Veterans Day Parade set for Saturday, events scheduled throughout November

San Marcos residents will have the opportunity to honor those who served with a different service activity celebrating veterans being promoted each week of November. 

The City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department along with assistance from the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee will host a month of community service opportunities in honor of Veterans Day.

Honor a Veteran will take place from Nov. 1-7 and allow the community to submit the name, photo and brief description of a veteran to be added to the San Marcos Veterans Story Map. The map is interactive, honoring veterans from all wars. The map is available at sanmarcostx.gov/veterans. Submissions may be made online or by emailing lmorris@sanmarcostx.gov with the name and a brief description of that person.

The Veterans Day Parade will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Hopkins Street and CM Allen Parkway. The parade will pass the Hays County Courthouse, turn left onto Guadalupe Street, turn left onto San Antonio Street, turn left onto CM Allen Parkway, and then turn right onto Hopkins Street before disbanding at the line up area.

Street closures for the parade will begin at 7:30 a.m. Limited accessible parking will be available at Veramendi Plaza. Vehicles with a valid disabled parking placard or license plate will be allowed through the barricade on CM Allen Parkway.

Pre-parade activities will take place on the lawn of the Hays County Courthouse beginning at 9 a.m., including the Kiwanis Club Kids Bicycle Brigade available to children age 5 and older.

The parade will be led by two Grand Marshals: Retired Air Force Lt. Col. George Carruthers and Marine Corps Sgt. Donald Dorsey. Both were selected to serve as Grand Marshals last year, but the honor was postponed due to the cancellation of the 2020 parade.

Carruthers was called to active duty in June 1942 and flew combat missions over Europe. While among the crew of the “Windy City Challenger,” Carruthers’ plane was shot down by a German fighter. He survived, but was immediately captured by German troops and spent two years as a prisoner of war. Upon the end of World War II, Carruthers returned to the United States and continued a distinguished 30-year career in the Air Force before he retired in 1972 and moved to San Marcos.

Dorsey served in combat during the Vietnam War before he was honorably discharged in 1969 and returned to the United States. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and created the nonprofit Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans in 1985 to help other veterans and military members. Dorsey later created the Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit and dedicated the Vietnam Veterans Monument at the Texas State Capitol. He currently dedicates his time to various veterans’ activist organizations and serves numerous state and local veterans committees.

From Nov. 8-14, the community has the opportunity to donate to Wreaths Across America by sponsoring a remembrance wreath for gravesites of veterans buried in the San Marcos City Cemetery. Donations can be made at wreathsacrossamerica.org/tx0916. The wreaths will be placed on gravesites on Dec. 18, 2021.

Citizens can also participate by writing a letter to a Veteran. From Nov. 15-21, individuals can write a letter for a veteran living in Texas State Veterans Homes. The letters may be submitted and delivered through the Veterans Land Board Mail Drop Program.

On Nov. 20, volunteers can help with preparation for Wreaths Across America. Participants will assist in locating and marking more than 700 veterans’ graves in the San Marcos City Cemetery in preparation for Wreaths Across America Day. Volunteers will meet at the cemetery at 9:30 a.m.

The final activity will encourage citizens to donate to the Hays County Food Bank from Nov. 20-30. The San Marcos community will have the opportunity to make a monetary donation or donate items for distribution to veterans through the Hays County Food Bank. A list of items and instructions can be found online at haysfoodbank.org.

For additional information regarding the activities, visit  www.sanmarcostx.gov/parade.