The American Legion program influenced our family. Since my father’s return from the Korean War, he got involved in the Legion. In 1947 he helped start the Richard C. du Pont Post 18 (Claymont, Del.) baseball team in honor of Mr. du Pont, who died in a flying expedition in California.
The du Pont family has always played a role in Delaware. This part of the family raised the famous horse Kelso, which had a very successful career in the 1950s. Kelso was a 1957 gelding that raced from 1959 to 1964, born in Kentucky and owned by Allaire du Pont, known around the world as Mrs. Richard C. du Pont. Tragically, on Sept. 11, 1943, a test flight of a large experimental air glider in California crashed and took the lives of four airmen, including that of the 32-year-old Delawarean. He was an air glider champion and president of All American Airways of DE.
When my father returned to Delaware, he had a love for baseball. His older brother, Frank, coached a team of young men from the area and my father joined to play for him. During this time my dad, Donald F. Kimsey, along with Frank and several other Claymont men, attended a Legion meeting to see if they would sponsor a Legion team.
They got the endorsement of the local post leadership. My dad asked a lifelong guy from the community to manage the team. He was a baseball wizard named Horace Dyer. He accepted coaching the team and guided them to a state title in 1951. He later in life was recognized and they named a complex in his name: Dyer Field.
My dad stayed involved in The American Legion and was state director in 1976-1982. He had over 45 years in youth sports. Then I came along and played Legion ball in 1969-1972. I then took over managing a team in 1975. I continued coaching and fundraising until 2016. My son followed playing in my footsteps in 1999-2002. Then he too got into coaching with me and several former players who began to run the field operation. In 2017 I turned the team over to a father to run; it finally disbanded, much to my chagrin. I now live at the beach about 100 miles south of Claymont, near Lewes Beach. Combined in years, my dad (45 years) me (53 years) and my son, Sean (16 years) equals 114 years of commitment. I have six grandsons I hope will join our family in playing Legion ball in the future: Nolan, Nicky, Declan, Dillon, Jordan and Calvin. 4LOTG
