Among Heroes

Carlos Aguilar, 2012

Created by artist Carlos Aguilar, the 20 foot by 34 foot Among Heroes mural pays homage to the 160 Mexican-American men and women of the Logan Barrio in Santa Ana who served during World War II or Vietnam War. To create a lasting tribute to members of the Logan Barrio community, instead of portraying the cliched image that many held of La Raza, Aguilar wanted to help the local community and general public understand how Mexican-Americans have fought valiantly for the United States with some sacrificing everything.

The mural is adorned with realistic portraits and depictions of war, recreated from photographs provided by relatives of those painted in the mural.

Local artist Carlos Aguilar created at the time a  24-by-27-foot mural on the side of La Chiquita restaurant dedicated to World War II veterans from Santa Ana. What is unique about this mural is that the veterans featured are from the same location where this mural was created: the Logan Street neighborhood. The project began in early 2012 and still remains to be completed because of financial difficulties. The mural depicts war scenes and photos of the soldiers of which Aguilar was able to paint their likeness from old photographs provided by relatives still living in the neighborhood.

Members of the community resonate with the mural as it pays respect to the Mexican-Americans that went to war. Half of the wall still remains to be completed and Aguilar writes “I will finish this wall.” Upon completion of the project, Aguilar hopes to pursue other projects in the Santa Ana area.