William Weech American Legion Post 168 Unveiling Ceremony 

BY MAGGIE OLIVE KLEIN
KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER 

On October 16th, at 2:00 pm, there will be a ceremony for The Historic William Weech American Legion Post 168 at 803 Emma Street in Key West. It is the remaining Post to continue service to their fellow comrades. Charter was received in 1946, and on August 25th 1951, the members broke ground for their Home Post, and dedicated it to William Weech American Legion Post 168 and VFW Walter R. Mickens Post 6021. The Post is vastly historic, and still serves as a significant spot for the community of the Bahama Village today. 

Valerie Littlefield, a retired United States Navy Commander after 28 years of service, was able to speak to me about the American Legion Post in detail. Littlefield has been in Key West since 2018 after retiring from the Navy, as she fell in love with the culture and rich history that the community has. When asked about the importance of the Post, Littlefield said, “The Post is so significant to the community. Back in the 50s, there weren’t a lot of options for black Americans in terms of places to go and things to do, and services for veterans because of Jim Crow segregation. The Post came into existence because black service members weren’t allowed at any other posts, so this one was given to the community.” She went on to explain the buildings services. It was a pillar in the community where locals could come together and talk about black owned businesses, growth and opportunities, and served as a huge resource for those that weren’t accepted elsewhere. 

When asked about how the American Legion aids the community today, Littlefield said, “Even now, the American Legion helps Bahama Village in a lot of different ways. Every year we have a brown bag giveaway for the kids with toys for Christmas. We also recently did a backpack giveaway to the kids for school, and all community members showed up. Members of fraternities and sororities, as well as church members, came together to help us serve the kids.” Littlefield emphasized that the American Legion not only does things to help take care of their veterans, but they also do anything they can to help the Bahama Village community. 

Of course, all of this is great work. But, Littlefield mentioned that the building is running into some issues that are really going to speak to the survivability of the Post moving forward. She explained that the building had to be renovated, and the structural renovations were completed in 2020, thanks to grants, but there is still a lot of internal work that needs to be done. Littlefield elaborated on the issue by saying, “A majority of our veterans are older, and the Post is in danger of fading. A lot of our older members are not able to come anymore due to medical reasons, and there aren’t many young veterans choosing to retire in Key West because of the cost of living. I would hate to see the community lose such a valuable resource.” One thing Littlefield has been doing is discussing with the department potential ways to increase their membership, as well as engage and partner with their active duty members in order for the American Legion to survive. She said, “We need to look at how we are going to continue to maintain the facility. Most of the things we are able to do is thanks to donations. So we need to figure out how to get more donations, and we really need to spread the word about American Legion, because so many people don’t know that we exist here.” She continued to stress the importance of coming up with how to advertise and network better for the American Legion, as it is such a great organization, but is struggling financially. 

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