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thedrifter
11-18-06, 07:21 AM
Courthouse gathering to unveil monument in honor of slain Valley Marines, soldiers
November 18, 2006
Carlyn Ray Mitchell
Monitor Staff Writer

EDINBURG — Friends and families of the 11 Hidalgo County servicemen who died in Iraq and Afghanistan are set to gather at the courthouse this morning to honor their loved ones.

At the ceremony, Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia, the event’s organizer, is expected to unveil a monument dedicated to the county’s fallen servicemen from all branches of service.

"It is going to be very moving," said Garcia’s assistant, Lee Roy Loya.

Lt. Col. Orlando Salinas is also slated to call the names of the county’s soldiers killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. A procession to the Hidalgo County Administration Building is planned to then follow and photographs of those honored at the ceremony will be hung there before a reception in their honor.

The event was specifically scheduled for the week after Veteran’s Day to pay specific tribute to the soldiers killed in the nation’s current conflicts, Loya said.

Hidalgo County is home to about 1,800 reserve and active servicemen and women in all military branches. At any given time, 800 of those are serving abroad, many in Iraq, the county’s Veterans Department estimates.

Both the ceremony and reception are open to the public and slated to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday on the Hidalgo County Courthouse’s east lawn.

Ellie