For its 15 years of existence, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 942 of Soddy-Daisy has been looking for a permanent home. They've finally found one, and they're inviting the community to visit the new building at an open house event being held Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. "until people quit coming," said Robert Cothran, president of the chapter and the nonprofit Soddy-Daisy Vietnam Veterans Foundation, which owns the building.
Until March, the chapter's 96 lifetime members held their meetings in a trailer at the corner of Sequoyah and Dallas Hollow roads. But about a year ago, Barry Higgins of Higgins Construction offered to donate a piece of property at the corner of Sequoyah and West Ridge Trail roads to the foundation, where they could finally build their own building.
The group didn't have the funds to fill in the hole on the property, so Higgins offered the equipment and manpower to get the land ready for building.
Chapter member and Soddy-Daisy City Commissioner Gene Shipley came up with the idea to hold a fundraising dinner at Charlie's Restaurant, whose staff did all the cooking, only charging the group for the cost of the food, Cothran said. That event raised $13,000, which went toward building materials and the paving of half the parking lot, he added.
"Our community came together," said Cothran, who's also the mayor of Soddy-Daisy. "So many contractors donated time and materials."
He plans to display a list of all the contributors at the open house. The event will also feature live music all day, along with free barbecue, hot dogs, hamburgers, tea and soft drinks.
"We want the people to come through so we can say 'thank you,'" Cothran said. "We want them to see what they've built, and we think they'll be satisfied."
They'll also unveil the building's official name that day, he said.
Along with the VVA chapter, the building - which features a red, white and blue metal roof - also hosts the Hamilton County veterans service officer monthly to meet with local veterans of any war, helping them file claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"It's not just for Vietnam vets; it's for all vets," Cothran said of the new building. "We wanted to leave something as a legacy so people would never forget the Vietnam veterans."
For more information, contact Cothran at 718-1735 or Wayne Maillard at 505-7221.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.