Veterans Protest Closing of Gym

More than 100 veterans gathered outside the Sepulveda Veterans Administration health center Wednesday to protest the closing of the gym and a reduction in other services at the facility.

Passersby honked as veterans held up American flags and signs reading, “Freedom Paid For in Blood.”

The gym was closed last fall after federal officials said damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake had made it unsafe.

The pool and locker room of the gym complex had been closed since the earthquake, though veterans continued to use the gym.

The cost of refurbishing it has been estimated at more than $3.5 million, said Beverly Fitzgerald, VA director of public affairs for Los Angeles.

A bill pending in Congress would allocate up to $3.4 million for refurbishing the gym, said David Foy, a spokesman for Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), who championed the veterans’ cause.

Members of the Veterans Advisory Board, a group formed by local veterans after the gym’s closure, said they held the demonstration because, while the congressional action is encouraging, the gym remains closed.

“Why do these men who put their lives on the line have to fight another war?” asked Steven Palmer, president of the board.

Fitzgerald said she opposes using the pending funds on the gym, adding that the money should be spent on more pressing matters affecting veterans.

“They’re very well-meaning, devoted veterans who are passionate about this issue,” Fitzgerald said. “But we would rather see the money put into patient care areas.”

The failure to reopen the gym is symbolic, said former U.S. Rep. Bobbi Fiedler, who serves as an advisor to the veterans group.

“The loss of benefits has been an enormous problem for veterans,” Fiedler said.

“In many cases they’re being made to pay for things they historically have had as part of their regular benefits.”