HISTORY OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE COOTIE

Just as members of the United Spanish American War Veterans had much to do with the foundation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, they also had a prime part in the start of the Military Order of the Cootie. In late 1919 several Spanish American War Veterans, members of the Imperial Order of the Dragon (a higher degree of the USAWV) conceived the idea of a similar order for the VFW. Fred C. Madden, a Past Grand Viceroy of the Dragons, was assisted by another Past Grand Viceroy, F. L. Gransbury and several other I.O.D. members. The VFW was nearly as old as the United Spanish American War Veterans and was due for the influx of members from World War I, which they thought could be helped with the formation of an Honor Degree with fun as one of its objectives.

The rolls were opened for membership at the Oxford Hotel in Washington, D.C., September 17, 1920, and nearly 300 VFW members signed up. Fred C. Madden became the first Supreme Seam Squirrel; and a complete list of Officers was ratified at a special meeting held in the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City. Madden developed the constitution and by-laws. F. L. Gransbury authored the rituals and became editor of the "Cootie Tickle", six issues of which were printed prior to the VFW encampment in Detroit. There a committee was formed consisting of Commander-in-Chief Woodside, Past Commander-in-Chief Hartund and VFW Council Members Allen of New York, Jones of Oregon and Jones of Washington. They met with Supreme Cooties Gransbury #3 and E. S. Davis #12, to make the M.O.C. a part of the VFW. The favorable report of this committee was accepted by the VFW National Encampment about 9:00 PM, Saturday, 24 September 1921, making the MOC a part of the VFW.

At midnight that same day, acting Assistant Supreme Seam Squirrel Davis called the first Supreme Scratch to order, reported the result of the committee conference and VFW endorsement and conducted the first Supreme Election. William E. Eighmey was the first Supreme Seam Squirrel to be elected. In 1922, William Kime was elected Supreme Commander at Seattle, Washington and re-elected in 1923, at Norfolk, Virginia. During his term of office, the first Cootie Uniform was approved and became the official uniform of the Order. A committee was appointed to prepare By-Laws for the Order and to re-write the Ritual covering the Third Degree. The new By-Laws and change in Rituals were adopted at the Supreme Scratch in 1923.

In 1923 at Norfolk, Virginia, the Military Order of the Cootie proposed the idea of a National Home (This can be verified by the Newspaper Special Edition of Norfolk, Virginia, issued during the National Encampment). A Copy of said edition was presented to the National Home several years after the founding of the Home. In Atlantic City, in 1924, the VFW Organization decided to approve of the National Home although it was a "Brain Child" of the Military Order of the Cootie.

In 1924 the official Cootie uniform as announced, according to records provided by Kalamazoo, Michigan as well as the Original Drafts of Ritual and By-Laws. Tomb Trek to the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery, was first inaugurated in 1934 by TNT Pulp Tent. This annual observance has continued each year since and the members attending has increased each year.