Eagle Pass VFW Post 8562 Celebrates Memorial Day, Honoring Fallen Maverick County Veterans
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
The Eagle Pass Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8562 celebrated Memorial Day with a ceremony at the VFW Hall on Monday, May 30, 2022 with over 100 persons in attendance, honoring all Maverick County and United States veterans who died in foreign wars.
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Greg Stankewicz was the Master of Ceremony, welcoming all veterans, family members of fallen Maverick County veterans, and citizens present at the solemn Veterans Day ceremony.
The presentation of colors was by the C. C. Winn High School Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard.
The United States Pledge of Allegiance was done by Audrey Aguilar, Allison Aguilar, and Alana Goodman.
The Invocation was presented by VFW Post 8562 Chaplain Rogelio Reyna.
VFW Post 8562 established an empty table and chair for Prisoners of War and Missing in Action veterans, as well as a section of empty chairs for these men and women.
The VFW Post 8562 Color Guard performed the traditional 21 Gun Salute outside the VFW Hall and the customary military “Taps” bugle arrangement was performed by Pedro Barrios.
Keynote speaker for the May 30 Memorial Day ceremony was retired U.S. Army Veteran Miguel Chavez, presenting an eloquent speech on the impact of foreign wars on veterans, families, and the United States.
VFW Post 8562 presented a reading of the known Maverick County veterans who fell in a foreign war, including in World War I such as George F. Wallace, Charles Hausser, John M. Jewel, Concepcion Ortiz, William Dean, Leroy Bates, and Albert Jones Chase; World War II includes Alvaro Alvarado, Oscar V. Backus, Gilbert Carrasco, Shelter F. Flores, Garlan Ledbetter, Pedro R. Martinez, Francisco F. Mauricio, Raul F. Perez, Elias Serrato, Gregorio Tovar, David P. Towns, V.G. Villarreal, Oscar Wueste, Alberto Garcia Gil, Francisco Caballero, Jorge Hernandez Flores, Raul O. Reyna, Mylam V. Shamburger, James W. Carver, Carroll Volney Lee, Jr., Marcos S. Duran, Federico R. Oyervides, Guadalupe A. Mireles, and Jose B. Sanchez; Korean War includes Gerardo Escontrias, Martin Rodriguez, Robert A. Williams, Luis P. Torres, Pedro R. San Miguel, and Lawrence Hobbs; Vietnam War includes Juan D. Estrada, David Garza, Thomas D. Chestnault, Ramiro Herrera, Adrian L. Lynn, Ramiro F. Olivo, Erasmo Palos, Matias Y. Rodriguez, Jr., David Chisum, William Mitton, Felipe Villanueva, Baltazar A. Maldonado, Felipe Maldonado, and Pablo R. Gonzalez; Persian Gul War includes Candelario Montalvo, Jr.; and the Iraq War includes Melissa Valle’s and Stephen Joseph Perez.
VFW Post 8562 Commander Diana Cruz-Montoya thanked all the veterans in attendance and those who could not be present and their families for commemorating this solemn ceremony in honor and respect of all American veterans who fell in a foreign war in service of their country.
