Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial committee marks 'dream turned reality' as site's dedication nears

LORAIN — For many in Lorain's Hispanic veteran community, Friday marked a promise kept. As work nears completion on the Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial in Oakwood Park, members of the monument's committee and its supporters celebrated the end of a yearslong project first started by the city's late police chief. After Cel Rivera retired from the Lorain Police Department in 2019, he and his wife, Elba Armstrong, visited veterans memorials throughout the country, with plans to honor Ohio's Hispanic and Latino veterans in Rivera's hometown. Rivera, 72, died unexpectedly in 2022. "At Cel's funeral, a bunch of us got together and we looked at each other and said we can't let this die. We have to see this through," said Vic Ortiz, a U.S. Navy veteran and project co-chair. Ortiz, Antonio Baez, Armstrong, Rivera's daughter Nicole Mitchell, El Centro Executive Director Victor Leandry, Lorain County Sheriff's Office Maj. AJ Torres and others took up Rivera's mantle. It was something Ortiz and others wanted to pursue not only in their friend and mentor's honor, but for the community in south Lorain — a marker for children, grandchildren and beyond to remember the sacrifices of Ohio's Hispanic and Latino veterans. From there, it was phone calls and meetings at members' houses, designs by Clark & Post and Fischer & Associates and fundraiser after fundraiser to see the dream become a reality. In May 2024, committee members broke ground at the site on the eastern edge of Oakwood Park. The plan was to have the space ready for Veterans Day of that year, but project setbacks pushed the dedication to this spring — just in time for Memorial Day. Baez, the project co-chair, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and current U.S. Army National Guard member, sees a longer vision for the memorial. "One of my kids served and my other son plans to serve, so it's important for us to leave something behind that they can have tangible — that they can touch it, breathe it and learn from past conflicts going forward," Baez said. Torres considered Rivera family because Rivera was raised by Torres' uncle. He remembered he did not show up for the first committee meeting, as he felt the project was a lot of money and work, and received a call from Rivera before the second committee meeting telling him to be there. "He was so passionate about our community, about our Hispanic heritage and wanted to get this completed," Torres said. "And thank God, with this committee and with the help of all our donors, it's going to happen." The project received monetary and in-kind donation support from myriad sources, including its committee members, El Centro, American Legion Post 30, Skylift and others. Ortiz highlighted Brian Baker, a retired electrician, who donated his time and work to put in the lighting for the memorial. Baker, a former IBEW national political director and member of Local 129, said Rivera never told him no when he was in his union position, so he could not say no to the committee's project. Mitchell remembered once she drove her father to a speaking engagement he had in Columbus so that he could write his speech in the car on the trip down. That speech included a section on what Rivera would have said to his heroes like Cesar Chavez if Rivera had been able to have lunch with him. Now, looking out at the tables full of committee members who now feel like family, Mitchell said if she was able to have lunch with her hero, her father, she would be so happy to let him know his dream was a reality. "You guys have helped me grieve him by letting me be part of this," Mitchell said. Armstrong was grateful to everyone who took over the project after Rivera's death. "I know that he's up there right now and he's thanking all of you for everything that you have done," she said. "And you've said such wonderful things about him and I know that he is such a wonderful person and I know that up in heaven right now he's got that little smirk on his face. … Knowing that this memorial is going to be completed, I know that he's just so happy up there." The Ohio Hispanic Veterans Memorial will be dedicated at 10 a.m. May 24. The memorial is in Oakwood Park along Grove Avenue. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.