The city of Weslaco with the help of Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez announced a gesture of gratitude to the veterans of the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday, when new accommodations were granted at the Weslaco City Hall just days before Veterans Day.
The token of appreciation came in the form of a new veteran-only parking space along with the unveiling of its respective sign at Weslaco City Hall’s parking lot.
“Our gratitude toward America’s 19 million living veterans should come in forms that reflect a constant reminder of how much we owe those who have served,” Cortez said.
Weslaco was the first city in the Valley to accept the offer of assigning a veteran-only space at city hall, but other Hidalgo County municipalities have also agreed to do the same, according to Cortez.
It’s important to note that some veterans are not officially recognized as handicapped or disabled but suffer from injuries sustained during their time served in the military.
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Micaela Reyes is one such veteran.
“It makes it a little bit easier to walk because even though I’m not disabled I do have some disabilities that prevent me from walking far distances,” Reyes said at Tuesday’s event. “I greatly appreciate it and I’m looking forward to other cities doing this at their city halls.”
Reyes suffers from injuries she sustained to her knees and feet which are common among veterans due to various reasons such as the consistent carrying of heavy loads like body armor, backpacks and weapons.
According to the Army Public Health Center, nearly 50% of military personnel experience one or more injuries a year and are mostly due to chronic repeated stresses to the body, which cause overuse strains, sprains and stress fractures to the lower extremities like ankles and knees.
“A lot of disabilities are not visible,” Texas Veterans Commission’s Specialist Gerardo Garza said. “I have a disability; you can’t see it but I have it.
“A lot of veterans who have disabilities can benefit from this specialized parking.”
Garza drew attention and expressed gratitude toward a new resource guide for veterans released by Cortez that provides information aimed to help veterans’ quality of life, from education to health care and more.
Wrapped in a black cloth and tied by a silver ribbon, the new “Veteran Only Parking” sign located outside city hall also acted as a gesture expressing gratitude on behalf of Hidalgo County and its residents.
“We hope this small token of our appreciation is put to good use by all our veterans,” Cortez said.
