Vets Say Commissary Part of Contract

They arrived, many gray and a bit slowed by time, at a spartan auditorium Saturday to fight another battle.

The mission for more than 400 veterans and their spouses was clear: Find a way to keep open the former El Toro Marine base’s commissary. The military equivalent of a civilian supermarket is to close after Sept. 30.

Veterans who use the commissary save between 27% and 40% on their purchases over what they would pay at a supermarket. Many of these men and women are disabled, unable to make long treks to other commissaries, and unable to afford civilian prices, several in attendance said.

“Anything the country can do for its vets, it damn well should,” said E.H. Winchester, an 82-year-old retired Marine lieutenant colonel who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

For some, the commissary represents not only convenience, but also a social contract between the country and its veterans, as well as a lingering symbol of a once-thriving military community on a now nearly deserted military base.

Elaine Hartmann, 72, showed up at the auditorium to support an institution she said people like her husband Ralph, 80, are owed. Ralph is a disabled Marine gunnery sergeant and World War II veteran. He was too ill to attend, Elaine said.

“My husband would give his life for the United States. And they won’t even give him this?” she asked.

Added retired Gunnery Sgt. Mark Paul, 44, “This is something that we need to connect the Marine Corp. family. . . . People take care of each other around here.”

Commissaries are funded by Congress and taxpayer money through the Defense budget. The reduced-priced groceries are a benefit of joining the military.

However, when the Pentagon closes down a military operation like El Toro, “They look to close all things that go with it,” said Herb Greene, public affairs specialist for the Defense Commissary Agency headquarters in Fort Lee, Va.

That agency has been criticized over the pending closure of the El Toro commissary. But Greene said the agency is powerless in the matter.

“It’s . . . out of our hands, unfortunately. When bases close, commissaries close too. That’s the way things have been set up,” Greene said. To stay open, the Navy would have to agree to keep funding the commissary at El Toro, Greene said, unless another source of funding can be found. Only one commissary in the nation has outlived a base closure. Fort Ben Harrison near Indianapolis closed about four years ago, he said, but the Army decided to keep the Harrison Village store open.

Greene called the closing of commissaries part of the cost of a fiscally “leaner, meaner fighting machine.” The consolidation of military bases, which results in facility closures, is part of that trend, Greene said.

“You can’t have it both ways. You can’t reduce the cost of protecting the country and keep everything viable,” Greene said.

There are 290 military commissaries worldwide, said Peter Skirbunt, a historian for the Defense Commissary Agency, and some date to the 1860s.

A few politicians offered their support to the vets who had gathered Saturday at El Toro for the rally.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has pledged its support for keeping the commissary open.

“Obviously, there’s going to have to be resources brought to the table,” said Supervisor Todd Spitzer. “We have such a large veterans’ population in Orange County. There has to be a way to structure the commissary financially to make it self-sufficient.”

Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) urged veterans to “make sure people know you’re here” by being vocal and by patronizing the commissary.

Although Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) was scheduled to be the principal speaker, she didn’t show up. However, she has been a supporter of the commissary, event organizers said.

There’s no question there’s a need for commissaries, Greene said. Veterans consistently rank them as a top priority, he said. A person shopping for a family of four can save up to $2,000 a year at a commissary, Greene said.

“Those in the military are not exactly what you would call ‘wealthy,’ ” he added. “Commissaries can go a ways to make their quality of life better.”

For retired naval aviator and Marine Col. David Mitchell, 70, it comes down to promises made many, many years ago.

“They promise you so much when you go in,” said Mitchell, a one-time instructor of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) “They need to keep their promises to those who have made sacrifices for their country.”