Veterans Post #66

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POST 66 WAS CHARTERED MARCH 20, 1920. IT IS THE OLDEST VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION IN HOPKINS COUNTY AND ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

Hopkins County Post 66 was chartered in the spring of 1920. It was originally named the Walter Kincaid Post 66. The name was changed on the permanent charter to HOPKINS COUNTY POST 66.

The first officers of the Post were: EUGENE WILLIAMS, Post Commander; FRANK GAFFORD, Adjutant; OSBORN CONNOR, Treasurer; WILLIAM I. ST. CLAIR, Assistant Adjutant; HART T. LONGINO, Historian. There were 96 charter members.

The Post continued to prosper through the years and eventually a Post Home and canteen was built on Church St. near Airport Road. The Post Home was used by many organizations in Sulphur Springs as a meeting hall, for dances and a Teen Town. It the Eighties, the Post fell on hard times. The property was liquidated and the Post became inactive. The building was eventually torn down and the property converted to other uses. The original flag pole and Walk of Honor were salvaged and moved to Hopkins County Heritage Park, where they remain to this day.

In February, 1998, Legionnaire Jim Myrick petitioned National Headquarters to reinstate Hopkins County Post 66 with 26 new charter members. These charter members are:

James Jenkins, Frank Pope, Howard Stevenson, William Vaughn, Troy Wallace, Cary Horton, Roy Hall, Steve Potteiger, Eddie Bowden, Ralph Hiatt, Tommy Allison, Mitchell Cavallaro, Robert Wolfe, Phillip White, Richard Dorman, Bob Crumby, Joe Reid Scott, Wayne Williams, Vena Searcy, Bob Hartzog, Robert Dale, Bill Dirks, John Perry, Harmon Davis, Dave Kirkpatrick and James Myrick.