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• Saturday, May 09, 2015

  Al Carpenter Enters ‘Post Everlasting’

  ALBANY — Alton H. Carpenter, past department commander and a consultant to the Department Legislative Committee, died May 2 at the age of 87. He was buried May 8 at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

  

  Final salute for PDC Al Carpenter at Saratoga National Cemetery. Photo illustration / Doug Malin.

  Elected department commander at the 63rd Annual Department Convention in Syracuse on 18 July 1981, PDC Carpenter served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force in World War II and the Korean Conflict. He was a 58-year member of Harpursville American Legion Post 1596 in Broome County. He was awarded a life membership in 1969.

  He grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Harpursville. After being discharged from service, he worked as a systems analyst at Bendix Corporation for 32 years, retiring in 1983. Then he was employed as administrative assistant to the Department of New York adjutant until his retirement in 2012.

  PDC Carpenter served in many capacities in The American Leigon, including Post and County Commander, District Adjutant, Department Membership Chairman, and as Department Historian for seven years. In addition, he served as Office Manager and Executive Director of The American Legion, Department of New York Boys’ State, Inc. He was a delegate to both Department and National Conventions for many years. .

  On the National level, he served on the National Legislative Commission, was National Historian during the 1976-77 Legion Year and was a member of National Association of Department Historians of The American Legion.. He was also on the National Historians Advisory Committee. In addition, he was a member of the Department and National American Legion Press Associations; as well as a member of the Department of New York Association of Historians.

  PDC Carpenter had been active in his community as well. He was a charter member of Colesville Volunteer Ambulance Squad; past manager of Harpursville Little League Baseball; former board member of Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena; member of American Bowling Congress; life member of Korean War Veterans Association; and charter member World War II Memorial.