KERR COUNTY — Dalton Rice, Kerrville city manager and a U.S. Army veteran, used his Memorial Day remarks to urge the community to recognize mental-health challenges among veterans and to provide ongoing support.

Rice, introduced as the guest speaker and identified as a U.S. Army veteran and city manager for Kerrville, told the crowd that Memorial Day "is not a happy holiday" and emphasized the continuing toll of service on mental health. "Combat is terrifying. The chaos, the noise, the loss, it leaves a mark. But sometimes coming home brings a different kind of fear, a silent one, one that too many never overcome," Rice said.

He described veterans' mental-health struggles as "a silent killer" and said the community must be proactive: "We must be willing to reach out, to speak up, to check-in." Rice also asked the audience how many had lost someone in uniform or knew someone who had; he said, "Almost every hand went up," framing the scope of the issue as familiar to many in attendance.

Rice acknowledged gold star families in the audience and noted that Memorial Day is primarily a day of remembrance for those who "did not come home," rather than a celebratory holiday. He urged attendees to carry forward the stories and legacies of the fallen and to support one another beyond the holiday.

Why it matters: Rice's remarks foreground veterans' mental-health risks at a high-profile local observance, urging ongoing community and peer support rather than limiting attention to a single commemorative day.