Aurora celebrated the 155th anniversary of Memorial Day, with the 2023 Aurora Memorial Day Parade.
With the theme, “Remembrance and Respect,” the parade was led by grand marshal Dr. Brian Caputo, president of the College of DuPage. An Aurora resident, Dr. Caputo retired from the United States Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel after more than 22 years of active and reserve military service.
The pre-parade ceremony began with a roll call and moment of silence for the most recent seven heroes from Aurora who were killed in action over the past twenty years:
- 1st Lieutenant Timothy Ryan, 30, was killed in action on May 19, 2003, in Iraq. West Aurora High School
- Lance Corporal Hector Ramos, 20, was killed in action on January 26, 2005, in Iraq. East Aurora High School
- Lance Corporal Edwardo Lopez, 21, was killed in action on October 19, 2006, in Iraq. East Aurora High School
- Lance Corporal Jesse Delatorre, 29, was killed in action on April 16, 2007, in Iraq. East Aurora High School
- Specialist Christopher Patterson, 20, was killed in action on January 6, 2012, in Afghanistan. West Aurora High School
- Lance Corporal Sara Medina, 23, was killed in action on May 12, 2015, in Nepal. East Aurora High School
- Specialist Miguel Villalon, 21, was killed in action on January 11, 2020, in Afghanistan. East Aurora High School
—City of Aurora government