'It's been our journey to end up here'

Considering the growth in membership at American Legion Post 145 in Avon, Ind., George Juza’s optimism about the future of the post’s new building doesn’t come across as misplaced.

“We wanted enough (property) … so we would have room to expand someday when the building isn’t big enough,” said Juza, commander of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 145, before Saturday’s grand opening ceremony for the post's new building.

“From the last 10 years, it’s been our journey to end up here,” said Bruce Curry, Indiana’s 6th district commander and past Post 145 commander.

Post 145 was chartered in May 1987, but by October 1999, the post — whose membership had dwindled to single digits — was on the verge of having its charter revoked.

American Legion Membership Division Director Billy Johnson knew that Paul Allen, then Finance Division director for the Legion, lived in Avon. Johnson encouraged Allen to help revitalize the post.

Allen reached out to Fred Hunt, past Post 145 commander, for help.

“Paul’s statement to me when he called me was, he said, ‘Fred, we’re having a meeting. They’re closing a post out there in Avon. I don’t want to live in a town that doesn’t have a Legion post,’” Hunt recalled. "At the end of the meeting, I thought we would just get up and go home and chalk it off to another meeting. But Paul Allen said, ‘Fred, I heard what you said. It sounded like a campaign speech to me. You’re going to be our commander.’ I said, ‘Just like that?’ He said, 'Yep.'”

Allen and Hunt went door-to-door in Avon to boost membership.

“The first year we met at WCCD (West Central Conservancy District), Town Hall. We even met at Americana Bank at the time. We got a member out of that one,” Hunt said. “But after a year, a year and a half, we had a handful of people. I don’t remember how many. … Second year, we got a little more organized because we had people. We started electing officers and having regular meetings. Eventually, we got a little spot there on (U.S.) 36 in a strip mall. We loved it. Everybody pitched in.”

Plans to redevelop the property left the post to seek out a new home, which they found with a spare building at a local tool rental business. Post 145 moved there in 2001, and when the owner of the business retired in 2005, the post was given the option of purchasing the entire property and moving into the business’ larger building.

Then came progress, in the form of a new bridge over the railroad tracks bordering the north end of the property, which would require demolition of the post and the search for a new home again.

Post 145 purchased 8.5 acres of land at 4812 E. Main St. in 2011, with an official groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 19, 2013. Construction on the 8,898-square-foot building was completed in 2015, with the post reopening on Dec. 12 after being closed for two days to move.

“At the groundbreaking in 2013, I made the comment, we’re not going anywhere. Here we are,” said Rich Culp, first vice commander and past Post 145 commander.

“I think it’s great that we’ve finally achieved our goal to have a place that our members can enjoy, we can have events like this, and we’ve got the room. It’s great,” Curry said.

Saturday’s grand opening included a flag-raising ceremony and guest speakers, including Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Past National Commander Jim Koutz, incoming Post 145 Commander Mike Welsh and Post 145 First Commander Grant McArdle, among others.

“This is why it’s so important to revitalize a post,” Koutz said.

Several speakers noted Post 145’s presence in the community, pointing out that, even with a standing-room-only crowd on hand for the grand opening ceremony, several post members weren’t there because they were involved in a program at Avon’s Town Hall that afternoon.

“What is important is to get out into the community and get into the schools,” Curry said. “… So when people are out there, young veterans in the community come up and see that Post 145 is out in the community and doing things, it tries to do away with that old thing that people think we do nothing but sit around the bar.”

Welsh, who was sworn in Monday as the new post commander, said he looks forward to the challenge of continuing the post’s growth.

“We will now be a bigger part of the community, and our property will be an asset to the development and growth of this entire area,” Welsh said.