Honoring Our Veterans

Recognizing the sacrifice Veterans have made for us goes on year round. Scroll down to see how you can support those in our community.

City of San Marcos, Texas

The City of San Marcos takes pride in honoring and supporting Veterans in our community. The global pandemic of 2020 provided challenges and opportunities for us to be creative in our efforts to honor, celebrate, and remember the sacrifices that all Veterans and their families have made on our behalf. City staff members pulled together ideas and resources to present this story of Veterans in San Marcos and Hays County. We hope you will visit this site often to share and reflect on the lives and contributions of our local Veterans.

The City of San Marcos, with assistance from the  Veteran Affairs Advisory Committee  and local veterans’ organizations, hosted a month of service opportunities for the community to honor all who have served. These opportunities replaced the traditional Veterans Day Parade the City hosts each year.

The public was encouraged to decorate their home, vehicle, bike, and/or place of business with flags, bunting, yellow ribbons, and other patriotic items for the month of November. The public was also encouraged to turn their porch light green for the month for the “ Greenlight a Vet ” initiative.

According to a 2019 study "Veterans in Texas: A Demographic Study" by the Texas Workforce Council there were 12,072 Veterans living in Hays County, of those 11,055 were male and 1,017 were female.

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." — Joseph Campbell

Honor a Veteran

San Marcos, TX Veteran Stories highlights the service of San Marcos residents across the globe. Use the arrows above the map to see the photos and stories contributed.

Use the Add a Veteran link below to add a service member to the collection.

Veterans Memorial

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Hays County Veterans Memorial

A community memorial dedicated to Hays County Veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have served our country. Located at 101 Riverside Drive.

Add your Veteran to the Memorial

Who are our Veterans?

Memorial Day Ceremony

Each year the City of San Marcos commemorates Memorial Day with at ceremony at the Veterans Memorial. Here you see members of the San Marcos Academy ROTC posting the colors.

History of the Hays County Veterans Memorial.

Wreaths Across America

Sponsor a Wreath

The San Marcos City Cemetery will be the site for our local Wreaths Across America event. There are over 600 San Marcos Veteran grave sites in our cemetery. Help us to REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom by sponsoring remembrance wreaths, volunteering on Wreaths Day, or inviting your family and friends to attend with you. Visit the  Wreaths Across America  website to sponsor a remembrance wreath to be placed on gravesites of veterans buried in the City of San Marcos Cemetery on Wreaths Across America Day (third Saturday in December). Wreath sponsorship starts at $15 per wreath. Sign up as a  volunteer  for Wreaths Across America Day.

Here is a short video highlighting the 2020 Wreaths Across America Ceremony and wreath laying event.

Veteran Gravesites

Veteran Gravesites is an interactive viewer highlighting where veterans have been buried at the City of San Marcos Cemetery. Zooming in on the map will reveal lots and gravesites where veterans are known to be buried.

Do you have a Veteran in the San Marcos Cemetery? Zoom into their gravesite, and the grave layer will appear as black rectangles. Select their grave, and click the survey link to enter their information.

Veterans Day Parade

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Veterans Day Parade

The San Marcos Veterans Day Parade is a time-honored tradition that brings the entire community together to celebrate our bravest citizens. The event takes place each November on the Saturday prior to Veterans Day. Come early for a great spot to view all the festivities. For the most current information about the parade visit  www.sanmarcostx.gov/parade 

Write a Letter to a Veteran

There are nine Texas State Veterans Homes located across the state. They provide affordable, long-term skilled nursing care for qualified Veterans, their spouses and Gold Star Parents. Residents enjoy receiving letters and correspondence to brighten their day. We encourage the public to write a letter to a veteran living in a one of these homes. The  Veterans Land Board Mail Drop  program allows us to show appreciation for a Veteran, their service and dedication to our great nation.

Support the Food Bank

The  Hays County Food Bank  along with the  VFW Post #3413  and the  Hays County Veterans Service Office  host Veterans Food Assistance Distribution events throughout the year. In 2020 events were held on October 24, November 21, and December 19. A list of foods to donate along with instructions on how to donate them can be found  here . When dropping the food items off, please include a note that the food is for the Veterans Food Assistance Distribution. Food items can also be ordered on  Amazon  and delivered to the Food Bank. Monetary donations can be made online at the Hays County Food Bank's donation  webpage  or by  mailing  them a check.  

Veterans Mural

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Veterans Memorial

A mural by Ryan Runcie

The Veterans Mural, a tribute to local veterans, was created by Ryan Runcie. Runcie held meetings with local veterans of all wars where the veterans shared their stories, inspiring the design of the mural. The community was then invited to contribute to the mural by painting panels of parachute fabric which were then adhered to the wall and completed the scene.

The Artist's Story

Runcie stated - "As an artist, I am overwhelmed receiving the honor of creating a permanent reminder of the daily sacrifice made by so many service men and women. The humble and tight-knit group of veterans that I had the honor of speaking with during the early stages of this project, taught me of the many culturally rich American communities that came together and fought to defend our rights. This artwork will be a permanent, community-created display of our utmost gratitude to them."  

Veteran Resources

City of San Marcos Utility Deposit Waiver for Veterans  https://www.sanmarcostx.gov/192/Customer-Services 

Texas Veterans Commission  https://www.tvc.texas.gov/ 

TexVet is the state clearinghouse for trusted information, resources, data, technical support, and research relevant to service members, veterans, their families, and those who serve them.  https://www.texvet.org/county/25148/2625