The relationships between San Antonio and its international counterparts go far beyond ceremonial exchanges of trinkets and the signing of sister-cities proclamations. [...] San Antonio’s first sister city is Monterrey, Mexico — a relationship that predates the creation of Sister Cities International. Since then, the Alamo City has forged sister-city and friendship-city relationships with a dozen others in India, Japan, China, Taiwan and Spain. Tel Aviv, Israel and Darmstadt, Germany, are both “friendship cities.”

What was supposed to be a farewell tribute to a friend and collaborator of the government and people of Virginia Beach became a testament to the strength, dynamism and great promise of the Sister City relationship of Olongapo City and Virginia Beach.