Sometimes it takes a veteran to understand a veteran.

American Legion Post 249 Commander Penny Winston knows this.

That’s why in the coming months the organization will be opening its doors twice every week as a service to veterans looking for a social circle as well as a venue for Veterans Administration outreach services.

Current plans have the program slated to run on Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m.. Winston said that the group is currently in talks with the VA about visiting to aid veterans in filing claims and learning about services at their disposal.

“I think that the camaraderie is a really big part of what it is that we’re trying to provide,” she said. “A lot of our veterans from Vietnam that have been struggling for years are just now learning that it was PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder – that they’ve been dealing with and they just didn’t know what it was.

“Having somebody there that’s been through it and can understand what you’re going through to talk to can be a major benefit.”

Currently the American Legion – who along with Manteca’s VFW group provide a multitude of services and opportunities for local veterans – meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. They host a dinner on the third Saturday of every month at 6 p.m. to raise funds for some of the programs they offer.

That leaves the hall itself empty for lion’s share of the month.

With the backing of the group and future plans to possibly further expand outreach efforts, Winston says that she’s hopeful the local veterans community will be receptive to the changes and take advantage of what is being offered.

And throwing the doors open, she said, only increases the chances that younger veterans will talk through the door.

While dozens of local Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have come home since the conflicts in the Middle East began nearly a decade ago, very few, she said, have shown any interest at all in become a member of either the American Legion or the VFW – citing them as clubs for “old people” with nothing to offer.

Nothing, she said, could be further from the truth.

“The catch is that if they don’t start joining, there won’t be any organizations left for them to join when they get older and want to hang out with their fellow veterans,” Winston said. “Military people stay together no matter what branch of the service you were in. I think that’s something that could really benefit the younger veterans that are coming home today.”

Then there’s the chance to say thank you the active duty personnel currently serving overseas.

“We talk to Mr. (Charles) Palmer about getting his organization that ships packages to the troops down there for us to be a part of,” Winston said. “There are a lot of avenues to explore and it provides an opportunity for the public to learn a little bit more about what we’re about and the services that we’re aiming to provide. We just want to see the hall used more and if it’s a way to benefit veterans and those currently serving it’s a win-win.”

The McFall-Grisham American Legion Post 249 hall is located at 220 E. Yosemite Avenue.

To reserve a seat at the upcoming American Legion fundraising dinner – the last one of the summer – contact Bob Gonzalez at (209) 612-6954.