Idaho Falls Veterans Memorial Building gets facelift
Published at
IDAHO FALLS – After several years of upgrades and improvements, the Veterans Memorial Building in Idaho Falls is now open to the community.
Veterans and members of the community gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon cutting and open house of the new building. Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper and Miss Idaho Taylor Lance were among those who attended the event.
Bob Skinner, chairman of the Bonneville County Veterans Memorial Commission, tells EastIdahoNews.com the building has undergone so many changes it looks like a new building.
“The front of the building looks like it did in the 1930s,” says Skinner.
Mayor Casper addressed the crowd following the ribbon cutting. During her remarks, she said the Veterans Memorial Building has personal significance for her.
“In this building, I have seen young people have someone put their arm around them and teach them what it’s like to be a patriot. I have seen people break bread together in (this building). I have seen people shed tears in (this building),” the mayor said.
“I have heard stories of service in this building, stories that represent what the patriots and veterans in this area have done to make (the American Flag) a more meaningful symbol,” Casper said.
Skinner says the Veterans Memorial Building will benefit families and veterans alike. He says he wants it to be used as much as it can.
“We’re pretty proud of it. Anyone who wants to see the building is invited to take a look at it. We have all kinds of events here where veterans are used to comradery with other veterans, and we can give that back to them,” Skinner says.
Skinner says the Veterans Memorial Building was once the home of the Eagle Press, a newspaper before the Post Register came to town.
The Veterans Memorial Building is located at 485 Constitution Way.