Photo by Síle Moloney
Family, friends, veterans, and community leaders gathered for a vigil on Jan. 29 in Fordham Manor to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of veteran, United States Private First Class Luis Moreno, a 19-year-old soldier from The Bronx who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq.
The vigil was held on the corner of Fordham Road and Grand Concourse, which was co-named Luis Moreno Way last summer in his honor. Attendees commemorated Moreno’s life with words, songs, and prayers on a bitterly cold evening, amid noisy passing traffic. Gathered in a circle, they held small candles that flickered poignantly in the dark as they recalled the young fallen soldier.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Sammy Ravelo, a former candidate for Bronx borough president and president of Dominican Veterans of America, started the vigil with the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence.
“This evening, we come together as a community, not just to mourn the loss of a brave soldier, but to celebrate the indomitable spirit of dedication and sacrifice that defines our veterans,” Ravelo said.
Photo by Síle Moloney
He added, “Through this vigil, we renew our commitment to support and honor those who selflessly defended our freedom.”
“We’re very glad we’re bringing his service to the forefront,” Ravelo continued. “He was the youngest soldier from The Bronx to die in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We already told the family we will never forget his service and we’re here to always remember.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
During the event, a banner was placed on the street corner displaying a photo of Moreno in uniform along with a passage in both English and Spanish, which read, “United States Private First Class Luis Moreno died January 29th, 2004 from wounds after he was shot in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Luis A. Moreno came to the United States in 1991 with his family. He had dreams of becoming a police officer. He was only 19 years old when he died.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
According to those who knew him, Moreno was shot on Jan. 23, 2004, while guarding a gas station in Baghdad, where he had been stationed for three months. His hometown was La Romana in the Dominican Republic.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Gonzalo Duran, CEO of Devil Dog USA, a nonprofit supporting veterans, said of Moreno, “He’s a reflection of what the communities think about us. Not everybody gets recognized in this kind of fashion; he’s down in history.”
Meanwhile, Dion Powell, a district leader in the 78th Assembly District, and former Conservative senatorial candidate for State Senate District 32, who also sits on the board of Dominican Veterans of America, said, “We had a street renaming for him last summer. Now, we’re holding the first annual vigil for him and his family. He’s a fallen soldier from our community, a very young member who put his life out there for our citizens.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
A former city council candidate for District 15, Altagracia Soldevilla, also led the group in prayer at one point, along with a song in Spanish. A lone trumpeter also played a short musical tribute to Moreno.
The late veteran’s niece, Tahiry Santana, and brother, Manuel Moreno, were also present on the night and told us, “One of the big memories I have of him is that he was a very happy person. He was very friendly and [was] liked in our neighborhood.” A 4th grader at the time of his passing, Santana added, “It feels good to know that the same way the family loved and respected him, others did as well.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
For his part, Manuel said, “There’s always going to be a lot of memories when it’s about my brother. He was a happy person, so we always try to keep his memory alive, and we are always going to be proud of him because he lost his life defending our freedom.”
Healthcare benefits have recently been expanded to those veterans affected by certain toxins during the line of duty. Click here for more information.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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