American Legion Post 160 got a lot of help on Memorial Day with their task of putting up American flags in the West Seattle Junction. Around 30 people volunteered for the task of placing flags in the pre-drilled holes in the street and even Seattle Fire Dept. Engine 32 showed up to provide assistance. 

They have 39 flags but some cannot be put up or displayed and there's a reason for that. The holes in the street, there for decades in some cases, have not been replaced in the sidewalks of some of the new development in the Junction. Plus some of the holes are filled with loose rock and soil and it's a difficult task to clean them. The flagpoles themselves need around six inches of free space. 

So Commander of VFW Post 160 Kieth Hughes said he's looking for someone with a 1 1/2 inch concrete drill to help create new holes and has secured the cooperation of City Councilmember Lisa Herbold to get permission to drill them in the new concrete. They are also imploring those building owners with the loose rock to instead put in permeable asphalt around the base of the trees so rocks don't get spread around.

If you'd like to help drill the new holes, contact Keith Hughes at  206-932-9696. If you'd like to contribute to the purchase of a few new flags (they are about $35 each) you can contact the West Seattle Junction Association by calling 206-935-0904. They have 48 holes now (though some must be fixed) and need 8 more flags.

Hughes reports that the post raised double the amount of donations this year through the sale of poppies, generating more than $2800. That money goes to directly aid veterans in trouble through an emergency grant program.