Several Firsts For Tulsa's American Legion Post

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- One is a popular number at the nation's longest continuously running American Legion post.

Post 1 has a string of new firsts to brag about. It was the first one in Oklahoma and is 90 years old.

It's never closed, so it claims to be the nation's oldest, too.

Post commander Lisa Milner shows the pictures of the past commanders of Post 1 -- all men.

It's no longer a guy's club. Milner represents something new as the first female commander and the first African-American.

She was also the first woman and African American Vice-Commander before that.

Milner was in the Air Force for almost 15 years. An injury led to a medical discharge, but she fought to get back in.

She lost that battle, in the process lost her house and her car. Milner went to the American Legion for help.

"When they helped me, I felt like I needed to be here," she said.

Milner realized she could still serve without being in the military.

The post also can help veterans get benefits started and even help financially if they're temporarily strapped.

Milner is proud of the firsts she represents, but her first love is service, trying to return the help she was given.

And she's a bit of a reluctant commander. New to the job, she still parks in her old parking spot.

Milner says she probably will not run for re-election. She says she is perfectly happy being a service officer, helping other veterans.