Community prepares for Memorial Day ceremonies

This year’s Memorial Day tribute on the Courthouse Square promises to be one of the most memorable and meaningful in recent years.
Through the work of a committee headed by Caldwell County Commissioner Tom Bonn, Caldwell County Veterans Service Officer Larry Corpus and Justice of the Peace M. Louis Cisneros, several changes to the ceremony will bring the meaning of M

emorial Day home to tribute attendees.
One of the most significant changes of note will be the reading of the names of Caldwell County’s fallen soldiers. The honor normally bestowed upon Caldwell County Commissioners has been passed along to county residents, many either veterans or survivors of the fallen.
Another notable addition to the schedule will be the keynote speech, delivered by 1972 Lockhart High School graduate Brig. Gen. Harold “Gary” Bunch.
Bunch was born in Frankenburg a.d. Eder, Federal Republic of Germany. He graduated from Lockhart High School in 1972 and received his Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Texas A&M University in December 1976. He was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate, receiving a Regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant. He left active duty and joined the Army Reserve in 1982.
Gen. Bunch assumed his current duty as the Deputy Commanding General for the United States Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, on Oct. 10, 2006.
His decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with on Service Star, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Hourglass and M device, and the Combat Action Badge.
In connection with his Memorial Day appearance, Bunch will be honored at a reception in the Lockhart High School new gym at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 25.
Memorial Day ceremonies on the Courthouse Square will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 28. Limited shade and seating will be provided for those who may be unable to stand or tolerate the sun during the hour-long ceremony.