Honoring Gen. Bernardo de Gálvez at the Veterans War Memorial of TexasTexas Daughters assembled March 26, 2024, at the Veterans War Memorial of Texas in McAllen to unveil a bronze statue of Gen. Bernardo de Gálvez. The sculpture was commissioned by the National Society to commemorate Spain’s contribution to our nation’s fight for independence from Great Britain and funded by the President General’s Project for major initiatives in conjunction with America 250! celebrations. The sculpture is the first likeness of Gálvez in Texas and the work of local artist and sculptor Douglas Clark. Gálvez led Spanish efforts to aid the Americans during the Revolution—not only smuggling supplies to the Americans but also leading a military campaign against the British that included capturing Pensacola, West Florida, by land and by sea.
The ceremony was attended by members of TXDAR from across the state and members of the Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez from Laredo, San Antonio and Houston. The latter organization was founded during the Bicentennial to promote the role of Gálvez and Spain during the American Revolution. Special thanks are extended to the members of the Rio Grande Chapter, NSDAR, in McAllen for their hospitality and to the Texas National Guard for installing camouflage netting to protect guests from the sun. The sculpture is the first statue of Bernardo de Gálvez in Texas. Other statues of Gálvez can be found in Spain; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida. The War Memorial of Texas was the vision of Colonel Frank S. Plummer, U.S. Army [retired], who was an honored guest at the event. The Texas Society has placed additional information panels and sculptures of notable American Revolutionary War figures at the Veterans War Memorial in the dedicated TXDAR Plaza of Liberty. If you find yourself in the Rio Grande Valley, please make time to visit this special commemorative site. |