Ribbon Cutting ceremony opens new VFW 7198 home

Mayor Michele Dale cut the ceremonial red ribbon to officially open the new headquarters for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7198 in West Milford recently.

The building on Cahill Cross Road at the entrance to the West Milford Recreation Center is the former refreshment stand for Lake Melody, a popular day trip swim/ picnic destination in the 40s and 50s.

Commander Bill Johnson sees the building as much more than just a meeting place for veterans. Already some ship models are on display with other military memorabilia and documents. Johnson sees this as a hub for public education about the military, its history and equipment.

Work on the building is continuing and before long there will be a kitchen and indoor restroom facilities. Previously the deteriorating building was nothing but an eyesore and useless in its condition. The veterans are changing this and are working hard to create a valuable improvement to the community that will benefit many. The veterans ask people to “Stay Tuned” because there is much more to happen at the no longer forgotten building.

Pat Loughman is credited with finding the location. He led a search for a suitable place for the headquarters of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7198 for a long time. After a township-wide search for a VFW building seemed to have reached a dead end, some were ready to give up. But Loughman soldiered on and finally found a structure – that apparently for many years, was waiting to be rescued.

There was a VFW home in the 1950s, a former church on Lincoln Ave. that is now a thrift shop. It was sold and the VFW was homeless, meeting at various rented facilities for many years and most recently in a store front in the Aiello building.