Veterans, Volunteers Help Upgrade Local Armory

SAN BERNARDINO>> Thanks to many veterans and volunteers, the 185th California National Guard Armory received a few upgrades to help reface the outside area. Joseph Mena, a local resident and organizer of the event, worked to get permission from a two-star general in Sacramento to help the beautification of the property. Before the beautification, Mena said the armory, located at 266 E. 3rd St. in San Bernardino, had a lot of dry grass and gopher holes, making it look less appealing. After receiving the green light from the general, Mena worked with Home Depot and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 12 to start the beautification process. For two weeks, volunteers which included veterans, wives of veterans, young men and boys and other community members, rolled up their sleeves. The team of volunteers took out the dry grass, planted trees and flowers to give the area color and put in place an environmentally-friendly sprinkler system. To help contribute to the eco-friendly process, the plants that were planted are plants that do not require a lot of water. “People would pass by and they would honk and wave,” Mena said. “It was really a community project; we have volunteers from the community, volunteers from military especially the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 12. It was something to see.” Along with the volunteers working on the project, Supervisor Josie Gonzales brought her staff, as well as Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown’s staff to help work. Gonzales presented Mena with a certificate of recognition for his dedication to the project. “The 185th is very proud of the project because they took ownership of it, they helped make it happen,” Mena said. “Had it not been for the Home Depot in Redlands, it wouldn’t have happened. Mena said the goal of the project was to encourage other veterans to do something and get involved. He said he hopes others will see the work done at this armory and will do something similar for their own armory near their home. “To do something,” Mena said. “It doesn’t have to be this big. My hope is that when other veterans see this, they will say ‘what can we do?’ The answer can be found by talking to the officers in charge and work with the closest Home Depot in their area." The project also encourages the veterans who participate to check on their plants and trees to make sure they are still doing well. From 1960 to 1966, Mena said he served with an infantry division in Hawaii. He was shot on the left side of his head and sustained injuries including hearing loss.