The newspaper advertisement announcing the grand opening of the new VFW Hall on Nov. 12, 1955, declared that “Our dance floor is Smo-o-oth For your dancing pleasure.” And the grand opening ad in the Nov. 10, 1955, issue of the McCleary Stimulator, proclaimed, “Excuse us if we seem a little proud – but we really think this new home of ours warrants it.”

Since 1955, the VFW Hall has been a fixture of McCleary, serving as a meeting place for its VFW members and an event space for the community. And it’s a visual embodiment of Post 5564’s history. The ups and downs in membership are reflected in the building’s maintenance over the years. Monthly Bingo nights, vendor events and meeting space for community groups is Post 5564 reimaging how it can serve its members and community.

On Feb. 9, Post 5564 turns 80 years old, and during its “Love is in the Air” bazaar on Saturday, Feb. 7, the community is invited to attend a celebration to reminisce and view historical documents of where the Post was and meet the members who are leading the Post to where it’s going.

One of seven VFW posts in Grays Harbor County, the original petition chartering Post 5564 on Feb. 9, 1946, hangs in the side hall of the VFW Hall. In the main hall above the stage hangs the original flag. On another wall hangs pictures of past commanders, and among the documents enclosed in a display case is the original membership roster. A number of the names are still well-known 80 years later, like Teagle, Stoney and Boling. In a photograph of the first VFW Post meeting are Geo [George], Mac and Russ.

On July 6, 1954, construction began on the Quonset hut that would become the VFW Hall, with an approved cost of $9,028 plus 3% sales tax. [The Quonset hut was developed in World War II for the U.S. Navy.]

Its construction is documented through memories …

“In order to build this [VFW Hall], apparently they tore down the old hotel downtown and sold the parts and lumber and such in order to buy this and build it,” said Everett Challstedt, a member of Post 5564 and former Post commander; Challstedt served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

… And through receipts and contracts.

“We have a deed where Simpson, it’s actually called something else in there, like Simpson Mercantile or whatever, sold the VFW this property for $1,” said Holly Pierce, quartermaster/adjutant for Post 5564 and Junior Vice Commander with the Department of Washington Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The smooth dance floor called out in the grand opening ad was made from maple purchased from Simpson Logging Company.

A few years ago, when a nook by the bathroom was being removed, Pierce said that they found a piece of plywood that said, “Nailed in place by George Sherwood, July 1, 1954.” And among the receipts for the supplies to build the VFW Hall is a scrap of paper torn from what appears to be a paper bag with the note “4 pr hinges 1.45 George Sherwood.”

George Sherwood, one of the founding members and WWII veteran, was quartermaster for 50 years.

“He pretty much ran the post,” said Challstedt.

As the current quartermaster, Pierce is tasked with record keeping for the Post, and she found these receipts, as well as handwritten and typed meeting records that date back to 1946, in a filing cabinet in the uninsulated office upstairs.

When I told those at the state level that we have these old records, they said, “Wait, are you joking? Your post has everything?” Pierce said. “Because there’s posts younger than us and they can’t believe that we have everything. And I think some of that is because we’re lucky enough to have our own building, because there’s some posts that don’t have a home.”

“Laying [the documents] out here was actually really cool because I got to see all the stuff, because I heard different stories,” said Julie Arnold, the District 5 commander, Post 5564 member, and Pierce’s sister. “I remember being in this building and doing family reunions and events here.”

As for the records that are in the care of the current generation, “[we’ve] got to make sure we preserve those because another 100 years down the road or even 80 years down the road, people are going to want to know more about the VFW,” Pierce said.

Challstedt joined the Post as a life member, he thinks around the late 1990s or 2000, and helped the WWII veteran members keep the Post active.

“The only way to keep the building was to keep the Post active and be able to, of course, have enough finances to be able to cover the holding costs, which were not cheap,” he said.

At one time, membership dwindled to about five members, but Challstedt said that once Vietnam vets started joining, “things picked up and we just blossomed again.”

Russ Russell was one of these Vietnam vets. Previously a member of the VFW Post 318 in Olympia, he recalled joining Post 5564 around 2010, as did Dan Comer. At that time, the VFW Hall desperately needed repair, with the drop ceiling and side walls falling down.

“What we did is we went out and raised all kinds of funds from the local people,” said Russell, naming off local contractors, such as Gary Anensen, Larry Birindelli and Russ Kinney, who helped with remodeling the building along with the VFW members.

“They took it from crumbling, leaked, where nobody wanted to rent it to something that was beautiful again,” said Sandra Russell.

“We had a saying that we married them and we buried them in our hall,” said Russell, who previously served as the District 5 commander. “That was the saying [and] that’s true because everybody always used that facility for everything.”

Post 5564 now has 60 members. And just as the Vietnam vets accepted the post responsibilities from the WWII members, they too handed its running to the next generation of veterans, who Pierce calls the “unsupervised squad” consisting of herself, Arnold, Elvis, Chris Watts, and Post Commander Ryan Berg.

“We did our day, now it’s your turn,” Russell said.

Through their efforts, the VFW Hall continues to be updated: a new roof, new coat of exterior paint, and the side hall getting a new floor. In January 2024, insulation was put into the building for the first time.

“We didn’t realize we had none,” Pierce said. “It was an eight-inch gap in the wall with no insulation.”

And in March 2024 the interior received a fresh coat of paint.

As for the member’s reactions to seeing the VFW Hall being repaired, “everyone’s excited,” Challstedt said.

“That’s one of the really big, important parts why we want to repair it. … It’s a community building and pulling people in,” said Arnold.

The Post continues to serve its veteran members by meeting them where they are. With the focus on family, kids are allowed at the VFW meetings.

“They now have a whole bunch of aunts and uncles,” said Pierce.

The community events, such as bingo nights, are family friendly and community oriented. Vendor events attract people passing through McCleary and allow local crafters and small businesses to sell to the public.

They have a medical equipment loan program that provides medical equipment free of charge to veterans and their families, and also community members. On Memorial Day, they host a gathering for their members.

“Memorial Day can be hard for some people, but for us, we’ve found that being with our fellow veterans and being with our VFW family, it gives you comfort and it helps you get through the day,” Pierce said.

And a couple years ago, they started a flag retirement ceremony that’s held on Memorial Day and the community is welcome to attend.

“I see what’s happening now with all of you and what the new members are doing that’s family oriented and they’re doing the bingo and dances and it’s really progressing very well,” said Challstedt. “I think the older members are pretty happy that it’s still standing and it’s being maintained. It’s a real asset for the community, and it’ll continue to be so in the future.”

Which prompted Pierce say, “Well, you guys taught us well and entrusted it to us. So I think you guys basically trusting us and letting us run with it is a huge part why we’re so successful.”

Andrea Watts / The Daily World Among the records that Holly Pierce, quartermaster/adjutant for Post 5564 and Junior Vice Commander with the Department of Washington Veterans of Foreign Wars found are original membership cards and meeting notes.