PAYING TRIBUTE
to America’s soldiers in Houston, home to the second largest population of veterans in the country
Houston has the second largest population of veterans in the United States, including in dwindling numbers, those who served during World War II. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, only 496,777 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were alive in 2018.
On Nov. 11, the City of Houston will host its annual Veterans Day celebration,
“When we volunteered for special ops, we were told we might never come back. We were dropped off in India and picked up around Burma (Myanmar) a year later.”
Vicente Moreno, 95, recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor
beginning at 10 a.m. with a ceremony featuring a keynote speaker and acknowledgements recognizing local heroes. At 11 a.m. there will be a moment of silence in memory of the 101st anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, effectively ending World War I after it came into force at 11 a.m. Paris time on Nov. 11, 1918.
The American Heroes Parade will then begin at 11:30 a.m. at Dallas and Bagby, proceeding east on Dallas, north on Louisiana, west on Walker, south on Smith, west on Lamar, and ending on Lamar at Bagby. Local veteran organizations, ROTC and Junior
ROTCs, bands and supporters will march in the parade, which is open to the public.
Among the groups participating in the parade, Gathering of
Eagles Houston (GOE), plans to march with
approximately 50 veterans, including eight from World War II. The group’s mission is to gather for camaraderie, to serve as catalysts to improve veterans’ services and to promote the United States Armed Forces by participating in local youth programs.
“We are very proud of our World War II veterans, and we pick them up from every event,” said GOE director Elias Sanchez-Perez, who served during the Vietnam War. “We are very much looking forward to handing out miniature American flags and to seeing everyone at the parade.”
GOE member Vicente Moreno, 95, received the Bronze Star for Valor after serving from 1943 to 1945 in the U.S. Army’s 475th Infantry Regiment, Long-Range Penetration and the 5332nd Special Ops Brigade (China Burma India Theater). He said the Veterans Day parade means more to him than just the day’s festivities. It is also a remembrance for 115 of his brothers in arms who lost their lives to the war.
“When we volunteered for special ops, we were told we might never come back. We were dropped off in India and picked up around Burma (Myanmar) a year later. We traveled 279 miles across the Himalayas with 300 pounds of supplies on our backs,” he said. “When we came home after the war, we just came home and that was it. No one wanted to talk about the war, and you just wanted to put it behind you.”
David Loredo, who was drafted into the U.S. Army at 18 years old in 1942, fought in the Pacific Ocean theater after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. In 1945, he was wounded while leading a reconnaissance patrol in Japanese-occupied Philippines. He is the recipient of the Silver Star for Valor and the Purple Heart. He and
“I’m 94 years old, and I think every day about the soldiers who fought with me back in World War II ... We should absolutely celebrate the right to be able to wave the American flag.” - David Loredo, recipient of the Silver Star for Valor and the Purple Heart
Moreno also were honored this past August by
Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
“I’m 94 years old, and I think every day about the soldiers who fought with me back in World War II,” Loredo said. “We should absolutely celebrate the right to be able to wave the American flag.”
Sanchez-Perez encourages everyone to attend the parade, even those without veterans in their families.
“It’s a celebration of freedom, and it’s an opportunity for everyone to see the faces of those who gave them that freedom,” he said. “Veterans have often been on the bottom of the pyramid, and we are the ones who charge up that hill and come back injured or with problems with our mental health.
The parade is also a reminder that freedom is not free.”
To learn more about Gathering of Eagles Houston, go to www.goehouston.com. For information about the city of Houston’s Veteran’s Day celebrations, go to http:// houstontx.gov/nov11/.
Veterans Day celebrations in the surrounding area also include:
• The Woodlands Township Veterans Day Tribute
Monday, Nov. 11: From 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Town Green Park 2099 Lake Robbins Drive. Event features presentation of colors and a keynote speaker. Donations of military aid packages will be accepted. Learn more at thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/veteransday.
• Veterans Day Memorial Service
Monday, Nov. 11: At Armed Forces Memorial Tower, 18050 Westheimer Parkway. The event, which begins at 11 a.m., is put together by the Katy Rotary and VFW Post 9182. For more information, go to www. vfw9182.com/veterans-day-activity-calendar.html.Q