Texas Military Forces boost annual Laredo event
Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada, Texas Military Forces Public Affairs
2008/03/05
One of the highlights of Washington’s Birthday Celebration kicked off in Laredo, Texas, with the customary Stars and Stripes Air Show Feb. 16, featuring Texas Air National Guard C-130s, Army Guard parachute jumpers and State Guard bicycle patrol and security.

The Washington’s Birthday Celebration, founded in 1898, rivals -- and some admittedly biased Texans might argue -- exceeds Mardi Gras merriment in New Orleans. The festivities last nearly a month and draw an average of 400,000 attendees each year. The Stars and Stripes Air Show, followed by the Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant and Ball and the International Bridge Ceremony the following weekend, are popularly considered to be the highlights of the celebration.

[Read more in the March 2008 issue of The Dispatch, page 6]