Aurora American Legion Post #1944 honors Aurora veterans who have died. Previously honored are veterans from World War II and Vietnam. But this year we are honoring the veterans of Aurora’s Gold Star families from the OIF/OEF and GWOT campaigns.
The ceremony is held every first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. at the GAR Museum on Downer Place in Aurora. We have a small ceremony and play Taps and the flag is raised in honor to our fallen brother or sister in arms. After the flag has flown over our City for one month we lower it and present the folded flag to a family member if in attendance. This year the organization, A Call to Shoulders, is donating a plaque with a pair of turned pens to be presented to the family member. The pens are made by veterans at their shop in Aurora.
This year’s flag-raising ceremony started with our first honoree, Marine Cpl Jesse Delatorre. He died from wounds received while serving in Anbar, Iraq 2007.
June 4 we honored Marine Cpl Sara A. Medina. Who was killed along with five others in a helicopter crash while responding to the earthquake relief effort in Nepal, in 2015.
July 2, we will honor Army PFC Miguel Villalon, who was killed by an IED while serving in Kandahar Afghanistan in 2020.
August 6, we will honor Marine LCpl Edwardo Lopez, who was killed in action October 2006 in Anbar Province, Iraq.
September 3, a flag will be raised in honor of Marine LCpl Hector Ramos who. died January 26, 2005 in a CH-53E helicopter crash in Rutbah, Iraq. Twenty-nine Marines and one ailor were killed in that crash.
Army Spc Christopher Patterson will be honor October 1. Spc Patterson was killed in action in Kanda, Afghanistan January 6, 2012 while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.
— American Legion Walter E Truemper Post #1944