Texas Weekend of Remembrance to honor our fallen
By Gabby Salazar, Tourism Events Supervisor
While other cities in Texas are known for space exploration, kolaches, and live music, College Station has a well-earned reputation for its enthusiastic support for our nation’s armed forces, especially our veterans.
After all, College Station happens to be home to Texas A&M University, which produces more officers than any institution besides the military academies and maintains a 2,000-member Corps of Cadets. More than 1,400 veterans were enrolled at the university last fall.
That makes College Station a natural venue for a Memorial Day weekend event designed for Texans to pay their respects and honor the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives for our country.
The inaugural Texas Weekend of Remembrance will be May 25-27 (Friday-Sunday) at Veterans Park & Athletic Complex. Our goal is to grow the event into an annual Memorial Day mainstay for military members, veterans, their families and the public to remember the fallen.
The commemoration begins Friday, May 25 with softball and flag football teams dedicating their competition to fallen soldiers. The tournaments are coordinated by Heroes Sports, an organization that supports service members and veterans by providing ways to maintain active lifestyles, bond through teamwork, and become active in their communities.
The weekend officially starts Saturday with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. The schedule includes a motorcade, parachute jump, presentation of colors, rifle salute, and roll call with a ship bell from the USS Kearsarge, which served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez, Jr. (Ret.), commandant of the Corps of Cadets, will provide opening remarks, and Maj. Gen. Paul T. Calvert of Fort Hood will give the keynote speech.
Since good music has a unique way of bringing people together, we’ve invited some outstanding artists to entertain our visitors. Saturday’s opening act (6 p.m.) is the Scooter Brown Band, which will be followed by Joe Nichols and Jamey Johnson. On Sunday beginning at 2:15 p.m., Cody Wayne and Aaron Watson will perform.
Before Sunday’s concerts, join us at 8 a.m. for the kid’s mile fun-run and the 5K run/walk. All proceeds will benefit Brazos Valley Cares for the support of veterans and their families who experience financial hardship. After the races, a free breakfast will be provided by the West End Elixir Company at the American Pavilion. Chaplain Benjamin T. Mayhugh of the U.S. Coast Guard will be the speaker.
Concessions will be available for purchase throughout the weekend, with part of the proceeds donated to the Texas A&M University Veterans Resource & Support Center to assist with scholarships. No outside food, drinks or pets are allowed, but you may bring plastic water bottles. Ample parking is available on-site.
The Texas Weekend of Remembrance embraces the tradition and history College Station is known for by highlighting Memorial Day weekend events and related facilities around the community.
For a complete schedule of events and other information, go to cstx.gov/TWR or call 979-764-3486.
About the Blogger
Tourism Events Supervisor Gabby Salazar is in her third year with the City of College Station. Before joining the city staff, she was the night manager at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena. A product of A&M’s sports management program, Gabby earned her bachelor’s degree in 2014 and is working toward her master’s. A native of Alamo, she was also a member of the Aggies’ nationally-ranked track and cross country teams.
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Educational opportunities just another way we honor our veterans
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By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
Bryan-College Station has always prided itself on its patriotism, thanks in no small part to the role military service and sacrifice has played in Texas A&M’s rich history. Since so many of our residents have served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces, our community reserves a special reverence for Veterans Day.
That’s why we’re especially proud to be ranked No. 4 on USAA’s 2015 list of the best places in America for veterans to get an education. Tuscaloosa, Ala., was ranked No. 1 while No. 6 Killeen was the only other Texas city to rank among the top 10.
Five things to watch at Monday’s city council meetings
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By Colin Killian, Communications/Marketing Specialist
The College Station City Council gathers Monday at city hall for its workshop (5:30 p.m.) and regular (7 p.m.) meetings. Here are five items to watch:
- Aggieland Humane Society: The council will hear a workshop report about the Aggieland Humane Society. The council will consider the city’s annual payment of $205,000 in sheltering fees as part of the consent agenda.
- Veterans Memorial Funding: The council will consider the budget for the Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, along with a $15,000 funding agreement for FY15.
- BVGCD Board Appointment: The council will consider appointing Bill Harris to the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, subject to approval by the Brazos Count Commissioners Court.
- Street Rehabilitation Projects: The council will consider contracts with Binkley & Barfield for professional services related to the Graham Road ($144,820) and Munson Avenue ($377,470) rehabilitation projects.
- Oil & Gas Permit: After a public hearing, the council will consider approving an oil and gas operations permit to Halcon Operating Company for a second well on a 71-acre tract north of the Holleman Drive South-Cain Road intersection. The council approved the first well on Oct. 9.
CS’s oral history project preserves veterans’ stories
You probably know the City of College Station has a lot of its history preserved in the form of documents, maps and photos. But it may surprise you that we’ve also preserved our history by recording the stories of the people who lived it.
The city’s online historic database, Project HOLD, has a large collection of stories gathered through interviews with people who remember the city’s early days. The oral history collection focuses on the stories of our community’s veterans.
