From staff reports
Del Rio paused Monday to honor its numerous veterans with a number of events around the city.
The morning’s festivities kicked off about 10 a.m. with a parade down Main Street with nearly 40 entries.
“It’s really beautiful to see our community come together to honor its veterans,” said Enrique Trevino, Val Verde County Veterans Services Officer, who helped spearhead the effort along with Esme Meza, the city’s community services director.
The parade began at Star Park, located on North Main Street and proceeded to 17th Street, where it went for two blocks to Veterans Boulevard, then north for a block, and participants turned into the civic center’s back parking lot.
Hundreds of community members lined the route with many sitting in front of the civic center. After the last float, many walked to the front of the civic center for a 48-minute ceremony honoring veterans attended by several hundred.
The ceremony began with Del Rio High School’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps 066 presenting the colors while Del Rio vocalist Robert Wade sang the National Anthem.
Del Rio Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, welcomed the community members
“We are here today to honor our veterans,” said Joel Langton, the event’s master of ceremonies. “We also want to ensure that our veterans know about some of the services available to them, so we are going to have a series of speakers for about two minutes apiece who are going to share what their agencies and organizations are doing.”
Former Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano shared about his experiences while stationed in Kuwait and how it inspired him to start an organization to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Afterwards, Celso Barrientos, veterans case manager at West Texas Counseling and Guidance, shared about his agency’s services for veterans. He is also part of an effort through FOB Del Rio working to help ensure homeless veterans have a dry, safe place to stay at night.
They recently received a grant through the efforts of U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales.
“We’d said we wanted $50,000,” Barrientos said. “He called us and said he hadn’t been able to get us $50,000. We told him we understood. Then he told us we had a million-dollar grant.”
Speaking about West Texas Guidance and Counseling, he said. “If there is a veteran who needs our services, regardless of the type of discharge he received, we will serve him,” Barrientos told the audience.
The keynote speaker was Col. (ret) Andy Katz. Katz was stationed at Laughlin AFB several times and now works there as a civilian employee.
“My family and I have always loved Del Rio, and we look forward to continuing to make it our home,” he told the audience.
He then shared inspirational stories and experiences from his 29-year career and discussed the impact veterans made on the nation.
Afterwards, Wade wrapped the ceremony up with his rendition of the song “God Bless the USA.”
