US Army Staff Sergeant Sam T. Castle Memorial Highway Legislation Passes

Senate Bill 1369 directing the designation of Texas Highway 11 and 49 between the eastern city limit of Daingerfield and the western city limit of Hughes Springs as the US Army Staff Sergeant Samuel T. Castle Memorial Highway was signed into law earlier this week by Governor Greg Abbott becoming effective on September 1, 2025. This bill took 90 days from the time it was filed on February 18, 2025 until it was enacted May 19, 2025.

Sam T. Castle was a 1996 graduate of Hughes Springs High school and a stand out athlete who served in the United States Army. SSG Castle was killed in action in Iraq in 2005. His hometown community of Hughes Springs honored him last year with the designation of a local park in his name.

Thank you to Jason Spencer and the Arden Hanes American Legion Post 351 for raising the funds and awareness to push this important piece of legislation to honor our hometown hero. We will be sharing information in the near future about the unveiling of the new highway signs as soon as Tx-DOT has the signs manufactured and installed.

Thank you to State Senator Bryan Hughes and State Representative Gary VanDeaver for their willingness to sponsor this legislation.

Peace Came Too Late John O’Neal Rucker Cass County Veterans Monument

The portrait of Linden native and Airforce Staff Sergeant John O’Neal Rucker rests on an easel outside my office at the Cass County Justice Center. Downtown on the square at our Historic Cass County Courthouse a special monument stands dedicated in memory of the last American Enlisted Serviceman to die before the cease fire in Vietnam by hostile fire at Danang Airfield during a rocket attack on January 27, 1973.

Cass County Receives $750,000 in Grant Funding for Veterans

The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) announced the Fund for Veteran’s’ Assistance (FVA) grant recipients on May 15th during the FY25 3rd Quarter Commission Meeting. For the upcoming grant period (July 1st, 2025 to August 31, 2026), there were 213 grants awarded, totaling $46,315,000. The 2025-2026 TVC grant recipients are projected to provide direct services to an estimated 40,000 veterans, their dependents, and surviving spouses.

Cass County received two awards to support our ongoing utility assistance program as well as add a program to assist veterans with home improvement repairs. Plans are also in place to add a certified County Veterans Service Officer. Once funding is finalized, we will have a ribbon cutting and celebration at the new Cass County Veterans Service Office located inside the Cass County Justice Center at 604 Hwy 8 North in Linden, Texas.

HIRING OUR HEROES Barksdale Air Force Base Career Summit June 26, 2025 Club Buff 155 Rickenbacker Ave Barksdale AFB, Louisiana 71110 Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas

A variety of employment, job training, and related services are available to veterans. Veterans are given priority of service at all Workforce Solutions offices and online at WorkInTexas.com. Veterans can search for jobs and access information on transition assistance and benefits at Workforce Solutions offices. All new job postings in WorkInTexas. com are placed on a two day hold, allowing only veterans to view these posting during that time period.

The Texas Veterans Network (TVN) is a statewide collaborative of more than 250+ veteran-serving community-based organizations and government agencies that holistically serve the veteran and military community. Together we offer more than 1,100 resources for the military and veteran community.

American Legion

American Legion posts around the world gave millions of hours, raised millions of dollars and influence millions of lives. Our mission is to enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness. “The American Legion: Veterans Strengthening America.”

The VFW Mission and Vision - Our Mission: To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.

Our Vision: Ensure that veterans are respected for their service, always receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of this great country.

We are in the People Business

As a County Judge and Command Sergeant Major; I am in the people business. You will often find me at the point of friction, working to resolve problems. My job often relies on connecting people to resources. If you are a veteran or know a veteran who needs help, there are many resources out there through the multitude of state and federal agencies and non-profits doing amazing work. It can be a daunting task to navigate. If you don’t know who to call, call my office. We will do our level best to find you or your veteran the assistance they need. My office number is 903-756-5181 extension 0.

Reach out to my office — P.O. Box 825 Linden, TX 75563 Phone: 903-756-5181, Ext. 0 Fax: 903-756-5732