Residents of Santa Rosa County still feel the effects of April’s historic flood but assistance from government and local organizations has lessened the pain. However, a local veteran’s organization needs help after the epic rainfall rendered its building entirely unusable, American Legion Post 78. According to the American Legion’s website, “It is the nation’s largest wartime veteran’s service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow service members and veterans.” Nance Pitts, Post 78 commander, and John Everett, treasurer, took time to speak Wednesday morning amongst the cleaning supplies and drywall boards in their building on Spikes Way before a scheduled meeting with an electrician.
Everett said the post assists students in the community by giving them scholarships, two to Pace High School and two to Milton High School. He said they also help school sports programs, JROTC, and Special Olympics. He said they also support veterans in need. Everett said the post regularly supports veterans at the VA hospital in Biloxi by donating items like personal hygiene products and socks. If a family comes to them for help, he said, they’ll do what they can and if they need a lot of financial support, he said they would refer them to the American Legion of Florida. It’s not always possible to verify who needs help, but Everett said, “God knows we helped somebody.”
Nance Pitts, retired Air Force, Gulf War veteran, took over command of Post 78 in June with two major tasks ahead: restoring the Legion building and recruiting new blood into the mostly 60 plus aged membership.
After the rain, Pitts said, “You couldn’t get in the driveway.” Everett said, “It needed a total deconstruction. We had to take the wall board and fixtures down.” Right now, Pitts said, the Legion meets at Avalon Baptist Church. Pitts said Pastor Matthew Cotten, along with volunteers from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Organization and members of his congregation put in long hours at Post 78, ripping out damaged drywall. She said they helped a lot of people in the community after the storm.
Everett said Bob Sundius, contractor, whose father is a veteran came on board to help. Sundius described being crammed into the wall situating new insulation. Cutting a strip of drywall, Sundius said he expected to have the sheet rock finished by the end of this weekend. The building still needs electrical work among other things before anyone can safely use it again, he said. Legion historian, Roxie Platt, is contributing to the building’s restoration, Pitts said, by designing the artwork for the interior of the building through a mural and using the Legion emblem. Pitts said they tried to get some assistance from the county through waiving a permit fee of $134, but the county denied the request. Santa Rosa County Administrator Hunter Walker said, “We wouldn’t have waived the fees. Once you set that precedent, who do you decide doesn’t have to pay?” FEMA also denied any sort of support. As a non-profit organization, Pitts said, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not provide them. Everett said they’re shooting for a September first grand re-opening.
Pitts and Everett are anxious to get the building finished so other organizations may also use it. Everett said the Boy Scouts used the building for their troop meetings. Eagle Scouts, he said, also laid the cement for the pavilion behind the Legion building. A plaque in the cement floor reads, “Eagle Scout Project, Kyle Siegwarth, Troop 460, July, 2013.” He also said the Council on Aging used to use it, too. Pitts said the Daughters of the American Revolution among other groups are interested as well. “We want the building to be used to help people,” she said.
According to Pitts, Post 78 has 200 members, but many are older. Recruiting younger members was difficult as so many have little time to offer due to work schedules according to Pitts. “We want to do more in the community, but we need membership,” she said. Everett said it’s mostly been the same 15 members coming regularly to the meetings. “Many veterans don’t even know we exist,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Veteran’s group seeks volunteers to repair building