John H. Geiger

John Henry Geiger (June 19, 1925 – January 10, 2011) was an American architect and engineer who served as the National Commander of The American Legion from 1971 to 1972.

Early life and career On June 19, 1925, John Henry Geiger was born to Hugo and Martha (Thies) Geiger in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He moved several times during his youth, living in Minden, Crespo, Belle Plaine, and Winterset, Iowa. He was also a staunch defender of presidential power during the Vietnam war saying, "Any limitations on the ability of the president as commander in chief to conduct military operations in southeast Asian would endanger the lives of our fighting men and make more difficult the achievement of a just peace". On March 1, 1971, he spoke before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure of the Committee on Judiciary on The American Legion's opposition to draft dodging, he believed amnesty would devastate morale of those who served in the war and dishonored the memory of the dead. A large project of his was the Three Letter Campaign as he advised each member of the legion to write three letters: one to their congressman and one to each senator. The purpose of the campaign was to improve the GI Bill for veterans of Vietnam. He later served on the National Commander's Advisory Committee from 1978 to 1999.

Personal life John Geiger had a wife named Vivienne DeBaets Geiger who died in 1992, a companion named Florence Tanka, and six children.