With chapped cheeks and raised right hands, more than 100 young recruits took the oath of enlistment in a chilly Veterans Day ceremony at Dallas City Hall on Tuesday.
The swearing-in ceremony, speeches and military flyovers punctuated a morning dedicated to honoring military service. Afterward, crowds braced against 45-degree temperatures and a blustery wind as the city’s annual 150-float parade marched by.
The procession was led by retired Marine Sgt. Vincent Rios in his motorized wheelchair. Rios, one of three grand marshals for Tuesday’s event, lost three limbs when he stepped on a land mine in Vietnam. The other honorees were retired Navy Vice Adm. David Robinson and retired Marine Cpl. Jake Schick.
“The point of all of this is to honor those who are serving, those who served, and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Solemene, who helped organize Tuesday’s ceremony.
There were several parades in Dallas after World War II, but for about 50 years after, there was no official city recognition of the holiday. Then, in 1997, Solemene and others decided to dedicate their time, money and organizational skills to jump-start the event.
“The first one was in Fair Park. It went four blocks,” said Solemene. “And it’s grown into what it is today, the largest parade in Texas and one of the largest in the country.”
But at 78 years old, Solemene said it may be time to pass the torch. As he darted around the City Hall courtyard Tuesday, the aging veteran tripped over a large cable feeding a television camera.
Even with a bandaged pinkie finger, skinned nose and blood-smeared khakis, Solemene seemed irritated when someone suggested he should sit down.
“There’s still work to do here,” he said, holding up a scraped hand, “so this is no big deal.”
But he conceded the event is taking its toll.
“It’s not easy,” said the former pilot. “It’s a lot of time, and we have to raise more than $90,000 to put this on. So, it’s a lot of work.”
This year, organizers landed a big name, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, to deliver the keynote address. He spoke directly to the 1.7 million veterans in Texas.
“Ever since the founding of our country you’ve gone into harm’s way all around the world,” he said. “Whether you landed on Omaha Beach … or you shivered in Korea’s Chosin Reservoir, or you missed Christmas dinner during the Tet Offensive, or you’ve just returned from the Bagram air base [in Afghanistan], I carry to you today a message from the people of Texas: God bless you and God bless your families.”
Staff writer Naheed Rajwani contributed to this report.
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