A Work in Progress…
This page is sponsored by the Mora Creative Council’s Veterans’ Committee. This committee is a part of a local non-profit in good standing with IRS, NM Attorney General & Secretary of State.
We will post announcements & events for the Mora County Veterans’ Memorial Committee. The Mora County Veterans’ Committee will NOT solicit funding outside of specific grants that only apply to governing agencies.
Drawings from the architect firm, GroundWorks Studio are provided below.
This is phase one of the structure’s build.
The second illustration is night lighting concept.
Mora County had the largest military population per capita in the US during the Vietnam War.
Mora County Veterans’ Memorial Committee was formally seated in 2021. For years the community has expressed a desire to have a memorial space to honor and appreciate the large number of veterans from Mora County that have served and sacrificed. At one time the largest number of military members per capita in the US was from Mora County. The impact of those who sacrificed all has affected families here through generations. The committee has been involved with Veterans’ Day activities at the school, offering classroom interaction, participating in the Veterans’ parade, teaching flag etiquette at summer camp and starting an annual flag retirement ceremony.
The committee had been working as volunteers to locate a place for the memorial and a design since 1999. With the assistance of a service request through NM MainStreet via Mora MainStreet, GroundWorks Studio worked with committee members to create a design, which was then presented at two community meetings. This architectural work was at a savings of $22,000 to the Mora community through MainStreet.
The plans then were sent for construction documents which are now ready for the county to request for bids. The capital outlay for the Veterans’ Memorial was designated for $138,000, of which $21,000 was contracted for the construction documents. At the time of the construction documents the estimation for the completed memorial was $178,000. Since the time of the fire, which caused significant delays in the process, the price of materials and labor has increased. Additionally, the labor pools have decreased significantly as rebuilding is taking place in the Mora/San Miguel counties.
The Veterans’ Memorial is a shovel ready project which has much community support. The committee had a goal of an opening ceremony on Veterans’ Day 2023. As the county secures additional funding, the goal of Memorial Day 2024 would be ideal. The committee is continuing to bring Veterans’ awareness, support, and appreciation to the Mora Communities. They look forward to a designated space for those activities.
The Mora County Veterans’ Memorial Committee is requesting your input regarding the names of casualties of war and or prisoners of war that are not included on the following list. Names may need correct spelling.
Please submit your comments/input by phone or email to: MoraVeteransMemorial@gmail.com or Larry Garcia – 720-278-0090, or administrative assistant to Mora County Manager at: CMartinez@countyofmora.com
Photos that can be provided are also appreciated. They would be used in additional documentation of Mora Veterans.
World War I
Baca, Edmund G. – Gandert, Frederick W. – Herrera, Thomas – Herrera, Pablo – Lefebre, Benjamín – Maestas, Alfonso L. – Meastas, Alfonso T. – Roybal, Malanguisa – Trammell, Lee – Trujillo, Reuben – Via, Antonio – Vigil, Deciderio
World War II
Aragón, Felix – Archuleta, Amadeo – Arellano, Anselmo – Arguello, George Napoleón – Bernal, Lorenzo – CDebaca, Juan – Chavez, Fulgencio – Chavez, Seferino O Sr. – Cruz, Candido F. – Dorrance, Olivero – Espinoza, Benjamín F. – Fevorly, Lester E. – García, José M. – Graham, Joe H. – Hernández, Arthur – Hernández, E N – Leal, Joe L. – Luján, Felix O. – Martínez, Abran B. – Martínez, Pete M. – Medina, Eutimio C. – Meléndez, Alfonso – Montoya, Adolfo A. – Ortega, Alfredo – Ortíz, David S. – Pacheco, Jacobo E. – Pacheco, José A. – Pacheco, José F. – Paiz, Benito A. – Quintana, Patricio J. – Romero, Fidel F. – Romoro, Lupe – Romero, Manuel A. – Salazar, Leo – Sanchez, Alfonso M. – Sandoval, Eliberto – Stines, Joe C. – Trujilo, Jesús – Trujillo, Liberto – Vigil, José B. – Vigil, Julián – Vigil, Modesto J
Vietnam War
Hubbard, Gerald Monroe – Platero, Raymond – Sanchez, Charles Anthony – Valdez, Leroy Frank – Vigil, Laurencio
Korean War
Archuleta, Juan B. – Archuleta, Juan L. – García, Ernesto Jr. – García, Hilberto – Luján, Eutiguio J. – Olivas, Lorenzo – Pacheco, Casimiro – Ruiz, José P. – Torres, Elias Eli
Prisoners of war
Aragón, Felix – Archuleta, Amadeo – Arellano, Anselmo – Herrera, Feliciano – Lucero, José – Marrujo, José, Montoya, Cesario