Photo credit: Town of Gilbert

Gilbert - - “Your Dollars. Your Gilbert. Built for Better Access”, says the slogan on the Town of Gilbert’s Ash Street Realignment web page.

But “better access” doesn’t mean the same to members of Legion Post 39, a Veterans organization established in 1935 and still going strong. Now, the legacy of this place of support and kindness for Gilbert veterans is threatened by a new project intended to make the historic Heritage District more easily accessible to everyone- except the members of the Post.

The public comments session during the Town of Gilbert’s Oct. 28 town council meeting heard the voices of several members of Legion Post 39 who came to voice their concerns over the Ash Street Realignment project. According to Michael Bailey, second vice commander of the American Legion Post 39, the post helps its members “navigate VA benefits, access emergency assistance, and connect with mental health and peer support networks that literally save lives”.

“The Post is not just a building", Bailey adds. Not only does the Post offer guidance and support to Gilbert veterans, but it also provides a safeguard against isolation, acting as a lifeline to veterans who are at risk of suicide. “That accessibility is not symbolic; it is lifesaving”, he states.