Page 7 - Sojourner Newsletter-Winter 2023 Final revised

Volume 100, Issue 1 7

NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURERS (NSTs)

By Edward W. Nolte, National Historian

Most Sojourners are familiar with the names of the 86 National Presidents and the 94 National
Commanders since the first Annual Meeting in 1921 and the first Camp was chartered in 1922, respectively,
from the Staff Directory. However, at least some are unaware of the nine Sojourners who have served as
National Secretary-Treasurer (NST) during the last 102 years. The table below shows, the National
Secretaries, National Treasurers, and NSTs and their years of service, name, rank, service, ANC Elected/
Appointed, and other national positions and awards. Of the nine NSTs, seven are Army, 1 is USMC (Curtis),
1 is Navy (Byers), and 1 is an Honorary Member (Underwood).

NSI Year Name/Rank/Service ANC Began Other National Positions/ Awards
st
1921-22 1LT Elmer E. Sanderson, USA 1 /0
1921-22 1LT Herbert Barr, USA 1 /0
st
1922-42 CPT George F. Unmacht, 33°, USA 2nd PNP, C33 NC (Hon), NHist

1942-43 COL George F. Unmacht, 33°, USA 22 nd PNP, C33, NHist, PNC (Hon)
PNP, C33, NC (Hon), ExCom Chair,
1942-43 MG Amos A. Fries, 33°, USA 22 nd
NTrust, LOH #1
1943-47 COL George F. Unmacht, 33°, USA 23 rd PNP (Hon), NHist, PNC (Hon)
1947-49 COL Arthur J. Perry, USA 27 th C33, PNC, NTrust

1949-53 BGen Merritt B. Curtis, USMC 29 th C33, PNP, PNC (Hon), NTrust
1953-65 LTC John G. Volz, USA 33 rd

1965-70 CWO Melvin W. Byers, 33°, USA 35 th PNP, HMA, NTrust

1970-75 CPT Stewart M.L. Pollard, USA 50 th

1975-77 CWO Melvin W. Byers, 33°, USA 55 th PNP, HMA, NTrust

1977-2014 MAJ Nelson O. Newcombe, USA 57 th Only LOH as NST only and Longest-
Serving NST
2014-20 MAJ William R. Sanner, USA 74 th C33
2020-23 Hon. Mark W. Underwood 100 th First Honorary NST

Three NSTs (Unmacht, Volz, and Newcombe) earned emeritus status as NSTs, collectively serving for 74
years. One NST (Byers) served two separate NST terms. One NST (Perry) served simultaneously as National
Commander, NST, and National Adjutant. Three NSTs also served as NPs (Unmacht, Curtis, Byers), and one
also served as National Historian (Unmacht). Bro. Unmacht, a founding member, recorded the early history
of the Order, served on active duty as a LTC in WW I, CPT, MAJ, LTC, and COL. In December 1941, COL
Unmacht transferred to Hawaii for Chemical Warfare duty and took National HQ with him. MG Amos A.
Fries, 33°, 8-year PNP and 32-year National Trustee, was elected Executive Committee Chairman during
WW II and was elected National Treasurer for one year. In 1943, COL Unmacht became NST again until his
retirement in 1947. He then served as National Historian for seven years. During Bro. Unmacht’s 25-years
as NST, he published 273 monthly issues of The Sojourner without missing an issue, even while deployed
during WW II, more than any other NST in the Order’s history. Also, MG Fries and his Executive
Committee acted in lieu of the Delegates at the National Convention and met from 1942 until the first
National Convention after WW II, held in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1946. During this time, Chaplain (COL)
Alfred C. Oliver, National Chaplain, was a Japanese POW, a lead-in to the next Historian’s Corner article
on the Order’s National Chaplains.