LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On Sunday, Sept. 28, a crowd gathered around the Los Alamitos American Legion Post 716 to watch as a team on the roof lifted a heavy canvas obscuring a new mural. Retired Sergeant First Class Mario Cespedes, who served in both the Marine Corps and Army, painted the mural to honor past and present members of the armed forces.
Cespedes began his military service in 1996, when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Cespedes served as an infantry rifleman and sniper before completing his service in 2000.
Cespedes earned a degree in Computer Arts and Animation before joining the U.S. Army in 2008 as a Cavalry Scout. Cespedes served in a variety of positions and deployed several times, concluding his career as a Senior Trainer with the Cobra Team at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.
Cespedes has been knighted in the Order of Saint George and awarded the Bronze Star Medal, several Army Commendation and Achievement Medals, Good Conduct Medals from both the Army and Marine Corps, the Combat Action Badge and the NATO Medal.
Before the mural was revealed, the crowd gathered in the Legion’s main room for a ceremony organized in part by Los Alamitos High School senior Sofia Haag. Haag helped reach out to the guest speakers and create the handouts, which provide background information about the event.
“For this event, I was emailing the mayor, the commander, the people that are speaking at the event,” Haag said. “I’m (also) getting a lot of college emails, so I would say my biggest recommendation for myself next time is to pick a separate email account.”
The Sons of the Legion also joined in the preparation. Oak Middle School seventh grader Ian Bell helped fold handouts and prepare food for the guests.
“(The mural is) really cool,” Bell said. “I like (watching) the process. Every time they leave it open, I keep looking. I like to see the whole thing instead of just little parts.”
Post 716 Commander Rick Molina welcomed audience members to the ceremony before introducing the guest speakers.
Commander Jamie French, Executive Officer of Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, spoke about her experience growing up in Los Alamitos and the importance of the armed forces.
“All the kids that are coming to school have the opportunity to see the service members that came before them and see the opportunities that are out there in the services,” French said. “I grew up in Los Alamitos, so this is super neat for me because it’s very personal. My kids go to Oak, so they’re going to ride their bikes by it every morning.”
The families of the honored service members spoke about their lives and sacrifices. Miranda Aguilar spoke about her great-great-uncle, Delphino Marin-Casado.
“For as long as I can recall, my grandma and mom have been taking us to his gravesite where we would clean and place flowers,” Aguilar said. “My grandma has always kept pictures of him around the house and would tell us little stories about him here and there. This memorial ensures Delphino’s and Lonnie’s sacrifices were not just a line in a history book, but a living memory in the heart of their families and this community.”
To close the indoor portion of the ceremony, Cespedes spoke about his service in the armed forces and what motivated him to paint the mural.
After the speeches, the crowd moved outside and several Legion members joined Cespedes on the roof to reveal the mural.
The 12-foot by 54-foot mural represents all six branches of the military and honors Los Alamitos residents Private First Class Delphino Marin-Casado from the U.S. Marine Corps and Private First Class Lonnie T. Davis from the U.S. Army, who both were killed in action during World War II. The crowd loved the mural, with many saying it expresses the American Legion’s purpose perfectly.
