The Post Falls American Legion Post 143 is teaming up with Time of Your Life Media to produce, edit and distribute veteran legacy videos through the Post’s Operation Legacy. 

“These are videos that if an individual wants to be able to leave their life story behind, they can actually do so,” said Shawn Seale, co-owner of Time of Your Life Media.

Gary Dagastine of Post Falls, a Navy veteran and owner of Northwest Recumbent Cycles, is among the first local veterans to participate in the program. Dagastine lost his wife a few years ago and said opening up to others has been "hard."

"I bottled up everything inside and would make an excuse here and an excuse there," he said.

Dagastine recently received his video from Time of Your Life Media but hasn't shared it with his family yet, though he plans to do so. He hopes they will be pleased.

"That's all you can expect," he said.        

Seale said that a little over a year ago he and Post 143 Commander Tim Shaw began working on the program. He said they want to ensure friends and family remember the lives of veterans.

“Whatever is important to the veteran himself, they’re able to share that story,” Seale said. 

He said the personalized videos could be anything from an address to their family to sharing a story. They begin with a 60-second introduction recognizing the details of a veteran's service. The presentation can include documents and photos.  

“If you’re talking about a ship you were on, and you have a picture of that ship, we actually put that into the video as well,” Seale said.

Post 143 is the largest American Legion Post in the state, Shaw said. He said Operation Legacy is one of many programs the Post believes will help it sustain and grow.

“We’re taking it to the next level, we are trying to get younger, we are trying to entice younger veterans,” Shaw said. “Offering more, and so that’s what this video project is all about.” 

Shaw and Seale said they recently invited local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts to participate in the program. 

“It’s a local community thing that we are doing,” Seale said.

Shaw said that from this point on, the program will produce three videos monthly. The application process can be completed at Post 143 or through their website. 

Shaw said programs like this matter for veterans because they give them a chance to share their experiences. He said even in their comings and goings at the Post with others who have served, veterans rarely talk about their service. On the rare chance that they do, it’s “nothing very deep.”

“This gives the family an opportunity to know really, what their father, grandfather, uncle, whatever they went through to get to this position today,” he said.

Info: timeofyourlifemedia.com/operation-legacy

Info: www.pfp143.org/