Meet Larry Bethea Jr.: Now 75, Larry Bethea came to Waco in 1993 after retiring from a decades-long Army career. In Waco, he found his calling serving those who served, becoming VFW Post 8564 commander and working 15 years for the Heart of Texas Veterans One Stop as veterans outreach coordinator. But his calling extends beyond his job. He does after-hours outreach to find housing and resources for struggling veterans. He offers free lunches for veterans each Thursday and prepares barbecue feasts on Memorial Day and Veterans Day that typically draw about 200 people.
His journey to Waco: A native of Lake City, Florida, he spent more than 25 years in the U.S. Army as a military police officer in Europe and Asia. He served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. His time in the Army drilled in him the value of discipline, service, and looking out for others, lessons he now passes on to local veterans navigating life after service.
After retiring from the military, Larry worked briefly for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Waco and even got an offer to become a police chief in Idaho. After receiving 100% benefits from the VA, he joined the local Veterans Advisory Council and built deep connections with the community. That work led him to Veterans One Stop, where he works one on one with veterans.
How he’s making a difference: At Veterans One Stop, Larry helps veterans every day, offering guidance, accountability and friendship along with the free meals he organizes.
“It’s not all about the veterans, it’s about human beings,” he says. “If you are a veteran, I’ll help you. If you’re not a veteran, I’ll help you. I help people because at one point I needed help.”
What inspires this work: Larry says his motivation comes from gratitude.
“I got help way back in the day when I needed it,” he says. “Now I’ve got to give it back to the community.”
That spirit of paying it forward is at the heart of everything he does, driven by his experiences seeing firsthand the struggles veterans face.
How he sees Waco: Larry calls Waco “a great place to be,” but he believes the city’s strength depends on unity.
“We just need to get closer together,” he says. “That’s how other cities grow, people helping each other.”
His hopes for Waco’s future: Larry hopes to see more collaboration, among veterans, city leaders, and everyday residents to make Waco a place where community always comes first.
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Waco Voices is a project by The Waco Bridge to highlight unsung heroes in our community who are bringing about positive change. If you know of someone we should highlight in this series, email Community Engagement and Events Manager Dominic Villa at dominic.villa@wacobridge.org.
