A longtime fixture in downtown Sequim, the Sequim Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 is up for sale after nearly 75 years of serving local veterans.
The VFW building, at 169 E. Washington St., went on the market last October, said former post commander Neil Gamroth, and post leaders remain in negotiations with two potential buyers who asked to remain anonymous.
Brody Broker Real Estate currently has the building listed for $499,950, but post leaders said they’ve dropped it from an original listing of $700,000.
Gamroth, who joined the post three years ago, said he’s seen a large need to support local veterans. He and a few other veterans keep the post going despite a drop in membership and revenues.
“We want (veterans of foreign war) to know it’s here for them,” Gamroth said. “A place to call their own. That’s why I’ve devoted hundreds of hours.”
The VFW, a nonprofit veterans service organization, offers membership to veterans, active duty military, national guard and reserve officers that served overseas during war or campaign times.
The Sequim facility was constructed in 1945 after World War II and was named after Seaman First Class Henry Clarence Echternkamp, a Sequim-native with the US Navy, who died on the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
After years of growth and success, the VFW’s second floor and bar were added in 1971 bringing it to 16,000 square feet total.
However, recent efforts to bring in more veterans has been difficult despite calls for assistance in the past year.
Gamroth said they were able to recruit enough people to fill board member positions but finances have remained tight.
Steve Henrikson, the post’s quartermaster who became active after last March’s meeting, said they’ve seen an increase in volunteers and patronage. The growing interest hasn’t led to sufficient revenue, leading VFW leaders to post the building for sale and seek a smaller venue.
Support has come in a number of ways, he said, including from an Around Again donation drive, post members selling excess furniture, and the Co-Op Farm and Garden donating hot dogs and soda to sell during a promotion.
The VFW has continued Saturday night meals and dances and Sunday morning breakfasts, too.
“We’d love to see more people come to the dinners,” Gamroth said.
Seek support
Post leaders said VFW Post 4760 survives through its bar revenue, membership fees, rent from Kirby’s Barbershop and its weekly meals/dances.
They estimate the post has hosted more than 1,100 members since forming in 1945.
“It was the center of a lot of activity for people,” Gamroth said. “With such an active contingency of people, we’ve been continually asking, ‘Do we want this part of Sequim’s history to go?’”
The post’s Veterans Relief Fund continues to support local veterans in a number ways ranging from assistance with utilities to dental care, and the fund remains healthy, post leaders say.
Operational funds though, remain tight. One example is the impact on the building’s elevator.
Henrikson said due to costs to inspect and repair it, they’ve opted to use the stairs for accessing office space and hold meetings downstairs so all members can attend easily.
Gamroth estimates they’ve reached out to the 350 VFW members in the area without much success. They continue to support 40-60 veterans each month through the relief fund in various ways despite the post’s veteran services officer moving to Port Angeles, he said.
A Vietnam War veteran Henrikson, said he got involved because he wanted an outlet to help fellow veterans and be community service-minded.
“There are a lot of veterans in need,” he said.
A new dynamic
Post leaders reiterated from previous interviews that veteran organizations like theirs continue to see a decline in membership, and even newer eateries like Krush in Sequim and Fanaticus Sports Grill in Port Angeles shut down after large investments.
“Younger crowds aren’t interested at all,” Gamroth said.
He and others said younger veterans connect through social media, which may serve as a substitute for meeting at the bar and talking.
“It’s a new dynamic for fraternal organizations,” Gamroth said.
The future of the Sequim VFW remains uncertain.
The possibility of pulling the building from the market remains an option, post leaders said, and one of the potential buyers is interested in allowing a space for the VFW to meet.
If sold and the VFW can remain in the premises, Gamroth hopes to create a museum-like space for archived photos and other keepsakes.
If the VFW must move, he imagines donating its items to the Sequim Museum & Arts to preserve its history.
The Sequim VFW Post 4760 hosts dinners/dances weekly from 6-8:30 p.m. Saturdays, and breakfasts from 9:30 a.m.-noon Sundays. The public is welcome as a guest of current VFW members. Fees apply.
Recreational activities continue, such as darts, cribbage, pool and more.
For more information on the post, mail them at: Sequim VFW Post 4760, P.O. Box 427, Sequim, WA, 98382.
Reach them at vfwpost4760.com or 360-683-9546.
See the building’s listing at www.brodybroker.com.
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
Activities like pool and dart tournaments remain ongoing along with weekly Saturday night dinner dances and Sunday morning breakfasts at the Sequim Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760. Photo courtesy of Brody Broker Real Estate
Kirby’s Barbershop remains a long-time tenant of the Sequim VFW, and if the building is sold, so would Kirby’s space. Post leaders say they’ve appreciated the business’ ongoing support. Photo courtesy of Brody Broker Real Estate
