NEWS Staff Report
Ruben Vela
HARLINGEN – Command Sergeant Major Ruben Vela will be posthumously honored Saturday, Sept. 6, at a special ceremony here.
The event will be held at 2 p.m. inside the Col. Philip J. Yeckel Memorial Auditorium at the Marine Military Academy, located at 320 Iwo Jima Blvd. in Harlingen. Scheduled at the event will be a 21 Gun Salute.
Vela, who was born and raised in San Benito, died on Wednesday, Aug. 27 after a six-month battle with cancer.
The rank of Command Sergeant Major is among the highest for enlisted soldiers in the Army, San Benito Veterans Advisory Board Chair Victor Garza recently stressed in acknowledgment of Vela’s military accomplishments.
Ruben’s son, Emilio Vela, said his father was a beloved figure in the community.
1 comments
On behalf of all men and women serving in uniform, we would like to express our sincerest condolences to the entire Vela Family. We tremendously appreciate and respect the many sacrifices your family endured during CSM Vela’s service to our nation. I very briefly met CSM Vela during a deployment and immediately knew he was truly a sharp, very professional and a genuine leader. His leadership will truly be missed. God Bless my brothers in arms, you and your entire family………