On Sept. 25, the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building will celebrate its 75th anniversary with much to-do. The event commemorates the three quarters of a century the building has been part of the Lompoc community and will raise funds for the building’s $3 million renovation project.
The opening ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and will include a marching band parade and a performance by the Cabrillo ROTC Drill Team. Building tours will run from noon to 2 p.m. At 6 p.m. there will be no-host cocktails, followed by a prime rib dinner at 7 p.m. catered by American Hostess. Dancing starts at 8:30 p.m. to the sounds of the Dick Clark Big Band. Col. Richard Blotz, commander of the 39th Space Wing, will be the keynote speaker of the evening.
Dinner tickets cost $55, and tables of eight go for $400. Proceeds will go toward renovations. The roof renovation has been completed, but more work is in store for electrical restoration, restrooms, window replacement, kitchen appliance replacement—they still have the original stove—and other necessary repairs.
The building has been a part of the community since 1936. Over the years, it’s been used for many social events, including weddings, receptions, and even proms. It’s also been the site of a health clinic and court, for a brief period. During World War II, it was used as a lookout for spotting Japanese aircraft.
In recent years, the building has been used for flower shows and veterans’ funeral receptions, as well as Supervisor Joni Gray’s office.
Before the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building Foundation stepped in, the building was bringing in about $2,500 in revenue a year. Since the foundation’s involvement, that number has jumped to $12,000.
A push for the restoration began in 2006, spearheaded by several veterans who were unhappy with the condition of the building.
Anyone interested in attending the dinner can buy tickets from Alice Milligan by calling 736-4005.
For more information on the building and its history, watch a small documentary on Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=1ly5rEfTqss.
Intern Michael McCone compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 22-29, 2011.