Frisco Names Carlos Liscano Its 2026 Distinguished Veteran and Gives Him a Key to the City

At the Nov. 3 City Council meeting, Mayor Mark Hill named Vietnam veteran Carlos Liscano Frisco's 2026 Distinguished Veteran and presented him with a key to the city, honoring a lifelong Frisco resident who has spent five decades serving the city's veterans, families, and students.

On Nov. 3, 2026, in a City Council chamber filled with his family, friends, fellow veterans, and neighbors, the city Carlos Liscano has served for most of his life said thank you.

Mayor Mark Hill read a proclamation naming Liscano "Frisco's 2026 Distinguished Veteran." It was issued on behalf of the Frisco City Council and the Frisco Veterans Advisory Committee "in recognition of his extraordinary service to our nation, our veterans, and our community."

"We're fortunate to live in this city"

When it was his turn at the microphone, Liscano kept the attention on others.

"I'm honored," he said. "It's a privilege, and I am humbled."

He pointed out that his wife, Yoli, was in the audience, along with family, friends, and neighbors. "We're fortunate to live in this city," he said.

Then he turned the room's attention to the calendar. "Veterans Day is coming up on Nov. 11th," he reminded everyone, and he asked them to set aside time that day to acknowledge and remember the veterans who have served in every branch of the military.

"At the end of the day, what is courage and bravery and a dedication to duty and all that, if there is no acknowledgment, if there is no remembrance?" he asked. "It is nothing."

When he finished, Mayor Hill called the members of the City Council down to stand with the two of them and presented Liscano with one more honor.

"Sir, you exemplify all the good in this city," Mayor Hill told him. "On behalf of the city, we have this little token of our appreciation. It's a key to the city."

Answering the call

In 1965, Liscano enlisted in the United States Army as a combat engineer. He completed Airborne training and served with the Army's 101st Airborne Division in the Vietnam War.

As a Specialist Five, an Army rank at the same pay grade as a sergeant, Liscano supervised the construction of an artillery firebase while under enemy fire. A firebase is a fortified camp for the large guns that support troops on the ground, and this one was in the A Shau Valley, in central Vietnam near the border with Laos, the scene of some of the war's heaviest fighting. The proclamation credits him with "courage and leadership during heavy fighting." For that work he earned the Bronze Star Medal, which the military awards for heroism or meritorious service in a combat zone.

Coming home to Frisco

After his honorable discharge in 1968, Liscano came home to Frisco. He used the G.I. Bill, the federal program that pays for veterans' education, to earn his GED, the high school equivalency diploma, and then attended college.

He went on to a 41-year career with Exide Technologies, the battery maker once known as Gould National Battery, and retired as assistant plant manager. Drawing on the hardships of his own early years, he worked with Frisco ISD (Independent School District) Superintendent Dr. Rick Reedy to give at-risk students jobs, mentorship, and opportunity, helping them finish high school and go on to higher education.

A lifetime of service

Liscano spent twelve years as Commander of Corporal Robert Ray Brown VFW Post 8273. The VFW, or Veterans of Foreign Wars, is a national organization of veterans who served in wars overseas. The cap he wore to the ceremony reads "Past Post Commander, 1992–2003."

He also gave thirteen years to the Frisco Lions Club, including a term as its president.

In the early 1990s, he brought the Frisco Garden Club and VFW Post 8273 together to create Frisco's formal Memorial Day remembrance. It was first held in 1994 at the War Memorial at Main Street and Gary Burns Drive, and it has become a lasting city tradition.

He was also a founding board member of Frisco Family Services, which the proclamation says "continues to provide aid and hope to families in need."

A name Frisco already knows

The Distinguished Veteran title and the key to the city join a long list of honors. Liscano has received the Frisco Chamber of Commerce Golden Eagle Award, was named 2012 Frisco Person of the Year, and served as Grand Marshal of the 2012 Community Parade. In 2018, Frisco ISD dedicated Carlos Liscano Elementary School in his honor, so a new generation of Frisco children now goes to school in a building that carries his name.

The proclamation reads, "Carlos Liscano exemplifies courage, humility, perseverance, and service to his country and community."

If you would like to watch the video presentation of the award, you can click here. The presentation begins around the 9:55 mark of the City Council meeting video.