After 103 years of serving the area’s veterans and community, American Legion Post 414 is closing its doors.
It held its last honor guard service on Memorial Day, when dozens of Forest Parkers in red, white and blue joined American Legion members on the front lawn of the Park District of Forest Park to remember those who died while serving the country. They also said farewell to Post 414.
American Legions across the country have been experiencing declining enrollment in recent years, largely a result of low membership and lack of participation among younger veterans. Those reasons, along with the cost of maintaining the property, contributed to the closure of Forest Park’s post at 500 Circle Ave.
“It’s an older building, it needs a lot of repairs constantly and we don’t have the revenue stream to pay for it,” said Mike Thompson, who helps manage facilities at Post 414. That revenue comes from membership fees and fundraising events, which members organize.
Thompson said Post 414 has around 20 members, about five of whom regularly attend meetings.
“I’ve never seen 15 of them, and I’ve been involved for 15 years,” Thompson said.
Post 414’s members are older, Thompson said, and represent wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
“From Vietnam forward, membership has been dwindling, dwindling, dwindling because younger soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen, don’t join,” Thompson said. He added that he and the post’s commander organize most of Post 414’s events.
“At 75, I want to slow down,” Thompson said. “I spend too much time there.”
It’s not an unusual sentiment among older veterans.
“Some of these people are at the point in their time when they just want to sit back in the recliner and enjoy life,” Joe Bartley, state adjutant-quartermaster for the State of Illinois VFW, told the Review in the past.
And without younger members to assume responsibilities, many service organizations for veterans are closing or merging with each other.
In 2008, the North Riverside VFW — which absorbed former posts in Cicero, Lyons, Melrose Park and Westchester — merged into Berwyn’s. Jack Meshek, the VFW’s District 4 commander, told the Landmark in the past this was because North Riverside VFW members weren’t participating in running their location.
“Membership is dropping to a point where they can’t even fill the offices in their post,” Bartley said of VFWs that merge with others. “That’s why it’s so important to get the young people in there.”
‘A sad end to a hundred-year history’
Post 414 opened in 1921 in a building constructed by WWI veterans. In the post’s early days, Thompson said politicians held campaign events and fundraisers there.
In recent years, the postal union had been meeting at the Legion once a month. The Forest Park Theatre hosts readings and plays at Post 414 for free, and local reverends have held church services there, also at no cost.
Since its inception, Post 414 has also built its archives. Much of the past century’s historical artifacts and photos will be donated to the Historical Society of Forest Park, which plans to display them publicly. These include a board of Forest Park locals who fought in WWI and WWII, flags from the Grand Army of the Republic, campaign streamers and ceremonial rifles.
In 2018, the American Legion renovated its building with the hope of increasing rentals for things such as birthday parties and anniversaries. But Thompson said that business model didn’t work.
“The economy is not helping, and we’re getting rentals from groups and families that don’t have a lot of money, so we adjust our prices accordingly to help the people out,” Thompson said. “Between the cost of a bartender and somebody to clean up, we’re basically breaking even.”
So, Post 414 stopped booking events a couple weeks ago and, in May, put its building on the market with Berkshire Hathaway. Revenue from selling the building will go to a few charities, Thompson said.
When Post 414 sells its building, Thompson said he anticipates hosting a free event at the American Legion.
“We might have a blowout event and invite the community to come and drink whatever liquor is left,” Thompson said.
As for where Post 414’s remaining members will go, Post 414 Member Joe Byrnes told the Review in the past that they would likely transfer to other American Legion posts.
Gregory Walker, commander of American Legion Post 838 in Maywood, said he would visit Post 414 to encourage its members to join Post 838 or another location.
“We survived the last fifteen years through the skin of our teeth, but we survived,” Thompson said. “It’s a sad end to a hundred-year history.”
