Palm Springs Air Museum staff plans to replace old banners with new ones while honoring fallen military members’ families
The Palm Springs Air Museum is hosting its Ceremony of the Replacement of the Palm Springs Fallen Heroes Project's Gold Star Families.
The ceremony will be held in the Palm Spring Air Museum parking lot at 4 pm on Saturday, May 20th. The Banners pay tribute to the Fallen Heroes from the Coachella Valley who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Gold Star Families are the Coachella Valley families of those killed in military action, such as Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez. Lopez was killed in action in August 2021 in Afghanistan.
Families of local fallen heroes, also known as Gold Star Families, are being honored at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Each family received the old hero banners the palm springs air museum had on display. The fallen heroes banner project represents the gold star families of the valley.
"I think we always see him as either a little kid, depends on what memory we're kind of talking about," says Herman Lopez, father of Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez. "It's either a little kid playing with his toys, and star wars and his legos or, as a young man, you know, just working out, getting himself ready for the military."
Lopez's parents Herman and Alicia Lopez, plan to take the banner to Lopez's burial site in Riverside.
"I just miss seeing them around the house," says Alicia Lopez. "Hanging around with his brother and sister giving them a hard time. I really miss seeing him around the house."
The founder Lee Wilson started the banner project in 2012 when two of his students were killed in action. Wilson says there are now 31 fallen heroes represented.
Private U.S. Army Thomas Villa was among them. Villa's family says he died during world war 2.
"I remember he was very lovable," says Helen Villa Martus, the daughter of fallen Hero Thomas Villa. "When he used to come in on furlough. He will always bring us candy."
Her brother Albert was too young to remember his dad, but he followed in his father's footsteps of service. "I tried to go over to Manila and see that grave when I was in Vietnam, but at that time, the war was going on. They wouldn't let any military soldier get close to Manila or the Philippines," says Albert. "So I didn't get a chance to see my father's grave."
Albert says the closest he got to his father was visiting where he died in the Philippines.
All the families that attended the ceremony had one thing in common: their loved ones sacrificing to protect their country.
"They saved a lot of lives, you know, and that there's a lot of people out there, 1000s of people that are doing a better life today, whether it's here in the united states or elsewhere, all because of what all of them did," says Herman.
On Memorial Day, there will be a Fly By and a six thousand carnation flower drop at the Palm Springs Air Museum, and there will be a special tribute to signify 50 years since the Vietnam War with yellow roses.
