Veterans still serving at home

If you are having a barbecue or picnic to commemorate Memorial Day, you might be missing the point, according to a leader of one local veterans post.

"Many people think that Memorial Day is about parties and picnics, but it is more than that — it is really about people who made a sacrifice for their country," said Bruce Palmisano, vice commander of American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 206.

Members of the post plan to lay wreaths at veterans memorials both locally and in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

The holiday is underscored this year, of course, by the war in Iraq and the controversy and concerns that surround it.

"Americans need to understand our military and its veterans because today, nobody supports them like they used to," said Post 206 commander Ed Morris.

The five-year-old post’s original commander, Frank Niccico, died last Memorial Day. His legacy is a thriving 100-member group that welcomes veterans and their family members. Non-veterans, though, cannot vote during meetings held several times a year, nor can they become officers.

"Children, grandchildren, men and women are all welcome," said Morris, a Southwest Philly resident. "Our youngest member is 27 years old, and the oldest is 84."

Most of the funds collected from membership fees — $16 a year or $150 for a lifetime — go toward community activities that are run by AMVETS posts across the nation.

Members of Post 206 strive to help their community as much as possible.

"We help kids, the elderly and anyone who does not have anything," said Morris.

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, for example, the veterans donate turkeys and other foods to those in need of a good, wholesome meal.

Corporations like Wal-Mart and sports teams including the Flyers and the Phantoms have contributed prizes for community raffles.

"Wal-Mart gave us a $25 gift certificate, the Flyers donated an autograph of one of their players and the Phantoms gave us four tickets to a game," said Morris. "All donations are raffled off, and the money made goes right back into community activities."

Since its inception five years ago, Post 206 has been holding its meetings at the Veteran Boxers Association clubhouse at Broad and Tasker streets.

"We have been trying to get another building," said Morris. "The Boxers Association has been very kind as to let us use theirs in the meantime. We all want to thank them."

But it seems as if the post might have to find a new home. Morris said the Veteran Boxers Association clubhouse has been sold, prompting the post to plan a move to a building at 12th and Reed streets.

Ideally, though, the group wants its own site, and believed it was getting close to that goal.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority have expressed interest in helping Post 206 acquire an old Veterans of Foreign Wars Post building on the 2100 block of South 13th Street. But according to Morris, "it has been seven or eight months since anything has happened."

The commander had hoped to obtain the building by getting a VFW member to sign a transfer of the deed or through a condemnation of the property. An aide at Brady’s office said she wasn’t familiar enough with the issue to comment.

Mary Fogg of the Redevelopment Authority — who herself works as an advocate for veterans — said Post 206 must do "some of the legwork" if the members want to acquire the building still owned by the VFW.

"They need to take pictures of the building, as well as write a letter to Councilman Frank DiCicco in order to get help in acquiring the property," said Fogg. "Members of Post 206 may even want to contact VFW officials and work out a deal to just buy the building directly."

In response to Fogg’s statement, Morris said he has been getting "the runaround" and has done "basically everything they said to do."

"I just hope we are able to get a building of our own soon," he said.

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For more information about AMVETS, visit www.amvets.org. To become a member of Post 206, call Ed Morris at 215-365-2398.