GREGORY-PORTLAND, Texas — This Veterans Day, veterans in Gregory-Portland are inviting the community to join them for a round of golf. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 12232 will host the Charity Golf Tournament, Operation House One, on November 11 at Northshore Country Club. The event is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration starts at 7 a.m. and breaksfast will be provided.

The event aims to support the VFW post, which was re-established in April after a lengthy absence in the area.

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“It was a go, go, go type of rebirth,” said Hector Vargas, the Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 12232. “Our goal is to ultimately find a new home for veterans in the community.”

The post currently meets at the Portland Community Center, but the group is still raising funds to secure a permanent location. Vargas emphasized the importance of having a dedicated space for veterans to gather, access resources, and connect with one another.

“It’s very important because we have a large veteran community that may often go unspoken about or unrecognized,” Vargas said. “We want to continue to have a place for veterans to call home, to ask questions, to get information, and to educate the local community on what we’ve done and what we can give back.”

Vargas, who served 21 and a half years in the United States Marine Corps, noted that being able to serve the community after his military career is deeply personal.

“One of the best highlights for me was being a local from a small town here in the Gregory-Portland area,” he said. “Growing up, I wasn’t the most fortunate, so being able to travel and work with some of the best men and women I’ve ever met really changed my life.”

The VFW post is hoping that community support, like participation in the golf tournament, will help them meet their fundraising goal. Vargas also shared that events like this can offer veterans and community members the chance to connect in a fun, relaxed setting.

“It’s one of those things that will bring an unknown amount of people together, various skill levels,” Vargas said. “You don’t have to be good at golf to enjoy it. It could be a team-building event—camaraderie—and really just looking to have a good time and raise money for a good cause.”

While the event aims to raise funds, Vargas also highlighted that Veterans Day is a time for veterans to come together and celebrate their shared experiences.

“It’s a day where veterans can come together regardless of what service they were in. We all have that common factor of being veterans,” he said. “We can share that common ground and continue to serve our country by working within our community.”

The VFW post is inviting the community to get involved in honoring veterans, whether they are veterans themselves or not.

“Intermingling veterans with the community could help educate those who don’t know enough about what we do or what we are trying to do,” Vargas said. “The end result could bring more awareness and support.”

For questions about the charity golf tournament or registration information you can contact the following representatives:

Primary – Dick Myers, (361) 816-6871

dmeyers1022@gmail.com

Secondary – Chico Hinojosa, (361) 288-6820

chico.gpvfw@gmail.com

More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.

Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com