Al Lugo retires from VFW Veterans Village

Al Lugo speaks during an event at the VFW Veterans Village in Fort McCoy. He retired June 16 as director of the facility, after 15 years at the helm. [Bruce Ackerman/file photo]

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Posted June 17, 2023 | By Andy Fillmore

Retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Alcides “Al” Lugo wrapped up a 15-year run as director of the VFW Veterans Village in Fort McCoy when he retired from the position on Friday, June 16.

Lugo, 60, took over the reins of the privately funded, independent living facility for VFW member veterans and spouses in October of 2008. An estimated 850 or more veterans have lived at the facility since he was made director.

“It’s their home,” Lugo said of the 56 VFW member veterans who currently live at the facility, which has the phrase “Home of Heroes” painted across the entrance.

As Lugo steps away, he leaves behind some planned building expansions, including adding 17 new rooms, painting, and additional amenities for residents, such as an in-house library, fitness room and the “Rosie the Riveter” mail room, and a canteen lounge, a project of the VFW Auxiliary. He said during his tenure, multiple grants received for the facility included a “shovel ready” grant during the President Barack Obama Administration.

Lugo was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He joined the U.S. Army in 1984. He served until 2008, when he retired and received a lucrative offer from Walmart to work as a district manager in Jacksonville. He said he declined and decided to remain in Marion County and devote his efforts to aiding veterans.

Lugo was deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom and served at the Pentagon. He holds a master’s degree in education. He and his wife have two adult daughters and a grandchild. He is a member of a long list of local organizations, including those aimed at helping veterans and the homeless. Lugo, a marathon runner, said he will be having some knee surgery and that he “medically retired” because of “perhaps (a) lengthy” rehabilitation.

He indicated that his future plans include joining the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Foundation, supporting the Ocala Jeep Club and Ocala Parrot Head Club, and continuing “to assist the VFW Veterans Village behind the scenes if the board wants my help,” as well as volunteering for other veteran related causes.

He also expressed an interest in possibly running for a seat on the Marion County Board of County Commissioners to “better embrace the veteran and Hispanic population of Marion County.”

 

Resident perspective

John Leidig served in the U.S. Navy from 1980 to 2001, including duty on three different submarines that stayed submerged for up to 120 days. His assignments included Arctic Patrol and carrying ballistic nuclear missiles.

“(You) can talk to (Lugo),” Leidig said, adding that Lugo cares about veteran residents in issues from small, such as having change for playing Bingo, or large, like resolving personal concerns.

Frank Felker, 76, is a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War who served from 1964 to 1968. He served as an electrician on a guided missile destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. Felker, an ordained non-denominational minister, holds Bible studies at the facility. He moved there in 2007.

“(This is) a beautiful place,” Felker said.

He pointed out improved lighting maintenance, a new atrium and various improvements since Lugo took command.

Bruce Fouts, a SeaBee and veteran of three tours in the Vietnam War, said Lugo is simply “a damn good guy.”

Lugo insists the upgrades and changes at the VFW Veterans Village have been a “team effort” with a staff that can play a multitude of roles. Staff members Dave Trzetiak, Idelisse Banos and Vicky Trzetiak, Dave’s wife and a volunteer, were at the property during an interview with Lugo.

 

Community connections

Hank Whittier, executive director of Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans, said Lugo “will be missed.”

“(Lugo) has made a lot of updates at the VFW Veterans Village and been a real asset to the veterans’ community,” Whittier said by phone.

Gary Pascale, also with Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans, said Lugo had helped the organization out as a volunteer with the Veterans Treatment Court.

“(Lugo) will be leaving big shoes to fill,” Pascale said.

Marion County Veterans Service Office Director Jeffrey Askew called Lugo a “pillar in the veterans community.”

“(Lugo) has improved the lives of many. Best wishes with his retirement and new beginning,” Askew wrote in an email.

Lugo also worked with local HUD/Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Social Worker Barbara Shaw to form a “partnership” to assist veterans at the home with benefits.

“Al was instrumental in advocating for a partnership between VFW Veterans Village and the department of Veterans Affairs HUD VASH program. This is a program that provides a Section 8 housing voucher to veterans in addition to supportive housing supports from a comprehensive team that includes social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, peers support specialists and more,” Shaw wrote in an email.

“Al has been a tireless advocate for providing the best quality of life to veterans as they move through the aging process. This partnership was able to expand admissions to Veterans Village to a number of veterans that in the past were unable to afford living in this wonderful retirement community,” she wrote. “Al’s larger than life personality and outgoing positive presence has become somewhat of an institution in Marion County. He has been an incredible advocate for veterans in Marion County and across the entire state of Florida.”

For the veterans

Lugo said because the VFW Veterans Village is private facility with “no red tape,” he has been able to better assist veterans. He thanked ABATE, State Rep. Kat Cammack, Lowe’s Home Improvement and the Ocala Jeep Club for multiple donations. He also thanked Hospice of Marion County for its involvement with the facility.

The 70-room, 60,000-square-foot facility offers affordable living with independently controlled heat and air units in each room, television, phone, three meals daily from a 24-hour commercial kitchen on site, a laundry facility and more amenities. There’s no age requirement for living there. A single room runs $1,490 monthly and a couple’s room runs $1,690.

Under VFW rules, organization members must be U.S. military veterans who served in a war, campaign or expedition on “foreign soil or hostile waters” and who was honorably discharged. VFW Auxiliary members can be spouses or family members of VFW members.

The VFW Veterans Village is owned and operated by the VFW Department of Florida and is also supported by the VFW Auxiliary Department of Florida, which donated more than $106,000 in 2021, which was used to date to upgrade plumbing and bedding with about $77,000 remaining, Lugo said recently.

To learn more about the facility, go to vfwveteransvillage.org