Scott Dean attended Norwich University in Vermont. He served with the 7th Light Infantry Division out of Fort Ord, California for the Invasion of Panama and 1/327 Infantry Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky during Dessert Storm. He, also, served with the Multi-National Forces and Observers in Sanai, Egypt, as well as, APO in North Africa, and the Middle East.

 

After his military service, Scott owned a bar in Austin in the mid 90’s and moved to Taylor in 2005. He spent 15 years traveling the country as a Regional Special Operations Commander for Prison Systems before being elected as the current Commander of Post 39. He has previously been the Chairman of the Taylor Main Street Advisory Board, owned an antique store in downtown Taylor, and worked at Williamson County’s Emergency Communications Department. Scott is currently the Director of Operations for Captain Hook Dumpsters. 

Dwayne Ariola, a Taylorite, is a Retired Master Chief as of November 2005. He enlisted in the Navy in 1985 after graduating Taylor High School. Choosing to be a part of the Navy’s elite submarine service, his first Submarine was the USS Atlanta. Selected by the Navy to join the recruiting force, he served three years in Albuquerque, NM. After making First Class Petty Officer, that tour was followed by two more Los Angeles Class Submarines, the USS Pasadena and the USS Augusta, as Chief Petty Officer. His next assignment was to the Navy’s Virginia Class Program Officer where he was responsible for the VIRGINIA CLASS WARFARE Requirements and Liaison to fleet personnel until his promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer. In October 2003, he was assigned as Chief Of the Boat (COB) of the USS ALBANY. The ALBANY was recognized with the Battle E Award as the Best Submarine. 

 

Dwayne retired in 2005 and entered the business world. He has served as Plant Manager, General Manager, Vice President, and Director of Technical Services of various companies. Currently he is the Area Sales Manager for Burkert USA in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. 

 

Dwayne and his wife, Alice Marie, have combined one son, Koby and two daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.

Doug Smith proudly served in the US Navy from 1994-1997 where he was a "Brown Shirt" line rat on CV-60 USS Saratoga (aircraft carrier) with squadron VA-35 Black Panthers (A-6E Intruder). He then served as a DM3 on AD-44 USS Shenandoah (destroyer tender) in Draft Shop as a Draftsman. 

 

Draftsman experience led to jobs outside of the military with architects, engineers, and finally a general contractor where he currently work as an estimator with Cerris Builders in Pflugerville.

 

Doug married a military brat (Amy, whose father and brother were both Marines), and have 2 kids (both currently active duty). Jude, a Marine Sergeant working on F/A-18 Hornets aircraft communications, and Kerrigan, a second class petty officer in the Navy working as an electronics technician on the destroyer USS Sterett.

Francis Hester served in the United States Marine Corps during the Global War on Terrorism from 2000 - 2004 as a machine gunner with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines.

Francis earned a BA in business from Concordia University Texas in 2013, and now owns and operates Captain Hook Dumpster Rentals in Austin, Texas.

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Francis has been a member of The Graham D. Luhn American Legion Post 39, Taylor, Texas since 2023 and was elected Finance Officer in February 2025.

Born in Taylor, Texas, Ernest Ariola Jr. graduated from Taylor High School in 1980. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1987, where he began an illustrious career as a Navy Air Crewman and Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator, specializing as an Acoustic Analyst. In this role, he was expertly trained in detecting, analyzing, and classifying submarine acoustic data—critical skills in naval defense operations.

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Throughout his career, Ernest attended several Navy training schools to refine his expertise. He graduated from the Acoustic Analyst School at Navy Base Millington, Tennessee, completed Naval Air Crewman Candidate School at NAS Pensacola, and underwent Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training at NAVBASE Coronado, California. These specialized programs helped lay the foundation for his success in the field.

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Ernest proudly served aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) as an Acoustic Analyst, before transitioning to the VP-22 "Blue Geese"—an elite squadron flying the P-3 Orion, a long-range patrol aircraft. During his time with VP-22, Ernest’s exceptional service and skill as an Acoustic Analyst earned him a selection to join one of the Navy's most distinguished units: the “Bear Trap” crew, a recognition reserved for those who demonstrated outstanding expertise in their field.

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Today, Ernest serves as a Project Manager with the prestigious Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Texas in Austin.

 

Outside of his professional accomplishments, Ernest has a fulfilling family life. He married his wife, Robin, in 1991, and together they have five children and ten grandchildren.

Greg Redden served in the USMC for 7.5 years from 1984 to 1992 as an E4 aviation hydraulic technician with VMFA-235 in Hawaii, specializing in F-4 F/A-18 aircraft from 1985 to 1989. Subsequently, he worked with HMX-1, maintaining and operating helicopters for President George H. Bush from 1989 to 1992.

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Greg and his wife, Rhonda, are owners of A Veteran Storage in Taylor.

Brian "Beasely" Westerman was born in southern Indiana and grew up on a farm, where he learned the values of hard work and discipline from a young age. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering before being selected into the Naval Aviation program through the Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) process.

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Brian served six years in the U.S. Navy as both a Pilot and Surface Warfare Officer, actively contributing during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Stationed in Miramar and San Diego, he served aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Lockwood (FF-1064), demonstrating leadership and dedication in multiple operational roles.

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Brian left the Navy in 1994 to begin a career in the high-tech industry, where he has held multiple roles ranging from production management to development and operations program management at Apple (2 years) Dell Technologies (27 years) and CCIntegration (present).

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Brian and his wife, Rachael, daughter, Raegan, and stepson, Ben have been proud Taylorites since 2015, with Rachael currently serving in the Taylor Chamber of Commerce.

Matt Drummond was born at John's Community Hospital in Taylor, Texas, and proudly graduated Taylor High School. A dedicated citizen of Taylor since 2015, he carries the spirit of hometown with him, "Once a Duck, Always a Duck".

 

Matt served honorably on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) out of Norfolk, Virginia as an ABH (Aviation Boatswain's Mate), participating in two significant cruises during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Known as the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise played a crucial role in every major U.S. conflict from the Bay of Pigs to the response of 9/11, including being the first carrier directly involved in pirate operations.

Jim Newman enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1958. He was selected for the NESEP program, graduated from Tulane University in 1962 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.

Jim served as a platoon commander and company executive officer in the Second Combat Engineer Battalion. He was deployed to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He participated in rescue landings in Panama and the Dominican Republic as part of the Caribbean MEU. He was released from active duty in 1966.

Jim practiced law in Louisiana and Texas for twenty years. He then attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Prior to retirement in 2010, Jim served as a congregational pastor and as a hospital and hospice chaplain. With his wife, Maria, he moved to Taylor in 2003 to serve the First Presbyterian Church.

Jim is a member of the Taylor Planning and Zoning Commission. Maria is President of the Friends of the Taylor Public Library. Both serve on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of East Williamson County.