Post # 147 was charted on June 14th, 1923. There were 20 members with Cecil R. Eddy elected as the first Commander.
The Post was named after Arthur Bernard Embretson, Fireman 3rd Class, U.S. Navy who served aboard the U.S.S. Cyclops. Arthur Embretson was the only casualty of World War I from the Big Lake Orrock area. When the Post was founded, he was commemorated by naming the Post after him.
Not much is known about Arthur Embretson. Arthur's parents came from Norway during the early part of the 20th century and settled in the Orrock area where they raised a large family.
We do know that Arthur served aboard the U.S.S. Cyclops. The Cyclops was one of four Proteus Class Colliers built for the United States Navy during World War I. The Cyclops was launched on May 7th, 1917. After being commissioned, the Cyclops and her skipper Lt. Commander George W. Worley joined a convoy for Saint Nazaire, France in June and returned to the United States in July, 1917. Except for a voyage to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Cyclops served along the East Coast until January, 1918, when she was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. The Cyclops then sailed to Brazilian waters to fuel British ships in the South Atlantic. She put to sea from Rio De Janeiro on February 16th, 1918. On February 20th, the Cyclops entered Bahia, a seaport in Central Brazil. Two days later, she departed for Baltimore, Maryland with no more stops scheduled. However the Cyclops did make an unscheduled stop on Barbados on March 3rd and 4th, where Lt. Commander Worley called on the United States Consul and took on additional supplies. The Cyclops then set out for Baltimore and was never seen or heard from again.
The ship with 306 crew and passengers was lost without a trace sometime after March 4th, 1918. This remains the single largest loss of life in the United States Naval History not involving combat.
The date of death for the 21 officers and 285 enlisted men who served aboard the Cyclops was designated as June 14th, 1918.
Arthur Embretson's memorial stone can be seen at the Orrock Cemetery.
