Grand Marshal

George A. "Gunny" Garcia has been selected as Grand Marshal of the 2021 4th of July Parade. He was born in 1960 here in Grants, New Mexico. He graduated from Grants High School as part of the 1978 class, a member of the MCJROTC program. He immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps, after high school he attended training at MCRD San Diego. Garcia was assigned MOS of Aviation Ordnance Technician, Naval instructor and Marine Corps Drill instructor at Parris Island, South Carolina. During his enlistment, Garcia was stationed in California, Tennessee, South Carolina, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Arizona, Hawaii, and Florida. He retired from USMC in 1999 at the rank of gunnery sergeant and returned home to Grants, NM.

Garcia immediately began working as General Manager of Cibola lnternet Services until the fall of 2001. The morning of September 11, 2001, he started his new position as the Grants High School Marine Corps JROTC instructor.

During his 19-year period at GHS, his drill/color guard teams were responsible for nine state NMAA drill championships and two national drill championships in 2005 and 2016. He retired from the Grants/Cibola County school district in June of 2000. He is currently the Cibola County Veterans Service Officer. He is married to Victoria Martinez also a 1978 GHS graduate, they have four children: Jessica Venable, George Jr., Joshua. All live and work in Grants and Sgt Jennifer O'Connor active-duty USAF.