With the American Legion Storm King Post 171 in Mineral now dissolved, the post in Morton is now the only one available to East Lewis County residents east of Onalaska, according to Morton American Legion Post 215 Commander Ed Smith.
However, Post 215 currently lacks a permanent headquarters for its members. Smith has been holding monthly post meetings in a nearby church on state Route 508 and, recently, at the Lewis County Public Utilities District (PUD) building in Morton.
Smith explained that while he could still continue holding meetings at places such as local churches or the PUD building, if he wants to get more veterans services and resources out to East Lewis County, the post needs a permanent home.
On Monday, March 24, the Morton City Council held its regular monthly meeting at the Bob Lyle Community Center, and Smith was in attendance to ask the council for help in finding that permanent home during the public comment period.
“Ideally, I would like to have a place that’s big enough to hold our meetings and do fundraisers for the community. Do like spaghetti dinners and stuff like that,” Smith said. “... It’s part of our bylaws. We’re supposed to be taking care of veterans, family and community, period.”
And while many American Legion posts around the U.S. have a bar for veterans to enjoy a drink, Smith would be satisfied with a certified commercial kitchen to cook food for American Legion events and fundraisers.
“I do not want a bar. I don’t want the liability. I don’t want the state breathing down our neck. I just want a place where we can hold functions for the community,” he added.
A U.S. Air Force veteran who serves on the Lewis County Veterans Advisory Board and as the American Legion Washington state District 4 commander representing Lewis, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties, Smith is also currently trying to partner with Veterans Journey Forward in Chehalis to try to get dedicated veterans service officers out in East Lewis County.
Originally founded by U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jesse Lloyd after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs closed its only clinic in the region in Chehalis back in 2021, Veterans Journey Forward is a nonprofit that provides veterans and their families with assistance in navigating and attaining VA benefits along with certified peer counseling.
But in order to get a Veterans Journey Forward help out to East Lewis County, Smith needs a permanent post headquarters to host them.
“They have two veterans service officers that are specialists in veterans’ benefits, and they have told me they will send one of them out here with me to help veterans with their benefits and low income veterans,” Smith said. “I helped the guy that was in the (Gust Backstrom) Park here. I got him into permanent housing in December, and he’s doing amazingly well. It’s what I do, and what I’m passionate about, so I need a place where I can help veterans and I can help the community.”
While several options were discussed by Smith and members of the Morton City Council, the council was leaning toward possibly renting space in the Bob Lyle Community Center for a small annual fee given American Legion is a nonprofit.
“I have several posts that use community centers for their (headquarters), and they pay $25 a year, a token amount, but they’re paying,” Smith said.
“This sounds like the most viable place,” Morton Councilor Jason Sawyer added.
Morton Mayor Rick Mead stated the council would have to convene with Morton’s city attorney first to ensure they could offer the American Legion Post 215 that kind of token rental contract allowing the post to permanently use the Bob Lyle Community Center as its headquarters.
“I’ll get a hold of our attorney this week and see just exactly what we can do about reducing the (rental) rate and what the legalities of all that is,” Mead said.
As this was discussed during the meeting’s public comment period, the Morton City Council did not make or vote on any motions concerning this issue.
While no rental contract allowing American Legion Post 215 to rent the Bob Lyle Community Center as its permanent headquarters has been proposed yet, Smith said had rented the community center out on April 1 to host the post’s upcoming regular monthly meeting.
