I was able to present my findings at the post’s centennial celebration in large part due to the help of Lori Berdak of Redbird Research, LLC. Lori was able to discover Army morning reports and burial records that shed more light on Cpl. Sahler’s military service.
Cpl. Sahler’s personal life was truly tragic as revealed by an article found in an old Coatesville Record newspaper in the collection at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester. As a child he lost both of his parents and attended Girard College in Philadelphia. After Girard, Sahler found employment at Lukens Steel in Coatesville where he became close friends with fellow steel worker Lance Eck. Together, Sahler and Eck enlisted into the Army and joined the American Expeditionary Forces in France. In October 1918, Cpl. Wellington Sahler was killed in action at the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. Eck, who also fought in the same battle, arrived home to his childhood town of Reading several months later after being treated by Army physicians for mustard gas poisoning. Shortly after returning to Reading, Eck worked with a local VFW Post in his hometown to have Sahler-Sedan VFW Post 287 chartered in Coatesville to honor the memory of his fallen brother in arms.
The author, buying a fund-raising Mum recently, in Coatesville.
There is no question that upon being chartered in December 1919, that the newly formed post named in honor of the late Cpl. Sahler came as a much needed comfort for a family who was still undoubtedly consumed by grief. In the immediate years that followed, Sahler’s great-uncle Abram D. Sahler, sought the services of Thomas and John Baldwin, attorneys-at law in West Chester, for the return of his nephew’s remains from France. However, after Abram passed away in 1921, John Johnson, the late corporal’s uncle on his mother’s side, requested that the remains of his nephew be interred at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. Johnson’s request was honored and Cpl. Sahler remains interred among the other heroes who lost their lives in that horrific battle. Although Johnson’s decision to leave his nephew’s remains in France was likely difficult for him to make, his own son was also a veteran of the Great War and being Cpl. Sahler’s cousin became one of the first members of VFW Post 287. Therefore, he was probably comforted knowing that the local post bearing Sahler’s name would preserve his nephew’s legacy and keep his memory alive.
At First Friday, Claresa and John were selling mums to raise money for VFW Post 287. While buying a mum plant for my Mom, Claresa reminded me of how the VFW banners lining Main Street during the summer of 2019 had piqued my interest in Cpl. Sahler. I have always had an interest in the Great War and Claresa was absolutely right. Upon seeing Cpl. Sahler’s banner one day while driving along Main Street in 2019, I contacted VFW Post 287 to inquire more about their namesake’s life and service. This started my aforementioned research into Sahler’s life in Coatesville and his Army service in France. Claresa shared with me that due to some recent financial difficulties, the post is no longer able to afford to place the VFW banners along Main Street and keep up with necessary building maintenance for the post building on 1st Avenue.
Michelle Nolfi, Chapel Director for the Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, also remembers the post. Michelle recently shared with me that she recalls seeing the Sahler-Sedan VFW Post when she would take her daughter to visit with her mother at Birchview Campground. Now as the Director for the Chapel of Four Chaplains, she realizes the historic significance of VFW Post 287. Michelle noted how crucial it is that the building remains preserved for future generations to learn and appreciate the importance of its namesake.
Even though most of the Sahler and Johnson family connection to the post is gone, I can attest after several months of in-depth research about Cpl. Sahler’s life, his legacy is one worth preserving for future generations. The story of his service and sacrifice is both inspirational and timeless. Any donations would not only be greatly appreciated but would help to ensure that future generations of Coatesville residents would benefit from learning about one of their hometown heroes. Cpl. Wellington G. Sahler overcame great personal childhood tragedy by experiencing the loss of both of his parents to remind us all that in the face of adversity our lives can still have great meaning through integrity and patriotism. There is no better lesson to focus our attention on as we recognized the twenty-third anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks last week.
