Harlingen VFW Post Stands Test of Time
by Ric Cavazos
The Veterans of Foreign Wars post on the Harlingen/San Benito line saw its first veteran on the eve of World War II and got firmly established in the aftermath of the great war.
The 80-year-old-plus facility is roomy enough. It includes long tables and chairs tucked in and ready for patrons when they start streaming in to enjoy comradeship. A bar stocked with cold beers also awaits. This, in VFW jargon, is called a canteen, which is a bar and entertainment area where members and their guests can relax, play games, and enjoy drinks. It’s an important source of revenue to keep VFW posts afloat.
A VFW post like the one numbered 2410 in Harlingen/San Benito is more than just the kinship shared amongst veterans of different generations and eras. The storage area at Post 2410 is being utilized as a staging ground to gather and distribute donations of toys to children in need throughout Cameron County. It’s all part of the Toys for Tots program administered by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
“There are some expensive toys in here,” Post Commander Trey Villela said. “Lots of kids will be getting some really nice toys.”
Seeking Help
The holiday toy drive and distribution are just one piece of the community service Post 2410 does every year.
The post is also involved in supporting area food pantries and local clothing drives. Its core mission focuses on veterans supporting each other through tough times and mental health challenges. The post has been utilized to host representatives from county government who specialize in caring for veterans. Information is shared about services county government offers to vets.
Villela speaks of veterans who have been coming to Post 2410 for decades who have “a lot invested in this building.” Until recently, there were doubts about how long the Harlingen-area post could physically stand the test of time. The old wooden structure was decaying, with years of flood damage taking its toll. The big freeze of 2021 only added to these woes. when pipes in the lodge burst and caused extensive water damage. Villela set up a GoFundMe account in hopes that “we could bandage everything up.”
The Post’s challenges received coverage from a local television station. The broadcast report caught the attention of Rene Capistran, a veteran and the chief executive officer of Noble Texas Builders in La Feria. Capistran, who heads up one of the larger commercial builders in South Texas, took a look at the post by walking the grounds with Villela and other vets. Capistran’s conclusion hit hard.
“Rene told us the building was not salvageable,” Villela said. “We have veterans that have been coming here for over 20 years. At the end of the day, we need to have something here for them.”
Support Pours In
The contact with Capistran was followed by a visit from U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who in previous years helped a VFW post in Falfurrias gain funding to make facility improvements.
Eventually, Gonzalez would do the same for Post 2410. Meanwhile, Capistran began working on fundraising efforts on behalf of the veterans at 2410. An annual Noble Texas fishing tournament fundraiser led to several companies offering in-kind services to provide the materials, labor, and services to build Post 2410 a new facility at a site just behind the current structure.
The congressman secured a $850,000 federal grant for the Harlingen post. Noble Texas and its associated companies in construction and services pledged to do work with a value of $1.5 million. A new VFW Post 2410 should be completed by the end of 2025. Villela says he and the vets of Post 2410 were overwhelmed by Gonzalez’s assistance and the generosity and support of Noble Texas.
“We were very fortunate Noble and the congressman came to us and, in doing so, brought awareness to everyone they work with,” he said.
Then it was back to work on Toys for Tots, as Villela took stock of incoming boxes that were stacked up and being prepared for distribution.
“It’s about giving back to the community,” said Villela, a Marine who served in multiple deployments during the Iraq War in the early 2000s. “We’re grateful to be here.”
The VFW Post is located at 2006 N. Whalen Road in Harlingen and can be reached at 956-399-4011. For more information regarding Toys for Tots, call 760-201-9277 or email Harlingen.tx@toysfortots.org.
