(The ceremony in its entirety can be seen here.)
By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Veterans buried at Sunset Memorial Cemetery were honored as 43 local residents took part in a Wreaths Across America ceremony, placing wreaths on many of their graves.
Rick Robles, owner and president of Robles Mortuaries, which owns Sunset Memorial Oaks Cemetery and Sunset Memorial Oaks Funeral Home along with two other funeral homes in the region, said it was important we stop and remember the veterans.
“Some of these veterans gave their lives for us, others gave years of their lives so they could serve just so that we could live the lives we live,” Robles said. “So, every holiday season, me and my team make sure we say thanks and do something to honor as many of them as possible for their service.”
According to Wreaths Across America’s website, 2 million balsam wreaths were placed on gravestones at 5,600 locations Saturday, 200 of those were at Sunset.
The people who showed up at 10 a.m. Saturday at Sunset Oaks to help lay the wreaths came from every walk of life, ministers, high school students, retirees, pageant winners and many more.
The ceremony began with a welcome from Mayra Robles-Trevino, who is corporate secretary for the Sunset organization. “We are here with a shared purpose:” she told the audience gathered under the cemetery’s shelter. “We are here to honor our fallen heroes, those who serve and to teach the next generation the true meaning of sacrifice and freedom.”
Robles-Trevino’s comments were followed by a prayer and National Anthem. The Laughlin Honor Guard presented the colors and the VFW offered a three-volley salute.
Afterward, Robles-Treviño introduced the speaker, Roberto “Bobby” Barrera, a Del Rio native and Marine who was severely wounded in Vietnam. After returning home, Barrera overcame life-altering injuries to earn a college degree and devote himself to serving his community in multiple roles. He was later named the Disabled American Veterans’ 1998 Outstanding Disabled
Veteran of the Year and eventually elected the organization’s national commander. He even has a local elementary school named after him.
“Today is one more opportunity to honor our veterans. We are here today to honor those veterans who are no longer with us,” he said. “By supporting today’s ceremony, we keep their memories alive.”
Barrera said events like this take him back to his childhood. “I remember when I was a kid, my parents would take us to the cemetery,” Barrera said. “They would place a wreath, cross or a small tree and say a prayer for fallen loved ones. This is what we are doing here, honoring our loved ones.”
Afterwards, Robles and his Sunset team passed out the wreaths and the people fanned out across the cemetery, placing wreaths on as many veterans’ graves as possible.
Also attending the event was Santos Limon, a Del Rio native who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District.
“I never even knew we had this here,” he said, walking around looking at the gravestones.
Limon, who said he’s had a successful business career, asked Robles-Trevino how many wreaths they were short.
“About 200,” she said.
“You’ll have them next year,” he said. “Our community needs to support this.”
He called the national president of a veterans organization and told him about the background of the event. (Although an 830 Times staff member listened to the conversation, the national president didn’t know a media member was listening and will not include his name at this point.)
“I’ll buy 100 if you’ll buy a 100,” Limon told the man.
“Done,” the man said.
Limon looked over at Robles-Trevino and said, “Hopefully, next year, every veteran gets a wreath.
The writer can be reached at JoelALangton@gmail.com .
