For a group of Rio Grande Valley veterans, Charro Days and Sombrero Fest are more than just a yearly event to attend, it's an event that brings them together.

An annual event full of colors, dancing and music, it's the cultural experience of Sombrero Festival. One that draws in thousands of people every year, like Army veteran Mark Lucio.

"This is a staple in our community. Long live Sombrero Fest, long live Charro Days," Lucio said.

Lucio makes Sombrero Festival and Charro Days a priority every year. It's a priority not just for him, but some of his fellow comrades he served with while in Iraq.

"You try to distract yourself from where you're at, from what's actually happening out there," Lucio said.

When Lucio was serving in Iraq in 2010, he says he was missing a piece of home.

He was able to bring Brownsville to the deserts of Baghdad with the help of the executive director of the Sombrero Festival.

"I get this email from Sgt. Mark Lucio, who's at Camp Stryker, Baghdad, Iraq talking about how many men and women there are a part of the team are from the Rio Grande Valley," Sombrero Festival Executive Director Roy De Los Santos said.

"27 boxes later, full of t-shirts and sombreros and a lot of the coolest swag that they can send us, we were able to pull it off, we were beside ourselves," Lucio said.

15 years later, that tradition continues, except now, Lucio and his comrades are able to attend festivities in person.

De Los Santos says he's honored he's been able to support this group of veterans since 2010.

"The fact that this is something that meant that much to them, that now they want to come back for the Sombrero Festival in person in Brownsville. That means the world to us. We're so glad we can do that for our men and women who are serving and now for our veterans," De Los Santos said.

With a long weekend ahead of them, the group is excited to not only keep their tradition alive, but reunite.

Watch the video above for the full story.