Philip H. Parker Post No. 2438, V.F.W.
Historical marker location:THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES (VFW), FOUNDED IN 1899, TRACES ITS ROOTS TO MILITARY VETERANS SECURING RIGHTS AND BENEFITS FOR THEIR SERVICE. FOLLOWING AN INITIAL JUL. 21, 1940 MEETING AT THE OLD BANDSTAND ON THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE, BAY CITY VFW POST NO. 2438 ORGANIZED AT A NOV. 24, 1940 VFW MEETING IN TEXAS CITY. IN BAY CITY’S CITY HALL AUDITORIUM, WORLD WAR I VETERAN COL. WYATT O. SELKIRK (1881-1971) PRESIDED AS THE FIRST POST COMMANDER OF 18 CHARTER MEMBERS. THE POST ALSO HELD MEETINGS AT THE COURTHOUSE, THE BONEY BUILDING, I.O.O.F. HALL AND THE U.S.O. BUILDING.
POST NO. 2438 FOUND ITS FIRST HOME IN 1948, ON LAND OWNED BY HERBERT AND ALLIE PARKER AT BUCKS BAYOU AND HAMMAN ROADS. THE POST ALSO CHANGED ITS NAME TO HONOR THE PARKERS’ SON, ARMY AIR FORCES CAPT. PHILIP HACKLEY PARKER (1920-1945). PARKER WAS KILLED IN ACTION BY JAPANESE GROUND FIRE WHILE PILOTING HIS P-51D MUSTANG OVER HSIANG CH’ENG, CHINA, ON MAR. 23, 1945. A SURPLUS STRUCTURE MOVED FROM CAMP HULEN IN PALACIOS BECAME A MEETING HALL AND CANTEEN. BEGINNING IN 1954, THE POST AGAIN MET IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS UNTIL A NEW POST HOME WAS DEDICATED ON NORTH HWY. 60 IN 1980. THIS BUILDING AND ALL CONTENTS WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 2000, AND A NEW BUILDING WAS DEDICATED IN 2001. THE POST AND ITS LADIES AUXILIARY (FOUNDED 1947) HAVE SUPPORTED THE COMMUNITY IN SEVERAL WAYS. LONG-STANDING ACTIVITIES INCLUDE AID FOR NEEDY VETERANS, SUPPORT OF CURRENT MILITARY PERSONNEL, STUDENT ESSAY CONTESTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND CHARITABLE WORK OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THE POST HAS ALSO HELPED IDENTIFY THE GRAVES OF MORE THAN 3,000 VETERANS IN MATAGORDA COUNTY. POST NO. 2438 CONTINUES TO PROVIDE PATRIOTISM AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO ITS COMMUNITY.