BVVM honors vets on Nov. 11
Veterans Day photos
Veterans Park & Athletic Complex
College Station, Texas
On Nov. 11, the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial board of directors hosted its annual Veterans Day Ceremony in front of more than 600 people at the Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza of Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station, Texas.
>> Event map
>> Event program
>> Event photos
The ceremony began with an “Honor Wall Roll Call,” a reading of military veteran names added to the site’s Wall of Honor in 2016. Today, there are more than 5,300 engraved names of military service men and women connected to the Brazos Valley.
Listen to Honor Wall Roll Call
>> Download the file (06:07, 5MB) *announced by Bill Youngkin
Other activities included performances by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and Texas A&M Ross Volunteers, remarks from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and keynote remarks from Hal Hornburg, a retired U.S. Air Force general and graduate of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets program.
Listen to Sen. John Cornyn
>> Download the file (05:24, 5MB) *intro by Fain McDougal
Hornburg entered the U.S. Air Force in 1968 and is now a command pilot with more than 4,400 flight hours. Hornburg has command experience at all levels – flight, squadron, wing, numbered air force and major command. He led a composite fighter wing during Operation Desert Storm, directed air operations over Bosnia, commanded the Joint Warfighting Center, served on the Joint Staff, and directed operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Hornburg also served as Tactical Air Command’s F-15 demonstration pilot for the East Coast, as Air Force Liaison Officer to the U.S. Senate, and as Chief of the Air Force Colonels’ Group. Hornburg is only the sixth Aggie to achieve four-star rank in military service.
Listen to Gen. Hal Hornburg
>> Download the file (15:38, 15MB) *intro by Sen. John Cornyn
Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Fund
The ceremony concluded with a special presentation of a new endowment fund recently established on behalf of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. Denise Fries, a veteran of the U.S. Army and owner of Fries Financial Services, along with Fain McDougal of McDougal and Moore Real Estate, donated the initial funding for the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Fund, an endowment fund that will be managed through the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley.
Fries and McDougal presented the ceremonial check to Community Foundation President Patricia Gerling (shown left).
With Fries’ gift of $5,000, the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Fund will provide perpetual financial support for the management of the Memorial’s ongoing operational expenses. Investment in the fund qualifies as a tax-free donation and can be deducted from a donor’s Mandatory IRA Distribution or from any other source of funds as well.
For more information about the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Fund, email president@cfbv.org.
Wall of Honor 2017
The board of the Memorial for All Veterans, Inc. is accepting applications for placement of military veterans’ names on the Wall of Honor in 2017. The Wall of Honor, a centerpiece of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, is a patriotic and reverent tribute to all of the veterans (living, deceased, or currently serving) of our Armed Forces. The Wall provides an opportunity to honor the sacrifices made by your family members, friends, fellow service men and women, and it serves as an educational experience for generations to come.
