LAMPASAS — Members of Sons of Confederate Veterans Saltworks Camp No. 2353 presented special plaques Saturday, August 8, honoring the memory of Charles James “Choc” Gillen, the World War II veteran and community leader for whom Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 8539 is named.
The presentation was made at the Charles “Choc” Gillen VFW Post, 481 N. U.S. Highway 183. Camp members delivered a framed Memorial Membership certificate and accompanying recognition of Gillen’s life in Lampasas County, his service to veterans, and his documented descent from Confederate Sgt. William C. Gillen.
Gillen, a longtime Lampasas businessman, served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was stationed in India. He was a founding member and the first commander of the local VFW post, which opened in 1946 as the Lampasas Memorial VFW. The post was renamed in his honor in 2013. He and his late wife, Alice Marie Gillen, operated Gillen’s Army Surplus Store and were active in civic life for decades.
Saltworks Camp No. 2353 certified Gillen as a Memorial Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans on September 9, 2023, on the service record of his Confederate ancestor and on the recommendation of the camp. The framed certificate presented Aug. 8 is intended as a lasting tribute at the post that bears his name.
Camp members said the honor recognizes both Gillen’s proud family lineage and the work he did for fellow veterans and the wider Lampasas community. The SCV presentation also notes the shared purpose of the two organizations: remembering those who served and keeping local history before the public.
VFW Post No. 8539 continues to operate a canteen and hall for members and guests and remains active in veteran support and community service in Lampasas County.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a hereditary organization of male descendants of Confederate veterans. Saltworks Camp No. 2353, based in Lampasas, takes its name from the Confederate salt works near Bend. The camp conducts cemetery care, historical programs, and public commemorations in Lampasas and surrounding counties.
A formal proclamation accompanying the plaques states that the framed Memorial Membership is presented “in recognition of Charles James ‘Choc’ Gillen’s proud descent from a Confederate veteran, his notable accomplishments in the Lampasas County community, and his dedicated service to the VFW, state and nation.”