Flaco Guapo Media
Story/ photos courtesy of and permission from Conexión San Ángelo

SAN ANGELO– “On Sunday, November 11, recognized as Veterans Day, Americans will pause to honor our brave fighting men and women, who for more than 230 years have underwritten our freedom, by their duty, their honor and their selfless service,” said Brigadier General (Ret.) Mike Boyd.

Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) Boyd was invited by Fairmont Cemetery officials to be its guest speaker at the annual Veterans Day ceremony which took place Friday, November 9, at 11 a.m. at Fairmont.
Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) Boyd acknowledged his fellow veterans, also their families in his brief eight- minute remarks.

“We recognize all our veterans have given something of themselves and their families to our country.” “And some of us have made the ultimate sacrifice; they laid down their lives to defend our freedom that we should all hold dear.”
Boyd is a retired colonel in the Texas Army National Guard who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is also the retired president of First Financial Bank in San Angelo and was named San Angelo’s Citizen of the Year in 2016.

Mr. Boyd stated throughout his military career that he served alongside military veterans who were educators, policeman, car salesman, computer analysts, and even bankers, all with the same ultimate goal in mind—"service before self.” Boyd also paid tribute to the families of veterans who also served their country. “We as military veterans owe so much to our families.”

Boyd asked those in attendance that if they attend a memorial service or observe Veterans Day, privately, to reflect upon and mark the occasion as “saying thank you to all our veterans.”
“Serving our community was a way for me to make a difference.” “This is what being a veteran has taught me, service to others is the greatest reward we can provide,” as Boyd concluded with prayer.