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Sunday, March 01, 2009

Rio Grande Valley Veterans to plan 250-mile March to SA


L-R: Veteran's Day @ Ft. Sam Houston, 2008

Rio Grande Valley veterans are planning another 250-mile march from Edinburg to San Antonio to highlight the need for a VA hospital in the region.

America’s Last Patrol staged the last march in November 2005. This time the march is being organized by Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America and is slated for spring break week in the Valley.

"It’s always been the older veterans in the Valley that have carried the load. Now it is our turn," said Iraq War veteran Jesus Bocanegra."The call we are making to the younger people is, come and join us, you have a spring break."

The march will start on Saturday, March 14th, at 9 a.m. at Sekula Memorial Library, 1906 S. Closner, in Edinburg.The library is named for the Edinburg native and Marine who died in Iraq in 2004.

The march will end at the Audie Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, 7400 Merton Minter St., in San Antonio, on Friday, March 20th. The Audie Murphy facility is the nearest VA hospital for Valley veterans.

Bocanegra said he expects the march to take just as long as the one in 2005 because the same safety precautions will be taken along the route. "We don’t expect to walk any faster. We will be just as well organized as last time."

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