A sizable group gathered April 22 at the Lampasas County Courthouse for a dedication ceremony that officially recognized the renaming of American Legion Post 277 in Lampasas as the Briggs Wright Post No. 277.
The late Bob Wright and the late Jamie Briggs were remembered for their selfless service and support of the American Legion, their fellow military veterans, veterans’ families and their promotion of youth educational programs.
Post Commander Steve Cook served as host of the ceremony, and he welcomed American Legion Department of Texas Commander Richard Huntley, who along with County Judge Randy Hoyer and Robert Wright IV provided remarks for the program.
BACKGROUND ON WRIGHT, BRIGGS
Robert A. “Bob” Wright III was a retired lieutenant colonel. He attended what is now Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Class of 1966 and Company D-1 in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets.
Wright graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.
After graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps as a second lieutenant. Wright’s first assignment was with the Defense Atomic Support Agency at Killeen.
Wright served a combat tour in Vietnam in 1969; was assigned as the provost marshal at Pueblo Army Depot in Colorado, the Military Police School at Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort McClellan, Alabama; was deputy provost marshal, 8th Infantry Division in Germany; U.S Army recruiting command at New Cumberland Army Depot in Pennsylvania; and Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Polk, Louisiana. His final military assignment was as commander of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation District Headquarters at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Among his other community involvements, Wright was a member of the Spring Ho Committee from 2000-2003, and then he and his wife, Carol, were named parade marshals of the 2014 Spring Ho Grand Parade.
James Buford “Jamie” Briggs received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1964, when it was still an all-male military school.
He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army, Field Artillery. During his first tour at Fort Hood, he met Dorothy Ann Reed Briggs on a blind date that led to 57 years of marriage.
Briggs had command, staff and teaching assignments with duty stations at Fort Hood, Vietnam, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He earned a master’s degree in education at Texas A&M, and pursued graduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; in Korea; at Texas A&I in Kingsville; Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and at Baumholder, Germany.
His third and final tour was at Fort Hood, where he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1986 with 22 years of service.
In addition to his other civic involvement, Briggs and his wife were named parade marshals for the 42nd annual Spring Ho Grand Parade.