As ranks decline American Legion post is selling its West Windsor building.
By: Gwen Runkle
WEST WINDSOR For more than 30 years, the members of American Legion Post 76 called the large white building at 95 Washington Road home.
Now, as members have aged and resources have become scarce, the legion has decided to leave.
"It’s a very sad occasion," said Maurice Benedetti, 85, a veteran of World War II who has been a member of the legion for 35 years. "We’ve all just reached an age now when it’s time to fold up and turn it all over to the younger generation. It’s sorrowful it all has to come to a close."
In February, the legion began clearing out much of the building in anticipation of the closing of its sale to the Princeton Korean Community Church. The sale is not yet final, but the Township Zoning Board recently granted the church’s request for a variance so it will be able to move in and begin repairs as soon as the deed is transferred.
"Everyone realizes that as we age we’re not able to take care of the grounds and keep the property looking as well as it did at one time," said Frank Tylus, 73, a Korean War veteran. And not only that, "it was getting costly," he said.
Post Commander Gerald Silvester, 73, another Korean War veteran, said it cost the legion between $700 and $1,000 per month for the utilities, maintenance, insurance and other expenses.
"Before, when the bar was running, we at least had some cash inflow, but now we have no income," he said. "We turned in our liquor license last year because we weren’t getting any activity."
Despite losing its home, the legion is not disbanding. While remaining members are saddened by the loss of the building, they do plan to continue to meet monthly at the West Windsor Township Municipal Building.
"I’m very unhappy about having to move out," said Henry Frank, a veteran of World War II. "It’s disappointing our membership has been declining so that now we don’t have enough people to take care of the post."
Mr. Silvester said, "Certainly I’m disappointed. It used to be a wonderful place with lots and lots of good times. … We had cookouts, were active in baseball and the Boys Clubs and helped out the ROTC at Princeton University," he said.
He also holds fond memories of sponsoring fireworks, a color guard, drum and bugle corps and local parades.
The main reason these activities have become memories is the organization’s declining membership.
"We are just losing members very quickly." Mr. Silvester said. "People have been dying and we haven’t been successful in getting new members."
The last count of members was 157, he said.
"But the majority live out of town in Florida, Texas or wherever they have retired to," he said. "Now we get 10 to 15 people at our meetings if we’re lucky."
According to Mr. Tylus, the post experienced its peak membership during the 1960s with nearly 500 members.
"We had tremendous turnout, most of the time 70 people to a meeting," he said.
"I was the public-relations person for the legion and we used to put out 10-page, sometimes 14- or 16-page newsletters each month full of pictures. We were that busy," Mr. Tylus said.
Post 76 received its charter Aug. 18, 1919, after the American Legion was formed nationally earlier that year. Members met in various places throughout Princeton during its first years including Thompson Hall, a small building behind Trinity Church on Mercer Street and relocated to the Washington Road building, between Route 1 and the railroad tracks, in West Windsor in 1967.
After the 1960s, the membership began to drop to between 300 and 350 and after 1975, the membership continued a steady decline, mainly from the lack of new recruits, Mr. Silvester said.
"We have not been successful in getting Vietnam vets as members," he said. "They’re just not interested. There are lots that qualify and we’ve tried to recruit but too many are interested in other activities."
Post Adjutant Henry Frank, a World War II veteran, agreed.
"The younger veterans are not willing to join in the proportions that veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict were," he said.
Mr. Frank, Mr. Silvester and Mr. Tylus all pointed out that Post 76’s declining membership is not an isolated situation.
"Veterans all over are thinning out," Mr. Tylus said.
According to Mr. Silvester, veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 per day nationwide.
"At that rate, there won’t be too many of us left," he said.
But state American Legion Adjutant Ray Zawacki said that membership totals for New Jersey have been fairly stable.
"Some posts have experienced a lack of nucleus members, but most can get out there and recruit new members to be active in the post," he said.
"Recruiting takes an effort, you have to have people there to commit themselves to doing it, if not the post will go the way of Post 76," Mr. Zawacki said.
Mr. Tylus said the legion has made a valiant effort, but has realized it is time to move on.
The legion has no immediate plans on how to use the money from its building’s sale
"We’ll put the money to good use to support many charitable activities in town," Mr. Tylus said. "We are going to form a committee to develop a list of our priorities."
"As a patriotic organization, we will always be involved in patriotic activities," Mr. Frank said.