Patriots' Hall cuts ribbon on new building

Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs, a local veterans’ retreat and resource base, saw a packed house of veterans, donors and supporters for its ribbon-cutting ceremony this past weekend.

The ceremony was held on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 21st, and was sponsored by the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce. Shorty Barnett, a former VFW Post 2933 Commander, cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of PHDS’s first building: a meeting house for the local VFW and American Legion posts. Patriots’ Hall, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2019 by Kyle and Kathryn Chandler, Mary Jane Hetrick and Barnett and is run by a nine-member, veteran-majority boardw.

Part of the ceremony was the pandemic-postponed John Allen McCarty Memorial Highway dedication, led by VFW member and former Dripping Springs City Councilman Charles Busbey, with many McCarty family members in attendance. American Legion Post 290 Commander Ben Adair organized the ceremony and noted the long-time leadership of Barnett and Gary Hale in the Dripping Springs veterans community.

PHDS is currently in the permitting phase for the larger gathering hall that will be called Patriots’ Hall. With expected completion in 2023, PHDS is still actively fundraising for that capital campaign. John Paul DeJoria recently announced a $500 thousand matching challenge towards that end.

PHDS also intends to build a small clinic to assist veterans with VA claims, an obstacle course, a fishing pond and a healing garden. Visit patriotshall.org for more information and to find out how to support future progress.