Local Legion member honored for long membership

A Valley World War II veteran was honored Thursday for his membership in the American Legion.

For Wayne Danker, what he thought would be a few years of membership soon turned into a membership that lasted seven decades. Now, Danker has been cited as an "outstanding contributor" to the American Legion.

"I'm very proud to be a legionnaire," said Danker. "Very, very proud."

Danker, or "Doc", is a member at Post 94, and first joined the Legion when he got out of the service, in 1946. He said it was his father, a World War I veteran, as well as as his mother, who were both Legion members, that inspired him to join.

"When I got out, within a few weeks they said, 'we're going to take you, and you can become a member of our Legion post.'" said Danker. "I said, 'well, I can do that,' and they said you're going to do that, and so I did."

Danker said year after year, he'd keep paying his membership dues, and just like that, 70 years passed by. Danker said if given a chance, he'd do it again.

"I was a Second Vice President for a while, and then I had three years as a First Vice President," said Danker. "I've really enjoyed my last ten years here, because I was a member of an organization that I can really take part in."