Greenville's Toohey named to top American Legion post

Aug. 25—Greenville native Gene Toohey was recently named to the top position with the American Legion Department of Texas. Toohey was named state commander for 2023-2024 during the organization's annual convention in Austin on July 16.

Toohey grew up in Greenville, attending Jodi Thompson Kindergarten, then entered the GISD school system and graduated as a Greenville High School Mighty Lion in the Class of 1980.

He served 22 years of active duty service in the United States Navy. After retirement, he returned to Greenville and now serves veterans as a member of American Legion Otho Morgan Post 17, Veterans of Foreign Wars Dean Hallmark Post 4011 and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 81 — all of Greenville.

His duties as Texas state commander is to advocate for veterans affairs and rehabilitation, national security and defense, Americanism and children and youth. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization focusing on service to veterans, service members and local communities.

The American Legion has evolved from a group of war veterans of WW I into the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States and still serving veterans in the Greenville community today.