This Veterans Day, the members of American Legion Swift Murphy Post #32 celebrated the renovations to the building that houses the post.

These renovations, which started about two years ago, included the installation of a new kitchen sanitizer and a new set of kitchen appliances, as well as a new paint job, new carpeting and new tables for the bingo room. Not only did Post #32 members help out with monetary donations, they volunteered their time as well, painting, installing carpet and sanding beams.

“Through the Post’s bingo fund, as well as through help from Social Quarters, Sons of the American Legion and the Ladies Auxiliary, we’ve been able to really improve our building,” said Post 32’s finance manager Steven Oller at an open house for the post on Veterans Day. “The tremendous amount of community support, both from member donations and donations from extremely generous local merchants, is part of what made these renovations possible. Post 32 is eternally grateful for their support — we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Vietnam veteran Steven Oller shows off painted cement seals that were donated to the post by artist Jaime Floyd. Photos by Jeanne Schaser

Oller estimated that the total value of the funds and supplies donated so far was more than $10,000.

“One of the fund-raising events that we did was to allow each of the members the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a chair in the lounge for $100,” Oller explained. “For that price, the chair could be completely reupholstered. It was a tremendous success— every last chair was adopted. It’s instances like that where it’s obvious that the post’s members and the community have really pulled together to make this possible.

The renovations are continuing in an effort to make the post more inviting to younger veterans, according to Oller. “One thing that I really want to do is make the post more appealing for our younger veterans — the ones returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “We’re going to be installing three flat-panel televisions that we purchased from Aaron’s, which gave us a killer deal on them. If possible, I’d even like to get some Wi-Fi Internet access installed that our members can use.”

These renovations will also ensure that the post can continue what it has been doing for the better part of the last century. “The American Legion was established in 1919, and Swift Murphy Post 32 was then chartered in the late ‘30s,” Oller said. “The ‘32’ indicates that this post was the 32nd post established in the state of Arizona.”

He went on to explain that Post 32 is the largest post in the fifth district and the building that presently houses the post is the second one to house the post locally. Where the original building was located is unknown.

Anyone interested in donating to Post 32’s ongoing renovations can contact Oller at 428-2990.