HONORING TEJANO LEGENDS: New mural recognizes American GI Forum Men’s Chapter founders

Three Tejano legends have been honored with a mural painted to recognize their legacy in the community and their work for the American GI Forum of San Marcos Men’s Chapter (SMGIF).

Family, friends and SMGIF members gathered Saturday to dedicate the new mural painted in honor of founding members Augustin Lucio Jr., Celestino Mendez Jr., and Ruben Ruiz Sr.

“This mural is dedicated to honor the founders of the San Marcos men’s chapter, ensuring that the early leaders of the local veterans organization will never be forgotten,” SMGIF Chairman Jesse Sanchez said. “This mural dedication will serve as a commemoration of a collective history, recognizing outstanding individuals that stood before us in the fight to make San Marcos a more culturally diverse community and to improve the conditions for all citizens.”

The mural painted on one of SMGIF’s buildings at 417 South Mitchell St. was partially funded by the City of San Marcos, Arts Commission Community Art & Diversity Grant.

Dayann Pazmino, a community-based visual artist who previously worked with Mano Amiga as its Community Arts and Immigrant Rights Coordinator, painted the mural.

“Today is a great day of celebration, honoring the lives of the Tejano legends who worked to make San Marcos a more diverse place to live and especially a safer place to live for people of color,” Pazmino said. “I’m honored to have been given the task of designing and creating this mural with the help of extremely talented volunteers.”

During its existence, SMGIF Men’s Chapter has addressed various issues in the community, including education, college scholarships, public service, voter registration and redistricting during its lengthy history. “All while providing the vital impetus for Hispanic involvement in multiple areas of community service,” according to the SMGIF Men’s Chapter.

American GI Forum of San Marcos Men’s Chapter hosted a dedication ceremony for a new mural honoring its founders. Above, Dayann Pazmino, who painted the mural, and Lianne Staff, a volunteer who helped, posed for a photo on Saturday. 

Pazmino and SMGIF hope to add onto the mural by adding a second part recognizing the American GI Forum of San Marcos Women’s Chapter.

“As was mentioned, we also would like to create a second part of the mural honoring the women’s auxiliary, so there’s still more to come,” Pazmino said.

ABOUT THE HONOREES

AUGUSTIN LUCIO, JR.

Augustin Lucio Jr. grew up in a farming community outside San Marcos. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade and joined the U.S. Army nearly a year before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Lucio was sent to Northern Ireland in October 1943 and stormed the beach at Normandy on D-Day. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. SMGIF said he’s the most decorated veteran from Hays County.

Lucio was an active member of the community. He was elected to the San Marcos school board for multiple non-consecutive terms, where he served for a total of 19 years. Lucio founded the San Marcos chapter of the American GI Forum in 1948, later establishing the first San Marcos GI Forum scholarships for graduating students.

Lucio led a boycott of all San Marcos public schools in protest of unfair treatment of the local Latin community in 1972, citing a lack of Hispanic teachers, SMGIF said. San Marcos Consolidated ISD later named the high school library in his honor.

“The three being honored today used their role in the American GI Forum to set the foundation for equal education and equal opportunity that we enjoy today,” Robert Lucio told the crowd gathered Saturday.

CELESTINO MENDEZ JR.

Celestino Mendez Jr. was born and raised in the San Marcos area, where he attended the “Mexican School.”

Mendez’s studies at Texas State were interrupted by the draft during the Korean War years. He later helped elect some of the first minority public officials in the city, SMGIF said.

He was the first Mexican-American elected to the San Marcos school board in 1961 and was elected school board president in 1964. Mendez also served numerous terms as a Commander of the local GI forum chapter and led the chapter’s campaign in 1992 to file a civil action lawsuit against SMCISD for single-member districts on the school board. The chapter won the judgment.

“The GI Forum was so important to my dad,” Rose Mendez Segrave said Saturday. “As long as I can remember, it was a big part of his life, a big part of all of our lives … I think there’s a whole lot that people can read about him and all of his accomplishments in the community, but for me he was a really great dad. He was there for us.”

RUBEN RUIZ, SR.

Ruben Ruiz Sr. was an active member of the American GI Forum of San Marcos. He is the only member of the GI Forum San Marcos chapter to be elected to the Texas State chairman of the American GI Forum.

Ruiz was involved in politics within the San Marcos community, SMGIF said. He was the first Hispanic American to be elected to local government in the 1950s, SMGIF stated, adding that he was elected to San Marcos City Council. He was later elected to the Hays County Commissioners Court.

“I was very privileged to have worked alongside [the three honorees] as I also am involved with the community,”  Rosina Ruiz Valle said Saturday. “And I learned about leadership and about standing up and about community involvement from all three, including my father of course. I’d like to thank my parents for initiating that we give back to our community. And as we know, these three individuals are trailblazers in our community.”