Brecksville American Legion Post Ready for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is typically the biggest day of the year at the American Legion Brecksville Excelsior Post 196, and Monday should be no different, said Anthony Borrelli, the service officer at the post.

The hall and adjacent barroom are decorated with lots of red, white and blue, belying a bit what is actually a solemn occasion: remembering the casualties of American wars over more than two centuries.

Borrelli, a Vietnam-era veteran (he was a lieutenant in the Army’s military police in Korea), said he got involved in the American Legion after he saw an older vet, probably World War II era, struggle to hold up a flag one windy day. He told himself he was young enough to step in and take that role, and things just kind of grew from there.

Borrelli helped Barb Duplaga, the manager of the Brecksville American Legion Trading Post on the first floor, and the bar staff set up the rooms in anticipation of a big Memorial Day crowd.

The store, which will be closed Monday, has a wide variety of resale items including old flags, memorabilia, furniture and more. The store opened in 2008 after a flood in 2006 gave the post the impetus to use the first floor as retail space after cleaning up the flood damage.

Upstairs on Friday, before the evening crowd arrived, Borrelli and Joe Hallal eagerly brought out a pair of World War I vintage single-bolt rifles and ran them through the paces. The guns are used for military burials and parades and are weapons kept in working order. See the accompanying video.

Borrelli said he especially enjoys when members of re-enactment groups are available to join perform the 21-gun salutes with his group. There is a Civil War re-enactment group and a Revolutionary War group, he said.

The American Legion Hall and downstairs trading post are at 7400 Chippewa Road near the intersection of Brecksville Road (Route 21) and Chippewa Road (Route 82). Call 440-526-2658.

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