Remembering one of their own; Legion Post 342 presents first Legionnaire of the Year Award
Published 12:05 am Thursday, March 20, 2025
The first Wayne Kennerly Memorial Award recipient was Daniel Haddock, left. He is pictured with Judy Kennerly, wife of the late Wayne Kennerly. – Submitted
World War II Veteran John Cauble, center, along with Miss Post 342 Rylie Wilhite, left, and Rowan County Veterans Council Queen Callie Trexler, cut the special birthday cake. – Submitted by American legion Post 342 historian Ann Barber
Members of Pack 306 with Assistant Scoutmaster Lauren Lyerly in the center, pose for a photo at the front of the room in front of Wayne Kennerly’s photo and members of the American Legion, from left, Charles Frick, Bob Price, post adjutant, Monte Bruce, commander, and Queen Williams, past commander. – Submitted
Daniel Haddock holds the Legionnaire plaque. Behind him are Callie Trexler, Rowan County Veterans Council Queen, Wayne Kennerly’s daughter, Susan Cline and his son, Patrick Kennerly. – Submitted
One of the members of Pack 306 salutes the flag. – Submitted
Members of the Rowan County Veteran’s Honor Guard present the colors at the ceremony. – Submitted
Karen Kistler
karen.kistler@salisburypost.com
The Harold B. Jarrett American Legion Post 342 is more than just a Post, it’s a family and on March 15, they remembered one of their own.
The American Legion, which began March 15, 1919, is 106, and currently has more than three million members worldwide. The local Post 342 participates in a celebration marking the birthday of the American Legion every March 15, usually with a guest speaker, but this year the group decided to do something different and pay tribute to a member of their post family, Wayne Kennerly, who died in November.
“He was the backbone of the place,” said Charles Frick, a past commander and friend of Kennerly, noting they had been friends for more than 50 years.
The two met when Kennerly was in the Army Reserves and Frick went into the Army, back in 1970, he said, and after basic training he got shipped back here to the Army Reserve Center.
“I didn’t know hardly anybody, but I got to know Wayne fairly quickly,” said Frick.
Upon hearing of Kennerly’s death, members of the Legion Post wanted to do something for him and about a week later, during an executive committee meeting, they brainstormed some ideas.
Frick said he remembered when Kennerly was serving as Post commander in 2016 or 2017 and he recognized somebody every quarter with a certificate.
Kennerly didn’t want any publicity for himself, but “wanted to recognize them for what they had done.”
Therefore, Frick made the motion that they establish a memorial award for Legionnaire of the Year, which they would present annually and name after Kennerly.
“This is an award we should have been doing all along but haven’t,” he said, and everyone thought this was an appropriate suggestion.
Their first recipient, which was presented during the March 15 birthday event, went to Daniel Haddock. He was presented with a plaque which read, “Wayne Kennerly Memorial Award, 2024 Legionnaire of the Year, Presented to Daniel Haddock for his dedicated service to American Legion Post 342.”
Frick said that the name of the recipient was a surprise and only four people knew who it was going to be until that night, and when he called Haddock’s name, Frick said, “he didn’t have a clue. He just about fell out of his chair.”
Haddock said he was “very surprised and happy to be selected for the first Wayne Kennerly Award. As a Legionnaire, I donated my time because I wanted to, and when they were talking about the person for this award, I almost fainted when they said my name. This award meant more to me than anything in the world.”
Kennerly’s wife Judy Kennerly, and their two children, Susan Cline and Patrick Kennerly, were on hand for the special occasion. In addition to their two children, the Kennerlys also have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Judy said that “Wayne would be very honored that they have done this for him, and if he could have handpicked somebody to receive the first one, it would have been Daniel. He thought a lot of Daniel.”
Frick said, with emotion, that this would “keep Wayne’s name and spirit alive in the post, which I’m sure it will be for many years.”
The local post meant a lot to Kennerly, who worked hard for his Post family, something that Judy and Frick could attest to.
Judy said he would go into the office every day, and looked forward to “not just get his financial work done but to enjoy the companionship of the other Legionnaires that were there.”
Frick described Kennerly as being extremely hard-working, dedicated and a great guy.
“Wayne knew how to get things done,” adding that he liked to get things done too.
He was hard to say ‘no’ to,” said Frick, noting that he was a salesman and probably knew just about two-thirds of the county’s population, and half of the people in the state, he said with a chuckle.
Even when her husband wasn’t able to go to the office, he would still call in, Judy said, “always offering to help if there was anything he could do.
Frick recalled a time when Kennerly was in the nursing home and he received a call from him telling him to go pick up a check, which was a donation for the children’s Christmas party.
So, even from the nursing home, Kennerly was taking care of his Legion family as the American Legion and the Lion’s Club were his two passions, said Frick. “He was a fantastic guy,” and he lived those four pillars that the Legion is founded on — veterans and their families, children and youth, community and Americanism.
Frick also described Haddock as an “all-around great guy” who is at the post all the time and keeps a check on it, even going up on weekends and nights and is there early Sunday morning “to see if anything happened over the weekend.”
Haddock can also be found in the Legion Halls’ kitchen helping cook for events that Post 342 hosts including children’s parties and their golf tournament.
Retired from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Haddock joined Harold B. Jarrett Post 342 in 2016 and has served as the assistant adjutant.
He is also a member of the local Lion’s Club, which Frick said Kennerly recruited Haddock into and is very active.
A large picture of Kennerly was placed on an easel and set at the front of the room during the ceremony, which in addition to the award presentation, included the presentation of colors by the Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard, the presenting of the branch flags by members of Pack 306, which the post sponsors. Scoutmaster Dr. Luther Lyerly and Assistant Scoutmaster Lauren Lyerly were there along with the scouts.
A new feature of the event included the playing of each branch’s music and the recognition of the veterans having them stand when their particular song was played.
A special birthday cake, which had the wording “Happy Birthday American Legion 106 Strong,” was cut by World War II Veteran John Cauble, Miss Post 342 Rylie Wilhite and Rowan County Veterans Council Queen Callie Trexler and the group all sang Happy Birthday to America.
