Hunter Lopez saber vigil & Gold Star monument unveiling in La Quinta

The city of La Quinta honored the Lopez and Perez families at the Hunter Lopez Saber Vigil and Gold Star Monument Unveiling on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 7 p.m. on the Civic Center Campus.

The ceremony started with a candlelight vigil to honor and remember U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez and the 12 service members killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, on this date in 2021.

The dedication of the new Gold Star Family Monument will immediately follow the candlelight vigil. The monument was completed in May 2023 and honors the La Quinta families of military members who gave their lives while serving their country.

The first two names on the monument are Corporal Lopez and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant James Perez.

In the city of Indio, August 26 is Hunter Lopez Day. If you want to donate to the Hunter Lopez Memorial Foundation, click here.

Tune in at 10 and 11 p.m. to see the new monument and hear from the hometown heroes' families.