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SAN ANTONIO – (April 24, 2023) – The grand marshal of the 2023 Texas Cavaliers River Parade held during Fiesta San Antonio was former NASA Astronaut, retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Charles M. Duke Jr., who is the youngest astronaut to walk on the moon at the age of 36 during the Apollo 16 mission in April of 1972. Apollo 16 was the first scientific expedition to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features in the Descartes region of the rugged lunar highlands of the moon. The river parade featured over 50 festively decorated floats with live music and costumed crews. San Antonio is a 11-day annual celebration featuring parades, exhibits, music, entertainment, and family-friendly fun - all benefitting local, non-profit causes. NAMRU San Antonio’s mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations. It is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under the Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, Md. (U.S. Navy photo by Burrell Parmer, NAMRU San Antonio Public Affairs/Released)