Texas XVI

South West Texas State University may be best known as the place from which President Lyndon B. Johnson graduated in 1930. It is the only Texas school to have ever produced a President or Vice-president.

It also honors its alum who have fought and died, too.

This memorial garden honors those lost in several wars and Vietnam holds its place of remembrance.

When I found this spot, not actually easy as no students could direct me to it, I was surprised to find that one student from SWTSU had died in Nam.

Just at the very bottom of the memorial is the name Sammie Don Hoff and some research found that he was shot down in 1966. He was known to have ejected from his aircraft but was lost.

In 1988 his remains were returned to the U.S. and were able to be identified along with those of the pilot of the plane, Captain Kenneth D. Robinson.

Once more I must comment on what some places do for a single lost soul. 

Nearby, I found this simple marker to a 'Nam vet who came home to become a teacher here at SWTSU.

Next time, on the third of October, we will return to Virginia, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorial from Texas, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Texas X

Driving on Route 35 from Austin to San Antonio, you come upon the city of San Marcos. Said to be among one of the oldest, continuously inhabited places in America (10,000 plus years) it is the home to Texas State University and a small veterans park.

The park is located at 320 Mariposa Street and it was quite deserted the day I was there.

The small memorial is flanked by two flags and lists the names of 12 men to be honored.

The park and the memorial have seen better days and it always saddens me to to see this. I guess we are fading, slowly, into history and when we are gone, I wonder who will remember and care for these places?

There is another memorial in San Marcos, at the University, that I will write about at another time and maybe that is why this one seems to have been forgotten, at least to some extent.

Next time, on the 1st of November, I am going to take you to a MOST unusual site. Be sure to join me in Colorado, as always, at 9:00am. for one of the most fascination stories to date!

To see other memorials from Texas, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.