The City of Las Cruces is honored to name Las Cruces resident Daniel Munoz, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, as the official Grand Marshal of the 2022 Fourth of July Electric Light Parade.
Daniel Munoz was born in Albuquerque, NM in 1982. Shortly after, he and his family moved to Hatch where he graduated from Hatch Valley High School in the top three of his class. Munoz joined the Army in 2000 and served for 15 years.
He was medically retired from the Army due to a parachute accident. He served with the 82nd Airborne and 1st Ranger Battalion in five tours of combat, two in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Munoz earned more than 20 U.S. Army awards and commendations during this time.
In 2015, Daniel went back to school and received a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He worked briefly at a mental health institute before joining a Veteran’s Fire Corp Crew with the Conservation Corps New Mexico.
He became a wildland firefighter and served three seasons, including one season with the Silver City Hotshots. The Hotshots were organized to handle the largest, most complex fire situations across the U.S.
His future goals are to raise his children and work with the homeless and veteran community.
Las Cruces thanks and honors Staff Sergeant Munoz and all military veterans for their service to our country.
“Patriotic Spirit and American Dreams” is the theme of the City’s 2022 Electric Light Parade. The Electric Light Parade begins at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at Apodaca Park, 801 E. Madrid Ave.
The parade will travel south on Solano Drive, east on Hadley Avenue, and will end at the Maag Softball Complex.
For a full schedule of Fourth of July events, please visit Fourth of July Celebration | Las Cruces, NM (las-cruces.org) or call 575/541-2550.