A procession with the remains of a fallen New Braunfels Soldier will be making its way through downtown New Braunfels Tuesday morning. Additional remains for Sgt. Gilberto Lopez Sanchez of New Braunfels were identified by the U.S. military and are being returned to his hometown during a procession that will include a police escort and fire apparatus honoring the fallen hometown hero.
Sgt. Sanchez was considered missing in action and presumed dead while serving in the Korean War in 1950. In 2014, partial remains of the soldier were identified by DNA testing and a funeral service was held in New Braunfels in January of 2015, with the fallen Soldier receiving full military honors while being buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
Tuesday’s procession will escort Sgt. Sanchez’s additional remains from the San Antonio International Airport to New Braunfels. The motorcade is expected to leave San Antonio at approximately 10:30am. The procession will then make its way from I-35, to Seguin Avenue and the Main Plaza between approximately 11:00am to 11:15am (contingent on traffic and other factors). Police, fire, and local veterans’ groups will honor the fallen Soldier as the procession makes its way through the Main Plaza to Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home. Drivers along the procession route should expect delays. For those planning on viewing the procession as it makes its way through New Braunfels, the city asks that you do so safely. Please avoid parking or standing in such a way that blocks traffic.
A series of memorial services are open to the public. A rosary service will be held at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home at 6:30pm Tuesday and a funeral mass will be held at 10am Wednesday at Holy Family Catholic Church.
