U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District Commander Col. Rhett Blackmon delivers a recorded message for the district's Juneteenth observance, June 12, 2023. “Juneteenth commemorates the day enslaved Black people of Texas learned they were finally free from their bondage,” Blackmon said. “This momentous celebration has its roots right here in our own home of Galveston, Texas.”