PORT TOWNSEND — Struggling to maintain their membership and their World War II-era building, American Legion Post 26 on the corner of Water and Monroe streets used to be in the red.
But with leadership and determination, members have worked their way through a long list of building renovations while rebuilding their assets.
Now, with the help of community members, they are not only out of the red, but into the green.
“Joe said, ‘We need some help,’ and we said, ‘We could do that,'” Nancy Stelow said.
Joe Carey is post commander; Stelow is a member of the Jefferson County Association of Realtors, which held a work day Saturday to landscape around the Legion building.
Staff from First American Title and Legion members added their elbow grease for the project, which was designed by Karen Page, a Port Townsend landscaper who also donated her services to direct the installation.
In the past few years, Legion members have installed energy-efficient furnaces, put on a new roof and doors and updated electrical systems, according to Nate Holmes, the post’s senior vice commander.
A post member recently installed tile in front of the large fireplace in the main club room, and plans call for adding a stone surround and a mantle, Holmes said.
Louise Walczak, spouse of post commander Joe Carey, helped remodel the women’s restroom, and the men’s restroom is next on the list.
Another pending project: new carpeting and flooring for the club area and event hall, Carey said.
To raise money, the Legion is holding a raffle for a Henry Golden Boy Rifle, created as a commemorative to military service.
Worth $1,200, the rifle, of which only three are available in Washington state, will be raffled on Aug. 21.
Tickets are $100, and only 50 will sold, Carey said.
The basement of the legion hall has also been cleaned and painted and is used weekly for a free, walk-in medical clinic and nightly from November through March for a homeless shelter that serves East Jefferson County.
Built during World War II, the Legion building started life as a USO, and it may be one of last USO buildings left in the state, according to Steve Emery, a member of the post’s restoration committee.
The post was named for Marvin G. Shields, a Seabee who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for saving the lives of comrades attacked while building an airstrip in Vietnam.
It was matter of honor to pay off the post’s debts, Holmes said, noting that an accounting system has been put in place to ensure the post’s assets remain secure.
“We’ve come a long way since 2006, when we were $30,000 in debt,” Holmes said.
“Now we’re in the black. We’ve paid off every single debt.”
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Port Townsend/Jefferson County reporter-columnist Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jjackson@olypen.com.
