Lionel is a veteran of the Vietnam War. They drive their long Mercurys and Cadillacs into the small parking lot and step outside into the cool early evening air. Music trickles out of the two-story building in front of them. They walk through the building's narrow doorway and the view widens. The band sits on a small stage to the left of the door.
Long tables line the perimeter of the dimly lit room.
A large dance floor lies in the middle. Already a few couples sway together to the music. Each person pays three bucks. Their eyes scan the room for their friends. For more than 30 years, military veterans have been gathering in VFW Post 9400 near Seventh Street and Cave Creek Road in Phoenix on Saturday nights to dance to the songs they love with the people they know.