By TOM KENNEDY / The Police News
October 7, 2009

The only VFW post in Texas - and probably the United States - that is made up exclusively of police officer/war veterans wants to expand its membership.

The Houston Police VFW Post 6010 now has 71 members, Post Commander Earl Jones said, and believes it could expand by another 75 to 100 with the veterans of recent and ongoing foreign wars.

"We're looking for some real good young people to come in and take over some of the chores we have in there," Commander Jones said. "I've been there since 1980. I'm a life member.

"The Post is strictly a Houston police officers' Post. It is the only one in Texas that is just for officers and might be the only one in the nation." 

The group meets at the Union Building at 11 a.m. the second Wednesday of every month. Lunch is served.

"We would love to have some new members," said Jones, who retired from HPD in 1995 after 28 years. "We're dwindling because of age and a lot of our members live out of town and are not able to drive back and forth to meetings."

He said annual membership dues are only $16. Lifetime memberships are based on an individual's age. 

Another lifetime Post member, retired Sgt. Dale Bashaw of Waller, said the post was chartered in the early 1960s by HPD's World War II veterans. Bashaw, who served an incredible 45 years on the force, could name at least two WWII veterans who still attend Post meetings. They are Arthur "The Greek" Loukas and Cecil Morton, both retired from HPD.

Jones said among the "chores" the Post currently has to offer are positions such as vice commander, quartermaster and judge advocate. He said the Post's representatives also attend VFW district meetings every three months.

He said the group fully supports the Houston Independent School District's High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice at 4701 Dickson, just off Shepherd Drive. The Post regularly provides $500 scholarships to Post member sons and daughters attending college. 

"We start them out with $500," Jones said, "and if they keep their grades up, we provide them with another $500 the next semester." 

Jones said the Post's Job One is to get the word out to "roughly" 75 to 100 HPD officers who are war veterans and should know about the opportunity to join the VFW.

"We've tried to get the word out to them," the commander said. "This is a good organization and we certainly would welcome more members."

After his retirement Jones served eight years as a civilian in the Office of Inspector General. He's now in May Walker's administration at the Precinct 7 Constable's Office in Harris County.