American Legion gets face-lift
Off duty Air Force firefighters Erik Jarosch, front, and Jason Tyson work on constructing walls to the Moses Lake American Legion's dance hall room to give recreation to younger returning vets.
MOSES LAKE - Grant County veterans got a little help this week from off-duty Air Force firefighters and local Home Depot workers.
The volunteers are helping to finish a meeting and dance hall room in the back of Moses Lake's American Legion. Post Commander Richard Radder said the project is part of the Legion's effort to attract younger veterans returning from duties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said the room will host live bands and will have a jukebox, as well as hold monthly meetings.
"We don't want to just be a bunch of old fogies. We want to give the younger veterans returning from war a place they can come with their families and have a good time," Radder said.
He thanked the volunteers with a free lunch and said their efforts saved the legion from having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on design, labor and equipment. The firefighters were in town to help battle the wildfires in the state and are working at the Moses Lake Air Tanker Base. They spent their day off hammering, screwing and lifting and said that they were just happy to help veterans who have done so much for the country.
"We came here to help them. Yeah it's our day off but why not help out these guys," Jason Tyson, of Wheeling, W. Va., said.
Home Depot Team Depot Captain Kristal Johnson said her workers do projects like this all over the county, usually to help veterans or veterans' advocate groups.
"We try to be here for our community. We are very proud of our community, especially the veterans. We try to be here for them," she said. She said they recently helped to remodel a Soap Lake veteran's bathroom for his disabled wife and did a construction project at the Elk's Lodge.
She said that usually Home Depot workers volunteer their time, but since this project came together so quick, she got paid workers to come to the legion to help with the project.
Home Depot Manager Brad Landon said he was very proud to be able to give back to this community's veterans.
Radder said the help is especially necessary after thieves stole copper wiring about three weeks ago from the legion during a construction project. He said they got away with about $8 worth of copper but did thousands of dollars of damage and pushed their project back weeks.
"But thanks to these guys we hope to finish this room in about two months," he said.