American Legion Commander James Seigars American Legion Commander James Seigars, left, welcomes new member U.S. Navy Petty Officer Julie Frites.

The Wiscasset American Legion Post lost a long-time member this past week. The late Kenneth Sherman was awarded a 50-year membership pin March 15, just two days before he lost his battle with cancer on March 17.

In keeping with Legion tradition that when one family members dies, another family members joins the post to honor the deceased member, his granddaughter, Julie "Cheney" Frites, has joined the post in honor of her grandfather.

Julie, a 2001 graduate of Wiscasset High School, is now serving in the United States Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor. When word was received that her grandfather was near death, the American Red Cross assisted in getting her airlifted to San Diego, where she was able to catch a flight home in time to say goodbye to her grandfather, arriving home just 12 hours after being notified of the emergency.

American Legion Post Commander James Seigars took the membership application to Julie Saturday afternoon, March 22, for her to complete before returning to duty on Sunday

Mr. Sherman joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1952, serving during the Korean Conflict. He served on the Coast Guard cutter the "East Wind" in damage control.

Following in her grandfather's footsteps to serve her country, she joined the Navy in 2006. As a cryptologist, she gathers voice data.

"Grandpop was unhappy when I joined the Navy," Julie said, but after a while he accepted the decision.

Mr. Sherman, a 1950 graduate of Wiscasset High School, spent four years in the Coast Guard. He worked in the area as a marine worm digger, at the Maine Yankee Nuclear Plant, and in 1977 he opened his own business in Wiscasset, Ken's Auto Body and Norm's Used Cars, which is now owned and operated by his son Norman.

He married Marion Jackson Sherman 56 years ago; they had three children, Nancy Dalton, Wiscasset; Susan Gray, Alna; and Norman Sherman, Westport Island.

Julie is the daughter of Nancy Sherman Dalton, of Wiscasset, and Michael Cheney of Dresden.

She married U.S. Marine David Friets September 16, 2006. They met while they were both attending the Military Cryptology School.

The Friets are not planning a career in the military. According to Julie their enlistments will end in late 2009 and 2010.

"We want to have children, and I do not want to be a deployed mom," she said. "Children need both a mom and dad."

In May of this year she will be deployed for eight months; her husband will be going to the Philippines in July. Julie owns a house in Wiscasset and is hoping to make her home here someday.

Commander Seigars told the group gathered at her mother's home when Julie signed the application, "Julie will make the third female legionnaire belonging to the Wiscasset post, and we welcome her. Her grandfather would be very proud of what she is doing."

The American Legion was chartered nationally in March of 1919 as a patriotic, war-time veterans' organization. It is a non-profit organization which has nearly three million members nation-wide, with about 15,000 legion posts worldwide.

The Wiscasset American Legion, Bradford-Sortwell-Wright Post #54, was chartered in November of 1919. The local post currently has 126 members. They meet the first and third Monday of each month at the post home on 352 Bath Road, (across from the Two Bridges Regional Jail entrance) at 7 p.m.

The purpose of the American Legion Post is to provide community service through the programs offered by the organization, which include, Legion baseball, Boys State, Junior Shooting Sports, Oratorical, Scouting, and many more.

A new program of the American Legion is the Legion Riders. The Legion Riders is a group of Legionnaires, Sons of the Legion, and Auxiliary members that are motorcycle enthusiasts. Their goal each year is to join together through an "American Legion Legacy Run" that raises money for the Legion scholarship fund for children of veterans that have given their life in active duty defending our Country.

Seigars said he is pleased to know that she is carrying a membership card from her grandfather's post.

"I'm proud to become a legionnaire in the post that Grandpop belonged to for 50 years," she said. "I know he would want me to do this."