Lorain Hispanic veterans' stories to be captured in story walk, expanded memorial

LORAIN — A story walk will accompany a Hispanic veterans memorial in south Lorain this fall. The Lorain Historical Society plans to unveil a 10-station story walk in Oakwood Park, highlighting individual veterans' stories. The story walk will accompany the Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial, slated for Oakwood Park along state Route 57. Kaitlyn Donaldson, Lorain Historical Society curator and senior collections manager, said the stations will touch on the Latino community and culture, including quotes from interviews with veterans. The panels are expected to be completed and open by the fall. The panels, not including the design of the contents, are expected to cost about $6,000. Snippets of local veterans' personal stories included New York National Guard Brig. Gen. Isabel Rivera Smith, who in her interview said her career has been a climb, but all of it positive. Fellow veteran Katie Garcia said she chose the Marine Corps because people didn't think she could do it. During his interview, Raoul Ceja said he left handprints on the walls, yelling he didn't want to go after receiving his draft papers, but said the experience made him a survivor. Several of the oral histories used in the panel project were collected as part of the historical society and Oberlin College's Latino Lorain project. The project began ahead of the Lorain Historical Society's "100 Years of Latinos in Lorain" exhibit and continues to collect personal stories from the city's Latino residents. The panels can be interchanged, with new graphics printed or updated, Donaldson said. There are plans to have a corresponding online component to the walk, including having the panels available in Spanish. The Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial has raised more than $142,000 in a capital campaign, co-organizer Antonio Baez told the group gathered at the Lorain Historical Society's Carnegie Center on Thursday evening. Baez is running as a Democrat for Lorain's 6th Ward. El Centro de Servicios Sociales Executive Director Victor Leandry — another co-organizer for the memorial — said the revitalization of the Hispanic Veterans Memorial came first from retired Police Chief Cel Rivera, who wanted to stay involved in the community after he left the force. After Rivera's sudden death in June 2022, those he'd collaborated with on the project picked up the torch in his honor. Since then, the project has received $50,000 from the Lorain County Honor Fund, and $75,000 from the city's American Rescue Plan Act funds. The proposed monument, designed by Clark and Post architects, would include the names of all Hispanic veterans killed in the line of duty. The current memorial at Oakwood Park was established in 1980 by AMVETS Post 58 and consisted of a small headstone and landscaping. The proposed memorial would be split into two phases, the first of an archway and the second with an elevated granite monument with names engraved on it. Baez said the group plans to meet with the contractor that recently completed the Carlisle Township veterans memorial. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.