Saugus VFW post torn down

SAUGUS – It only took a few minutes to reduce a lot of history to rubble Wednesday when workers tore down the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2346 on Main Street.A small crowd gathered to watch the giant crane eat through the cinder block and steel building built in 1953. Most called the demolition a sad event, but in the same breath admitted that it was time for a change.Nick Milo, the post’s quartermaster, called it the end of an era.”It’s actually pretty depressing,” he said. “It’s very hard to see the end of an era but it is the end of an era.”But Milo said he expects the new hall will be a good thing for the post.The VFW property was purchased by Joe Pace of Pace and Son Inc., the gourmet grocery store located just a few miles south. While Pace plans to expand his store, included in the deal was also a plan to build a new smaller post for the veterans on the north end of the property.Austin and Gloria Streeter said they are excited at the thought of a new hall, but watching the cinder blocks tumble gave them cause to pause.”It’s pretty sad,” Gloria Streeter said, pointing out the club’s kitchen as it tumbled into the rubble pile. “I think of all the times we spent here – no more meals.”Austin Streeter said he’s been a member of the post since the 1950s when they moved to Saugus and he has seen the membership drop.”When I joined we had over 1,000 members,” he said. “It’s dropped to around 600 and only about 200 of them ever show up.”Milo said he believed the membership was probably closer to 400, but he wasn’t sure. He said his main concern is survival. The new space will be about 5,000 square feet, considerably smaller than what they had and, while that will be easier to manage, Milo said it does take away much of their income.”With no hall to rent and no Bingo there will be no income,” he said.The club will still have the bar, but Milo said that will most likely just cover the post’s overhead.He is optimistic, however, and admitted the change was needed.Dan Kelly brought his young grandson Georgie to watch the demolition.”He likes the big truck,” he said.Kelly, while not a member, said he’s been going to the post for years.”The whole family has in fact,” he added. “We used to come down for Karaoke nights and other nights. I think this new club will work out better for them though.”Kelly also pointed out that the new building would provide construction jobs, which as a carpenter, he said he is all too aware, are scarce.Not all of the onlookers were blue, however. Standing out in the crowd in his bright red sweatshirt was Joe Pace himself.”It is exciting,” he said.Pace said he was glad to help out the veterans because it was the right thing to do. He said he hoped the new store and the post would be open for business by early autumn.