San Antonio is home to one of the biggest populations of active military + veterans in the nation. As we approach Memorial Day, we are taking a moment to remember those who served our nation and are no longer with us. We are nothing short of proud to honor and commemorate these fallen heroes who bravely served our country.

To learn more about what Military City, USA truly means, we’ve rounded up a list of five things you may not know about this military hub.

More than a nickname

Since World War II, we’ve been called “Military City, USA''. It wasn’t until 2017 that the City of San Antonio finally decided to make it official and trademark the phrase. We are Military City, USA ®, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) explained

Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Randolph Air Force Base, and Lackland Air Force Base expand across the Alamo City and contributed $39.1 billion to the Texas economy in 2021.

An army of peacocks?

The Quadrangle is the oldest building at JBSA Fort Sam Houston and is home to — you guessed it — an army of peacocks. Well, not an army but you can encounter a variety of wildlife including these colorful creatures roaming freely at this historic site.

Flag making headquarters

The 210 produces some of the most well-known flags flown across the country thanks to Dixie Flag and Banner Company. Did you know the world’s largest free-flying flag at the George Washington Bridge in New York City? Yea, that’s us. If that doesn’t impress you, Dixie Flag also manufactured flags for at least four presidential inaugurations.

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery expands 338 acres. | Photo via @treywilsonattorneytx

Two national cemeteries

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery and San Antonio National Cemetery are both resting places for all members of the armed forces. If you’d like to pay your respects, Wreaths Across America makes an annual stop at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery every December to lay wreaths on as many headstones as possible.