NORFOLK, Va. — Looking for a front-row seat to check out the Parade of Sail this Friday? American Legion Post 35 is opening its waterfront headquarters in Norfolk's West Ocean View neighborhood to the public for a great spot to view the monumental Sail250 America celebration.
The post's beachfront location offers a direct sightline to the water. Parking is free, but on a first come, first served basis. Free coffee and donuts will also be available. Doors open at 8 a.m. The post is located at 850 W. Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk.
"The best time between 8:30 and 10 o'clock is when we're told the majority of the ships are going to be visible from this location," Post 35 Commander Steve Shepard said.
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Veterans at the post are rolling out the welcome mat.
"They can go out on our beach here, bring their lawn chairs, bring their binoculars, their kids. It's a great opportunity for people to see the different ships and all the different nations represented in them as they go by," Post 35 Public Affairs Officer Jim DeAngio said.
The post sits across the water from a landmark with deep historical significance.
"There's so much history here. Over there we have Fort Monroe. That's where Lincoln was when the Union Army came and took Norfolk during the Civil War," Shepard said.
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The event is open to the broader community, not just local residents.
"We're looking for our neighbors here in Willoughby and in Ocean View, but we're also looking for some of the business people that we work with and some of the schools and those kinds of folks. Anybody and everybody is welcome to come out and meet some of our veterans," DeAngio said.
The open house also comes as Post 35 prepares to mark its own milestone. While the country celebrates 250 years of independence, the post is approaching its 100th anniversary. The more than 100-year-old home, complete with a wraparound porch, holds portraits of the post's founders — including Colonel Julius Lynch, the original owner and founder of Post 35, and Charles F. Pilley, Shepard's grandfather, who came to Norfolk around 1914 or 1915.
"He and Julius Lynch and General Lejeune helped establish this post in 1926," Shepard said.
Veterans say the occasion is a chance to connect history with celebration.
"It's a great opportunity for them to come out and meet some of the veterans and see the great ships going by and really celebrate the patriotism that we both are sharing with the 250th and our 100th birthday at the same time," DeAngio said.
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