103-year-old veteran helps Ottawa American Legion celebrate 105 years

World War II veteran Francis “Kay” Killelea turns 104 in June.

On Saturday morning, he was given the honor of cutting a cake at the Ottawa American Legion celebrating the national organization’s 105th anniversary.

Killelea served with distinction in World War II, earning a Bronze Star, while serving in the European and Pacific theaters. He served in the 86th infantry in Europe, then was in the Philippines about to move into Tokyo Bay when the war ended. Those in attendance for Saturday’s celebration, including individuals just grabbing a drink at the American Legion bar, made it a point to visit with Killelea and thank him for his service.

An American Legion member himself for some time, Killelea shared some stories for those in attendance as he enjoyed a piece of cake, along with Ottawa American Legion Commander Tom Shea. They were not just stories of World War II, but also stories of how times have changed over the decades, including how he started flying planes.

Killelea sold cars for a living.

“A man traded me an airplane for a car once, and that’s how I came into getting an airplane,” Killelea said with his daughter Rita in attendance with him. “I traded that for a better airplane.”

The World War II veteran said he learned to fly at the Ottawa airport, even once flying to Cuba in the 1950s prior to Fidel Castro’s rule.

“I learned to fly for a buck an hour for the lesson, and after four hours, they turned me loose,” he said, recalling the lesson.

Killelea’s storytelling was just one highlight of Saturday’s celebration.

Shea told the history of the American Legion organization in the United States. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization, he sad. The Legion was designed to help and bring camaraderie to veterans of World War I, becoming a nonprofit stalwart in the United States. Ottawa’s charter was made official July 2, 1919, and is framed in glass and on display at the hall.

Ottawa’s American Legion building across La Salle Street from Washington Square where the first Lincoln-Douglas debate took place was built in the Civil War era, having history beyond World War I. A group of German immigrants used the building as a gym of sorts, even practicing trapeze acts in the upstairs where the American Legion hosts its bingo on Sundays. The American Legion bought the building in 1946, Shea said.

The American Legion is working to continue its mission, providing a place of camaraderie for veterans as well as providing outreach to the community. The post has an active American Legion Auxiliary group. The post hosts tenderloin fries on Tuesday and karaoke nights on Fridays open to the public, along with weekly bingo. The tavern regularly is open and members or their families can rent or utilize the space in the building for private parties. A number of historical artifacts are on display throughout the building, commemorating veterans or the American Legion’s history in Ottawa. The ceiling tiles in the tavern are painted in dedication of local veterans with names and their branches of military service.

For more information on the Ottawa American Legion, call 815-433-1191 or follow them on Facebook.