‘He was selfless’ Community honors life of SrA Lee Talamantes at Palm Springs Air Museum

Dozens of people came together to commemorate Senior Airman Lee Talamantes at the Palm Springs Air Museum. It's place he used to volunteer years ago.

“It warms my heart that there are this many people that he has impacted and took the time out of the day to honor him. And being a close friend to him, it means a lot to me," said Kim Pitts. Pitts was Talamantes's best friend and fellow ROTC cadette, who he's known for almost half his life.

“A great deal of fun for sure. We’ve done some stupid things together but you know, that’s what friends do,” Pitts said.

He described Talamantes as a role model. “He has high standards for himself and it makes others really want to stand up and emulate him. He’s that type of person.”

A Cathedral City native, Talamantes died in a car accident on July 18th, 2022 while reporting for duty at Luke Air Force Base, AZ.

He joined the United States Air Force, after graduating from Cathedral City High School in 2019. He mentored students in the Cathedral City Air Force Junior ROTC program.

At just 21-years-old, he had already accomplished so much in a short amount of time. “He’s just the type of person to just get it done no matter what,” Pitts explained.

Talamantes dedicated more than 1,000 to the community through volunteer work. “He was really outgoing. Before, he used to say he was shy... which also helped me because I was really shy. And once I joined ROTC, he told me like, this program is gonna help you," said close friend Naviana Ramos.

His actions weren’t the only thing that stood out. Friends described him as loving, motivational and only wanted the best for those around him. “Throughout the day, when we were in ROTC... he would stand at the door waiting for everyone to get to class. Saying like oh you’re awesome, you’re smart, I like your hair, you have pretty eyes. Just compliments to everybody just to make them feel like they were awesome,” Ramos said.

And his bright spirit will shine forever. “He was like my inspiration," Ramos added, "He always had a kind heart. He was selfless. He worried about everybody else and he out everybody else before himself.”

If you would like to attend and honor SrA Lee Talamantes, the memorial service information can be found below.