PANEL 10
CONCLUSION
This Story Walk starts at the site of the original Hispanic Veterans Monument dedicated in 1980 in Oakwood Park, at the corner of 31st Street and Clinton. It ends at the site of the new Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial located along the Police Chief Cel Rivera Memorial Highway section of Route 57. Symbolically connecting these monuments represents the ongoing history, dedication, and pride that the Latino community has for Lorain and Lorain’s Veterans.
On behalf of the Latino Lorain History Project, we thank you for walking this path and learning more about the experiences of many of Lorain’s Latino Veterans. We hope that you have a better understanding of the experience of all our community’s veterans as a result.
A total of 23 people were interviewed for this project in 2022 and 2023, and we thank them for their willingness to share their story and participate in the development of this story walk project. The list below includes veterans as well as those in active duty, and some family members of the veterans for they, too, made sacrifices so their loved ones could serve.
Rigo Reveron (U.S. Air Force, served 1965-1968): “Lorain’s a great city and we have a good form of government here. And we have a lot of different people from different nationalities. And it’s a beautiful city here on the shores of Lake Erie. And when I was in City Council, people used to ask me, ‘What is the greatest asset that the City of Lorain has?’ You know, is it their lake? Is it the river? Is it the highway system? Is it the food? The jobs that are available? But I always said the greatest asset of the City of Lorain is its people. So, I will leave it that way, the people of Lorain, Ohio.
Antonio Baez (U.S. Marines and U.S. Army Guard/Reserves, serving 2004-present), “Quite frankly, here in Lorain, we have a lot of heroes and a lot of Veterans. This is considered a Purple Heart City for a reason. And it’s a lot of Hispanic Veterans that have Purple Hearts here...”
Thank you to those who have graciously shared their stories with us.
Antonio Baez, United States Marine Corps and United States Army Guard/Reserves
Erika Baez
Raoul Ceja, United States Army
Victor Ceja, United States Marine Corps
Ralph DeJesus, United States Army
Ryan Gatrell, United States Army
Hector Garcia, United States Marine Corps
Kattie Garcia. United States Marine Corps
Michelle Garcia, Ohio Army National Guard
Edward “Ed” Garza, United States Army
Alicia Marquez
Manuel “Marty” Martinez, United States Air Force
Cynthia Ortiz
Victor “Vic” Ortiz, United States Navy
Ramon “Ray” Pagán, United States Marine Corps
Catalino Ramos O’Neill, United States Army
Judith Reveron
Rigoberto “Rigo” Reveron, United States Air Force
Jose Rodriguez, United States Army
Merida Rodriguez
Eduardo “Edwin” Santos Pachecho, United States Coast Guard
Isabel Rivera Smith, United States Army and New York Army National Guard
Hugo Tenorio, United States Army
Acknowledgements
Oberlin College Professor Gina Perez's Latino Oral History Class, Fall 2022
Avanzando Through College students from Lorain County Community College, Spring 2023
Members of the Latino Lorain History Project with leaders and members of the community
Robert Musser, Graphic Designer
