For a brief moment Monday afternoon, National Medal of Honor Museum construction workers exchanged their tools for American flags, waving them against the wind alongside hundreds of citizens. The patriotic demonstrations were part of Arlington’s inaugural Texas Veterans Day Parade, which brought the community together to honor Texas’ veterans with live music, a drone show and various other festivities across the Arlington Entertainment District. Funded by a $50,000 grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, the parade painted every corner of the district red, white and blue as citizens young and old lined the sidewalks to honor veterans. Dozens of organizations, including the UTA Maverick Battalion Color Guard, Arrowhead Military Vehicle Preservation Association and local military units marched with colorful floats down the roughly 1.5-mile stretch. The parade’s grand marshal was Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, a retired U.S. Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Vietnam. Joseph Solano, commander of detachment 845 for Texas Christian University’s ROTC, said he appreciated seeing the community come together. “I’ve been in almost 20 years, and this is my first parade [I’ve] come to like this,” Solano said. “It was definitely humbling to see everybody supporting us.” He said serving in the military is one of the highest honors one can have in this country, and seeing Arlington’s efforts to honor veterans with endeavors like building the National Medal of Honor Museum, makes him proud to serve. “I’ve been overseas and deployed, and coming back and being supported I think is helping us, especially with the next job I have — grooming the next generation to then serve their country as well,” Solano said. National Medal of Honor Museum sat as the parade’s backdrop, set to open in March 2025. In June, the museum received a UH-1H Iroquois Helicopter — its largest artifact yet — after a 1,400-mile trek from Murrieta, California. Brady, a Medal of Honor recipient, piloted the vehicle during service. Mansfield resident Nancy Bergvall, 69, attended the parade with the Daughters of the American Revolution, a women’s nonprofit organization dedicated to patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future. “I think it’s a wonderful feeling, and particularly after our elections that we just had, it’s a uniting activity,” Bergvall said. When she noticed the construction workers from the Medal of Honor Museum stopping their work to join in the demonstrations, Bergvall said she was touched. “Anyone who answers the calls to fight for their country or to serve in any capacity needs our respect and deserves to have an event like this to welcome them,” she said. The Veterans Day parade is not the only new endeavor Arlington is pursuing. The route the parade took will soon set the stage for the Grand Prix of Arlington in 2026, only contributing to the city’s growth. Hurst residents Patricia Friesen, 79, and Stanley Friesen, 81, drove a black 1996 Corvette C4 in the parade with the Christian Classic Cruisers car club. The organization is well known for participating in Arlington parades, Patricia Friesen said. It was no surprise when one of their board members approached them about participating in the Veterans Day parade. “We love parades and especially the opportunity to be in a veterans parade,” she said. Mia Houle, executive officer of the Maverick Battalion Color Guard, said the City of Arlington requested the UTA battalion to show their support for veterans as a way to thank all the service members. The group performed the “Eyes Right & Eyes Left, Ready Front” drill commands to commemorate Veterans Day, boosting morale and giving veterans a “nice, warm fuzzy feeling,” Houle said. Participating in the parade gives motivation and a sense of remembrance for those who served in the past, she said. Getting the team reorganized created this buy-in and it gave members something to look forward to in the battalion. As the sky darkened drones lined the horizon, splitting into varying colors and shapes. Spectators locked their gazes to the sky as they formed the emblems of all five military branches. “It made me feel very good about what I’m doing and helped me feel more deeply that what I’m doing is the right thing in my life,” Houle said. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of the military, and having people who have gone through the military say that we’re doing a good job gives me a little bit more hope for the future of the United States military.” @PMalkomes @heyyyitslando @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Jake Paul, YouTube creator turned professional boxer, made an appearance at Dog Haus Biergarten at the Arlington Highlands shopping center after announcing a partnership with the fast-casual chain. The business serves everything from wings to burgers to hot dogs and now: knockouts. At the event, Paul said the partnership started after he tried the restaurant’s cheeseburger with its signature Hawaiian bun. His team reached out to the chain’s CEO and the rest is history, he said. The Arlington spot is one of four locations opening in Texas. “It just works out perfectly. I have a huge fan base in Texas and it’s really one of the hearts of America,” Paul said. “What better way to serve the best American food to all of my fans here?” The event promised exclusive giveaways, drink specials and a chance to meet Paul in person. The first 200 guests in line at 2 p.m. received a free Jake Paul Meal. Arlington resident Mahogany Matthews was the first person waiting in line at 8 a.m. after hearing about the event on Facebook. Although running on little sleep after coming straight from an overnight shift, she said it was “definitely worth the wait.” Matthews was one of the few people to personally place her order with Paul, followed by photos and autographs. It was nerve-wracking, but she’s been a fan since she was in middle school watching his YouTube videos, she said. “It’s crazy to me that people come out and show support. And the Jake Paulers, it’s an awesome group and squad, and they're the best,” Paul said. “They’re the reason I’m standing here today, is because of their support, truly. They just continue to support me and I’m just super grateful for them.” Arlington resident Mike Meadows said he typically goes to Dallas Cowboys games on Sundays but he didn’t want to miss the restaurant’s grand opening and Paul’s appearance. Meadows arrived around 9:30 a.m. before the line wrapped around the building. Once inside, he couldn’t wait to try the wings. His interaction with Paul was short but sweet, and he said it was a moment he’ll remember. Allen, Texas, resident Kylie Paz, 13, attended with her father for the chance to meet Paul. She stood on a table shouting, “Jake, I love you.” Paz said Paul gifted her three tickets to Friday’s event after she declared her admiration and told him how long she’d watched his videos. “He gave me three free tickets, which is literally crazy,” Paz said. “He took a picture with me, and people were recording and sent me the videos. And now I get to say that I met and hugged Jake Paul. Like, that’s crazy.” Paul will face off against legendary boxer Mike Tyson in an eight-round, heavyweight bout Friday at AT&T Stadium. The event will stream on Netflix and is hosted by Most Valuable Promotions, a boxing promotion company Paul cofounded. Paul said it’s been difficult to sleep at night because of the nerves and adrenaline for Friday’s fight, which will be the biggest moment of his career. “I’m excited to see how hard Mike Tyson hits,” Paul said. “I want a war. I want the fans to be entertained and I want to show the world my boxing ability.” @heyyyitslando sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu