Jose Galvan remembered

A time-honored Veterans Day tradition unfolded Friday at Holmes High School.

Students lined up near the flagpole.

The band played the national anthem.

Members of the JROTC program crossed their swords in an arch in tribute to school employees who served their country.

But there was something different this year: raw grief and fond remembrances.

This time, the assembly honored a fallen Marine, Cpl. Jose A. Galvan, a 2003 Holmes graduate who was killed Nov. 4 by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Family, friends and an invited guest, boxer "Jesse" James Leija, spoke of the sacrifice Galvan and those before him gave in the name of freedom.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for serving the United States and serving proudly," Leija said, his voice breaking as he spoke of Galvan and veterans.

Galvan, who was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, One Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif., was a key member of Holmes' armed drill team that dethroned champion John Jay High School in 2003 for best in the Northside Independent School District.

The team captured first place in the American Legion National JROTC Drill Tournament that year.

Galvan was the first Holmes graduate killed in Iraq, Principal Corinne Saldana said.

"This is a tradition we do to honor all veterans on campus," Saldana said. "Kids need to understand what Veterans Day is all about."

Holmes wasn't alone in its tributes. At its seventh annual Veterans Day celebration, Bracken Christian School in Bulverde honored a former student who was killed in Iraq last week.

Lance Cpl. Luke Benjamin Holler, 21, was on foot patrol Nov. 2 in Anbar Province when he was killed by a roadside bomb. Holler was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserves 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division.

The small school held a wreath-laying ceremony as a tribute to Holler.

Veterans Day is the anniversary of the day an armistice was signed ending World War I. On May 24, 1954, the name was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor military members of all wars.

At many locations this year, Veterans Day, although the actual date is Nov. 11, was celebrated on the 231st birthday of the Marine Corps.

At Holmes, family members wore red, black and white T-shirts with a large photograph of Galvan in military dress blues on them.

They called him a legend, an artist who wielded his rifle with skill and dexterity.

Fellow Junior ROTC members nicknamed him "Gonzo," teasing that his nose made him look like the wild-haired Sesame Street character. He was a joker who channeled his favorite comedian, Jim Carrey. Galvan didn't like confrontations and played peacemaker during disagreements, his family said.

After the ceremony, well-wishers lined up, offering condolences and prayers to the family.

"This gives me confidence. I feel the love here," Galvan's mother, Leticia Vega, said, comforted by her husband, Jesse Vega. "I wouldn't be the mother I am today if it wasn't for my son, Jose. I feel like his holy spirit is working through me."

Hector Galvan, 45, remembered his son's last Myspace.com entry, posted two days before he died. Jose Galvan talked of meeting actor Chuck Norris, who looked him in the eye and thanked him for his service.

"He had a way with people and words. He was like a poet," Hector Galvan said. "I miss him. I miss him a lot."

The Marine's younger brother Julian Vega, a sophomore at Holmes, said Galvan taught him a lot about life and leadership.

"Jose will be loved, missed and never forgotten," Vega, 16, said. "He'll always stay in my heart."

From the Express News

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Jose Galvan killed in combat