By Bill Sparks,
El Paso Texas USA – Home of the Amigo Man! Standing as a diamond in the desert with its many facets shining brightly in the southwest sun.
I first walked the streets of El Paso as a tourist when I was transferred from Fort Sill in Oklahoma to Fort Bliss in Texas back in 1970. It did not take me long to appreciate everything that El Paso has to offer. Surrounded by 400 years of history and culture, it was the people and the food, and the great weather that hooked me.
The people that I met over the many years of coming and going during my military assignments, were always proud to show off this, their special corner of Texas. From historical sites to great Mexican food icons throughout the city, I have been able to experience the true essence of this city at the Pass of the North.
As a writer with the Tumblewords Project, founded by the late Donna Snyder, I was looking for a way to highlight the city and tell the story of El Paso in a different way. I decided to look at the various memorials and monuments that tell parts of the story of our great city.
I started with the Aztec Calendar, a stone replica from Mexico. It sits just across the street from the El Paso County Courthouse and speaks directly to the more than 400 years of history and culture that is imbedded in the psyche of the city. El Paso was on the trade routes between the pueblos along the Rio Grande and the northern most outpost of the Aztecs in Casas Grande.
Turn around and look to the west, and you will find the memorial for the fallen from El Paso during the First World War, that was the war to end all wars, or so they thought. There are other memorials in El Paso that speak to the bravery of young El Pasoans sent off to war over the decades. One of those is the memorial located in front of the El Paso History Museum at Cleveland Square Park, dedicated to the men of Company E from El Paso that died during the infamous Rapido River crossing in World War 2.
Let’s take a little trip across El Paso, ok? Up in the northeast of El Paso, you can see Old Glory waving from a very large flagpole, part of a program known as Flags Across America. This site, at the corner of Diana and Highway 54, was originally committed to building a large, interactive El Paso Veterans Memorial and Museum. When that effort failed, Local Veterans came together to create several smaller memorials from among various Veteran Service Organizations to tell their stories, depicting the different conflicts that El Pasoans have served in.
The serene setting, with a wonderful view of the Franklin Mountains, makes for a quiet reflection as you walk around the grounds and take in the storied memorials. The site also hosts many events throughout the year that are family friendly and just plain fun.
Over at Fort Bliss, El Paso joined forces with the Army to dedicate one of the entrance gates to the memory of the Buffalo Soldier, black cavalry units that were stationed around the El Paso southwest. Thanks to the efforts of the late Bob Snead and the entire community, a statue was commissioned and cast that honors their history with “The errand of Corporal John Ross,” sitting astride his horse, dropping his reins and firing his rifle on the gallop.
Going out to the El Paso International Airport, visitors will be welcomed by one of the largest equestrian statues in the world. Known simply as “The Equestrian,” the statue was originally part of an effort to create images of Tom Lea’s paintings of “Twelve Travelers” that reflect the history of our region. The casting was to represent the leader of Spanish explorers, Don Juan Onate, that came through the Pass of the North to establish colonies in New Mexico. Controversy over the brutality of his dealings with Native Americans resulted in the renaming of the statue to “The Equestrian.” There is a small parking area for visitors to stop for a moment and take in the sheer majesty of the piece, created by John Houser.
Back in the downtown area known as Pioneer Plaza, you will find another one of the “Twelve Travelers,” Fray Garcia de San Francisco, who brought Christianity to the natives. A smaller, bronze maquette still stands in front of the old mission in Ciudad Juarez.
The history of El Paso del Norte is all around us. From the plaza at San Elizario and the Mission Trail, the Tigua, to Rosa’s Cantina where El Paso was immortalized in song by Marty Robbins. There is much to be proud of in this west Texas town we all call home. Historians, such as the late Leon Metz and Bernie Sargent and so many others have kept our history alive – gracias amigos por su ayuda!
There is more of course, there is always more … sin fin …