Post History

The main force behind Stevens Creek Post 642 is Wally Johnson, a Korean veteran who founded the group in 1959. 

Johnson, who was initially a member at Sunnyvale's Post 344, moved from Sunnyvale to Cupertino and decided to start a post closer to his neighborhood. Johnson, then only 21 years old, gathered up friends and sent them out to recruit other veterans in the area.

Year after year since 1959, Post 642 had been raising money to help those in need during the holidays, sponsoring Boy Scout troops and local teams in the Legion's youth baseball league and regularly spending time with residents confined to the Palo Alto VA Hospital. The Post recently raised $6,000 for electronic bingo equipment for the VA, where Post members assist blind veterans play the game. At the height of the Post, there were more than 200 members and there also was an American Legion Auxiliary as part of the Post.

On August 10, 2020, Stevens Creek Post 642 celebrated it's 60th year as a community service organization.

We currently have 66 members and are involved in helping our community and Veterans on an ongoing basis.

Wallace "Wally" Johnson

15 April 1933-21 July 2025

Wally Johnson (Saratoga, CA) the founder of Post 642 passed away recently.  Wally was originally from North Dakota and served in the US Army and was stationed in Korea during the Korean War. After the War he used his GI Bill and earned his college degree. He remained in the area and worked for and retired from Hewlett Packard.

Wally founded Post 642 in 1959 and thanks to his leadership and recruitment abilities, the Post grew to over 200 members in the early 1970's and purchased what was previously our meeting location on Imperial Drive in Cupertino. Wally was very active as a Legionnaire, specifically helping hospitalized Veterans at the Palo Alto and Menlo Park VA Hospitals. He ran the monthly bingo at the Menlo Park VA, started the VA BBQ's for the shut in patients at the Palo Alto VA mental health ward and the annual VA Carnival. Wally was a 72 year member of the American Legion and an Honorable Life Member because of all his accomplishments in the Legion. He held every Post position, was the District 13 (Santa Clara County) Commander for a couple of terms and held several positions at Area and Department Levels.