American Legion Post 731, at the intersection of Linda Vista Road and Genesee Avenue, has been a Linda Vista staple for decades. It was once a bustling spot for military members and their families to dance, listen to live music, throw back a few drinks while chatting with fellow service members, and gather for banquets, meetings, and celebrations of life.
Fast forward to today, and the post’s membership has dwindled while the building has deteriorated. Its current leadership wants to see both make a comeback, but it desperately needs the community’s help to make that happen. Post 731 recently launched a fundraising campaign and hopes to attract the attention of local corporations to help it raise $100,000 to renovate the building.
Post 731 Commander Charles Camarato, a Marine Corps veteran, is passionate about the Legion’s place in Linda Vista’s history and its efforts to support military and civilian residents alike. But he also knows the post can’t survive on history alone.
“We need to find the new generation,” Camarato said. “We need to. But we want to give them something to be proud of. If we’re going to attract them, we need a facelift.”
And that, Camarato said, begins by renovating the post so it can expand its programs and services and, hopefully, breathe new life into enticing a younger generation to join the Legion. Membership was once at 750, but now is fewer than 110 members. That membership spans from its oldest member, a 97-year-old World War II veteran, to active duty members who are generations younger.
What happens if the community loses American Legion Post 731? It will leave a void for an organization that advocates for local veterans and volunteers and donates to Linda Vista schools and other local programs.
“They will lose the one place that’s been a staple here,” said Camarato, “and they won’t realize the value of what they’ve lost until they’ve lost it.”
Why Post 731 needs $100,000
Post 731’s dance hall, downstairs restrooms, and other sections haven’t been updated since 1972. Its age shows. Cracked floors. Crumbling paint. Wood paneled walls that could tell the secrets of members long passed. The more you look around, the more you hear the proverbial cash register ringing, thinking about how much money repairs will cost.
One of the biggest repairs needed is the kitchen area and walk-in cooler. This alone will cost tens of thousands of dollars, but to be code-compliant, it isn’t a want—it’s a need.
The post has already invested heavily in improvements over the years, ranging from a new roof and solar to a new air conditioning system. It sold its liquor license from when it operated the Padre Gold bar and used those proceeds for upgrades.
But with membership dues bringing in little revenue and the high operating costs of maintaining a building the size of Post 731, the Legion is at a crossroads.
The GoFundMe campaign has generated some donations, which Camarato said he appreciates, but larger corporate contributions could allow the post to tackle projects far more quickly. He hopes the campaign, and greater awareness of what Post 731 does in Linda Vista, will catch the attention of local businesses willing to help.
What is the American Legion anyway?
The American Legion is the largest veterans organization in the United States and operates more than 12,000 posts worldwide. The American Legion offers advocacy, community service, and camaraderie for veterans, active duty military, and their families.
“As long as you wear a uniform, or if you did wear the uniform, you’re eligible to join,” said Camarato. “American Legion is the oldest and largest veterans organization in America. It was started in 1919, right after World War I.”
One of the American Legion’s most notable accomplishments was championing the GI Bill in 1944. In its current form, the bill provides discharged veterans with educational assistance.
Each American Legion post runs independently and offers different programs and services.
What does Linda Vista’s Post 731 American Legion offer?
Despite its smaller membership, Post 731 remains active and welcomes military service members from Linda Vista, Clairemont, and surrounding communities. If members need a space to celebrate a retirement or the life of someone who recently passed, Post 731 lets them gather at the hall at no extra cost. It has also hosted community meetings held by the Linda Vista Planning Group and other local organizations.
For members who need help navigating the system, Post 731 connects them with their Veterans Administration service officer liaison, who can help with things like getting hearing aids covered through their benefits.
Post 731 is also a strong advocate for children in the neighborhood. For 30 years, the post has been donating two bicycles a month, like clockwork, to students at Chesterton Elementary School through a reading program. More than 50% of Chesterton’s students are from military families.
“We had one little kid who said, ‘I always wondered what that building was up there, but now I know it’s where my bicycle came from,'” said Executive Officer and Navy veteran Ron Tomcek, recalling the moment a child learned about American Legion Post 731.
The Linda Vista post also sponsors American Legion baseball programs and backpack programs for local Girl Scouts. It also sponsors high schoolers for the American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest, which it dubs as “a constitutional speech contest.” The contest offers college scholarships to participants who study the U.S. Constitution and can publicly present on some aspect of it.
Do you own or help run a small business in town?
How to help
For generations, Post 731 has stepped in to help local veterans, children in the community, and spouses and family members of veterans who have passed. This time, roles are reversed, and American Legion Post 731 needs help.
If you are able, donate to the GoFundMe campaign, or for corporate sponsorships, email Commander Charles Camarato directly.
