Florida’s veterans’ organizations face unclear future

ORLANDO, Fla. — Veterans organizations in Central Florida say they don’t know if they should be opened or closed, and they say they can’t get answers from the state, and that confusion has led to an unclear future.

At Orlando’s American Legion Post 19, there have been no funds to support the veteran community.

Cmdr. Wade Foster previously told us the post barely survived the first shutdown.

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Three weeks after reopening, there’s been another shutdown.

“I’m really worried that we’re not going to be able to make this,” Foster said.

The state’s amended emergency order that shut down bars July 1 doesn’t mention veterans groups like the American Legion and VFW.

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The American Legion’s state commander, Rick Johnson, told Eyewitness News that the confusion began when he learned state agents had shut down posts in Daytona and Jacksonville.

“Some places are getting inspected and there’s no problems at all and then some places in the state of Florida are being told to shut down completely,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he’s still waiting for clarification after contacting the state multiple times and getting no response.

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Foster said that events, such as St. Cloud’s VFW Post 3227 that delivered free meals to seniors, are examples of what veterans organizations bring to members and the community.

And as each day goes by, he’s not sure how many programs of vet outreach and relief at Post 19 can survive.

“You got to have all of it, you got to do the whole thing, not just a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” Foster said. “That’s the saddest part about this whole thing.”

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