JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Each year a wreath-laying ceremony, open to the public and sponsored by the National Park Service, takes place at the gravesite of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
This event commemorates the 36th president's birthday, Aug. 27, 1908.
"One hundred and five years ago, a visionary who led our nation, who was determined to build a great society, was born here, our only president born and raised in the great state of Texas," Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, said. "Today, with this wreath-laying ceremony, we not only remember his birth, but celebrate his life ... his lasting legacy."
The event includes wreath laying, as well as remarks from representatives of the U.S. Air Force, the National Park Service and a Texas student.
"The bills he initiated and the acts he advocated, indicate clearly President Johnson's vision was to build a better tomorrow by focusing on ways to make the United States a better place to live, work and raise a family," LaBrutta said.
This year's student who gave the keynote speech was Jordan Metoyer, also a 2013 Harry S. Truman Scholar.
"Driving here it was very clear there is something special about this place, the place where President Johnson was born and raised," Metoyer said, "a place that even today, has people out early in the morning working on their land, working for their families, working for the city, the state and for this country. There are themes of hard work, individual responsibility and diligence. These are themes that make Texas so great."
"President Johnson was able to reach across political ideologies to get things done," Metoyer said. "He was able to connect to even the most disparate individuals and leaders in this country to move our country forward to enact his vision - a vision that so many others couldn't see for the times, but that was perfect for the society we have today."
Also providing remarks during the event was Russ Whitlock, Lyndon B. Johnson Historical Park superintendent.
"Each time I am called upon to speak on behalf of President Johnson and the national park that bears his name, I find myself overwhelmed by the task of trying to appropriately represent the man, the family and the accomplishments of his political life," he said. "Truly there are so many books and articles written on LBJ because it's virtually impossible to sum him up into any manner that can be easily comprehended. The stories enshrined in this national park mark a period of tremendous turmoil and positive change in our nation. From these now quiet places, a tower of a man emerged onto the national scene and he would forever influence the American way of life."