The VFW is a fraternal organization of combat veterans and whose purpose is to serve and assist other veterans and promote civic responsibility in the community. VFW Post 8553 has members who served in WWII all the way up to Operation Iraqi Freedom and they work hard to keep the post’s mission going strong.
In addition to providing services to veterans like home maintenance and repairs, visiting the sick and helping veterans navigate the VA system, the post serves its community by providing flag retirement ceremonies, high school scholarships and Memorial and Veterans Day programs.
“We also team up with the American Legion to provide military honors at veteran funerals,” said Post Commander Ricky Richards. “We fold the flag, have taps and the firing squad does the military salute.”
The honor guard is provided to veterans free of charge but families have to request the service.
The post, along with other groups in the county, also place flags at cemeteries throughout Bosque County on military holidays. There are also eight days throughout the year that members of the VFW place flags in front of businesses as part of their Patriotic Street Flag display.
In addition to serving veterans in the community, the post also interacts with local youth to promote and encourage civic interest.
“We want to encourage our young people to be involved in civics and leadership in the community,” said Richards. “We want to make sure the right kind of people are growing up to be leaders of the community.”
The post hosts writing contests for junior high and high school students in the county. The topics are always patriotic or civic-minded and are meant to inspire students to think critically.
VFW Post 8553 sponsors Clifton youth baseball every summer and has recently started sponsoring the Bosque 4H Shooting Team.
“Being military we think it’s important that shooting sports are promoted,” said Richards.
“We bought them some really nice rifles to help them be competitive and we saw a really big difference after they received them,” said Sr. Vice Commander Jose Cano. “They got really competitive after that.”
Although the post remains active within the community, new membership within the VFW has been dwindling. Currently, the post in Clifton is the only post between Waco and Granbury.
The post has been working to recruit new members by being out in the community and talking to veterans and inviting them to come join.
Richards said the nature of veterans returning from war has changed so much over the years that the need to seek out veterans with similar experiences has lessened.
“For a lot of the guys, the need to get into the VFW to decompress isn’t there anymore so when they come home, they acclimate back into society a lot easier now,” said Richards.
“A lot of people still have the perception that we come down here and drink beer and tell war stories, but we don’t do that,” said Richards. “Our focus is on the future and we have a heavy focus on the kids and community service.”
On the Friday and Saturday before Memorial Day, the post will put out flags at the cemeteries, and on the morning of Memorial Day they will put street flags out before holding a ceremony at the Clifton Cemetery followed by a luncheon at the VFW. In the afternoon there will be special events at the Cliftex Theatre.
“There will be two movie showings, one at 2 p.m. and another at 7 p.m. where we will show the 1976 version of Midway and We Were Soldiers Once,” said Richards.
The event will be free to the public and members of the VFW will be there to answer questions and pass out information about the VFW.
“We’re trying to raise awareness of the VFW and trying to get some of the newer veterans involved with us,” said Richards.
VFW Post 8553 meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the VFW Hall/ American Legion in Clifton. Veterans interested in joining the post are encouraged to attend the meetings.
For questions or more information, contact Ricky Richards at 214-213-3838 or email him at rickyrichards@centurylink.net.