SAN ANTONIO – Communities across San Antonio came together Sunday ahead of Memorial Day weekend to honor those who gave their lives in service to the country.
At least 600 people participated in a two-mile memorial walk starting at VFW Post 76, part of the national Carry the Load movement.
Members of the JP Morgan San Antonio Veterans Business Resource Group led the event.
Mark Owens, a JP Morgan SA Vets BRG lead, said the walk carries a personal meaning for him.
“I’ve lost a soldier, you know, in 2005, Sergeant Maraviosa, she passed away on Christmas Eve,” Owens said. “Her family got notified on Christmas Day, and it’s those that stay with you and everyone else that’s fallen before you, that stays with you. That’s what this is all about. It’s honoring our veterans, honoring our fallen.”
Fellow BRG lead Manuel Donias carried 20 pounds of weight in his bag, each pound a tribute to someone he served alongside.
“It’s for people that I knew, that I served with, and also first responders that I served with as well, too, that have lost their life in the line of duty,” Donias said. “So in my honor, I carry them. That’s what Carry the Load means: to carry the person that is no longer with us.”
For Donias, the event’s timing made it all the more meaningful.
“It’s a great way to honor them leading up to Memorial Day weekend,” he said.
Read also:
Copyright 2026 by TheTXLoop – All rights reserved.