Post 65 Renovations

Legion Post 65 members swing the hammer Statesville Land and Record Correspondent Jonathon Weaver reports:  In a 5,000 square-foot building off Highway 70, the gutted remains of the former Zimmerman's Fish Camp took shape due to a potent combination of generous donations and old-fashioned elbow grease. The efforts of local war veterans and businesses are transforming the building into the brand new American Legion Post 65.  Beginning with a vision urged by some hard working cohorts, Commander Donald Webber began rebuilding Post 65 in February 1999. He soon found there were about 30 members lingering in the area. In a little more than a year and a helf, after others joined, that number rose to 131.  "They had just stopped having meetings'" Webber said, referring to Post 65.  "We got a lot of names from the state American Legion in Raleigh, and that proved to be a big help."  One of those names was David Reavis, a veteran of both World War II and Korea.  "I was with a Raleigh post, just a paper post Reavis said. "Then I transferred to one in Hickory, but that got to be too much driving, so when Donald told me about starting up 65 again, I got back on board". Reavis has helped with much of the general painting and clean-up.  "It's been slow going, but hopefully it will pick up with more members joining,"he said.  Laxton Pennell-a former Navy officer who spent 26 months in the South Pacific during World War II- was another former post 65 member who had tranferred to the state post in Raleigh.  "Don called me one day and told me what he had in mind," Pennel said.  "It's good to have a place to go close to home."  "It's been slow going , but hopefully it will pick up with more members joining," Reavis said.  The post received donations from a number of sources. One of the members, Korean War Veteran Leon Clem, works at GL Wilson.  His company donated lighs, generators, ladders and power washers to help ease the labor.  Other donations included roof paint from Valspar and other general paint from Glidden.  Webber went Monday to get weed-killer pledged by Southern States.  "It just makes you feel good that all these different companies are helping," Webber said.  For the past two years, Post 65 held its meetings at the library. Last month the first was held in the partially renovated building.  It was a bittersweet occasion. The meeting was in rememberance of an invaluable member. Second Vice Commander Alan Knight was working on the electrical portion of the renovation, and his loss put the project at a standstill.  "His contributions were too many to count," Webber said. "He was out there every day we worked."  Despite the setback, the persistent veterans will go on.  And with enough support and hard work, the "patriotic organization," as WEbber calls it, will grow stronger by the week.  "We're much farther along now than I ever thought we would be," Webber said.  "And that is thanks to everyone who has helped.  "And if there are any old members or other veterans of war out there, I would like them to know they can join us anytime," Webber said.