By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Those walking past may have noticed something different: American Legion Ronald Reagan – Palisades Post 283 on West La Cruz Drive recently underwent some major renovations.
These changes were presented to members of the American Legion, who were invited to preview the space on Friday evening, November 11, ahead of a grand opening slated for 2023.
Commander Jim Cragg explained that the Post was redesigned to convey a theme of unity.
“It was my vision, as commander, to launch this strategy, to move our Post forward and to grow our influence in the community,” Cragg said to the Palisadian-Post. “Our goal is to elevate our Post’s image in the community so that we can reconnect more with our neighbors … To do that, we had to bring all of our members together and the images of unity in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. [That was] our first step.”
When visitors enter the space, they are presented with a collage of soldiers, sailors and marines, followed by six shadow boxes that hold a collection of artifacts from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and beyond.
“The intent [is] to show the viewer that we all carried the same heavy load, ate the same bad food and struggled under the same weight,” Cragg said. “An example would be a backpack from each conflict. There’s a radio or communication device … dog tags and first aid kits from each conflict, as well as food and canteens … and these pieces come from our members themselves.”
A tribute wall has also been incorporated into the space, to honor the fallen.
“This is a memorial area to unify all of us and to pay homage,” Cragg explained.
Cragg said longtime Palisadian Dr. Mike Martini—who died in October—was honored at the reception. He served in World War II and the Korean War.
“Mike was in multiple wars and he was a major mentor to everybody,” Cragg said. “Everybody in our Post loved him dearly.”
Another major renovation is the addition of an ADA-compliant ramp to the front and a kids’ area.
“You have to [have] a building where everyone feels at home,” Cragg said. “My next step is to develop engaging programs.”
Cragg said the programs—for the first time—are going to be available to the public. The programs include a Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Class in February, and a Drone Familiarization and Licensing Class in March.
“These are programs that we are making open to the public because we want people to feel that they can come to the American Legion so we can connect with them,” Cragg said to the Post. “We [want] people to come into the cool new building, and see all the new programs we’re doing and hopefully stick around.”
Cragg said additional details will be announced on the website. For more information, visit alpost283.com.
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