JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
San Antonio is called Military City USA for a reason. When the city, which has a population nearing 1.5 million, celebrates service members, it pulls out all the stops. This year’s Celebrate America’s Military, hosted by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, is no exception.
As Celebrate America’s Military continues, several formal events are scheduled for Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and throughout the weekend.
At 9:30 a.m., the public is invited to honor Veterans at the annual Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Veterans Day ceremony at 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road. The Fort Sam Houston Memorial Service Detachment is sponsoring the event, and Joseph Bray, a civilian aide to the secretary of the Army, will be the guest speaker
A Buffalo Soldiers Veterans Day Commemorative Ceremony, where Maj. Gen. William Thigpen, commanding general, U.S. Army South, will be the guest speaker, will take place at 1:30 p.m. at San Antonio National Cemetery, 517 Paso Hondo Street.
That evening, the USO will host a Salute to Troops event at 6 p.m. at the Tech Port Center + Arena. The salute will celebrate the military, past, present, and future. The event will feature marquee entertainers and produced vignettes throughout an evening of fun and entertainment. Tickets are free to current military members, active-duty, Guard or Reserve, and their families. Service member tickets will be available at the San Antonio USO. Please check the website for more information on ticket distribution closer to the event date.
Also that night, the Air Force Band of the West will perform their Veterans Day Concert, 7-9 p.m., at the Lila Cockrell theatre in downtown San Antonio.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, San Antonio Veterans Day activities will take place at Hemisfair from noon until 10 p.m. The event is free to attend and will include live music, entertainment and more.
For those interested in military history, a Star Spangled Blue event will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 13, at the Walker Ranch Community Center. At this event, attendees will hear about the history and legacy of Vietnam Era Veterans in San Antonio through a series of panels and activities meant for citizens of all ages.
One of the final events during this year’s Celebrate America’s Military will be a unique collaboration between the University of Texas San Antonio Band and 323rd Army Band "Fort Sam’s Own," which will take place from 3-4:30 p.m., Nov. 13, at the UTSA Recital Hall, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio. This concert is free and open to the public.
Celebrate America’s Military and Veterans Day are quickly approaching, so please take this opportunity to mark your calendar for several of the exciting events supporting local service members and their families here in Military City USA. The exciting lineup for this year’s celebration is sure to inspire and show support for the nation’s heroes.
More information on these and other CAM events may be found at http://www.celebrateamericasmilitary.com/events.html.