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Valor Stone Restoration, Gilroy, CA (2026)

10/18/2026

🇺🇸 Valor Stone Restoration | Remembering Dewey E. Hewell

Some headstones tell us a little about a veteran’s service. Others leave us wanting to know the story behind the name.

Dewey E. Hewell was born September 20, 1923, and passed away February 29, 2004. His headstone at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy identifies him as a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and bears the names of two distinguished military decorations: the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

Those two honors tell us that Dewey’s military service was recognized in a significant way. But there is still much I’d like to learn about his time in uniform, where he served, and the experiences he carried home after the war.

In researching Dewey, I’ve found a connection to the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion, a unit that fought in the European theater during World War II. I’m continuing to investigate his individual service and hope to uncover more of his story.

Dewey was also part of a family with deep ties to Gilroy. He rests beside his wife, Hazel Ann Hewell, who passed away in 2019. Their family story is another reminder that behind every veteran’s headstone is a life, a family, and a legacy that deserves to be remembered.

Today, his headstone has been cleaned, but the work doesn’t end there. Restoration is about more than cleaning stone. It’s about restoring identity, preserving history, and making sure these men and women are not forgotten.

Did you know Dewey Hewell or his family? If you have photographs, stories, or information about his World War II service, I’d love to hear from you. Every piece of the puzzle helps us give these veterans their stories back.

🇺🇸 May we never forget their service or the sacrifices made for our freedom.

10/17/2026

🇺🇸 Restoring a Veteran’s Legacy — Robert Dennis “Bob” Weiler

At Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy, another veteran’s memorial has been restored, bringing the name and story of a Vietnam combat veteran back into focus.

Robert Dennis “Bob” Weiler was born on March 1, 1947, and served three years in the United States Army, including combat service during the Vietnam War. His memorial identifies him as a Specialist Five.

Bob and his wife, Janis, married in 1970 and built their family life in Gilroy, where they raised their three sons. After more than 30 years working in the communications industry, Bob retired in 2001. His family remembered him as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed working on cars, camping, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Bob passed away on October 26, 2018, at the age of 71.

His memorial rests beside one bearing the dates 1977–1999, believed to be that of his son Brandon. Bob’s obituary confirms that he had lost a son named Brandon, adding a deeply personal connection to these neighboring graves.

The memorial I found was covered in dirt, leaves, and some biological growth. After careful cleaning, the bronze inscription is once again clear and legible.

At Valor Stone Restoration, this work is about more than cleaning headstones. It’s about honoring those who served, preserving their stories, and giving veterans their identity back.

If you knew Bob or his family, or can share more about his Army service in Vietnam, I’d love to hear from you. Every piece of information helps us preserve the history of our local veterans.

10/16/2026

🇺🇸 Two Veterans. Two Branches of Service. One Final Resting Place.

While continuing my work at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy, I came across this interesting pair of memorials belonging to Theodore E. Saling and Loetta May Saling.

Theodore, born July 16, 1919, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

Loetta, born February 20, 1923, served as a Private in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.

What makes this discovery especially fascinating is that both served our country during the same war, in two different branches of the military, and now rest together here in Gilroy.

Were they husband and wife? Brother and sister? Or perhaps another family connection? I haven’t been able to confirm their relationship yet, and that’s one piece of their story I’d love to uncover.

Loetta’s service is particularly interesting. Women Marines served in World War II in support roles that helped free men for combat duty. Her headstone preserves her place in that history, and I believe her service deserves to be remembered.

The memorials themselves weren’t heavily soiled, but hard-water staining had dulled their appearance. With some careful cleaning, the bronze has regained much of its original beauty, allowing their names and military service to stand out again.

Through Valor Stone Restoration, my goal is to honor those who served and help give these veterans their identities back. Every headstone has a story, and sometimes the search to uncover it is just as meaningful as the restoration itself.

If anyone in the Gilroy or Morgan Hill community remembers Theodore or Loetta Saling, knows their family, or can help establish their relationship, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s see if we can put the missing pieces of their story together.

They served. They deserve to be remembered.

10/15/2026

🇺🇸 Valor Stone Restoration — Honoring 1st Lt. Arthur Patterson

World War II. Korea. Two wars. One Marine.

Today, we restored the headstone of Arthur Patterson, a United States Marine Corps officer who served our country during both World War II and the Korean War.

When I found his grave at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park, dirt and weeds had partially covered the stone, obscuring the memorial to a man who dedicated a portion of his life to serving our country. After carefully clearing away the overgrowth and cleaning the stone, his name and military service are once again clearly visible.

Arthur was born in 1925 and passed away in 1990. His headstone identifies him as a First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and recognizes his service in two major conflicts in American history.

I’m continuing to research his life and military career, and I hope someone in our community may have known him or be connected to his family. There is more to every veteran than the words carved into a headstone, and I would love to help uncover more of Arthur’s story.

At Valor Stone Restoration, this is about more than cleaning headstones. It’s about honoring those who served, preserving their memory, and making sure their names and sacrifices are never forgotten.

His stone is clean. His service is remembered. His story deserves to be told.

Semper Fi, Lieutenant Patterson. 🇺🇸

10/14/2026

🇺🇸 VALOR STONE RESTORATION | HONORING COAST GUARD VETERAN JESSE D. GREEN

Today, I discovered something new at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy: a veteran who served in the United States Coast Guard. This is the first Coast Guard veteran I’ve come across during this restoration project.

His name was Jesse D. Green, born February 20, 1973, and gone far too soon on March 30, 2001. Jesse was just 28 years old.

His headstone was covered in mud and dirt, making his name and inscription difficult to read. After carefully cleaning it, Jesse’s name and the words chosen by his family are visible again:

“Beloved Son & Brother — Always in Our Hearts.”

Those words hit home. Behind every headstone is a person, a family, and a story that deserves to be remembered. We may not yet know the details of Jesse’s Coast Guard service or the life he lived in Gilroy, but we know he was loved, and we know his service to our country is worth recognizing.

I’m hoping someone in our community may have known Jesse or his family and can help us learn more about his life and his time in the United States Coast Guard.

At Valor Stone Restoration, the mission is simple: to give our veterans their identity back, preserve their memory, and make sure they are not forgotten.

Jesse, your name is visible again, and your service is being recognized. You are not forgotten. 🇺🇸

10/13/2026

🇺🇸 HONORING WINFIELD WARREN CURTS — WORLD WAR II VETERAN & PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT 🇺🇸

Today, at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy, we honor the memory of Winfield Warren Curts, who served our country during World War II as a First Sergeant in the United States Army.

His headstone records one distinction that carries a powerful meaning: Purple Heart recipient. This medal represents the sacrifices made by service members who were wounded or killed as a result of enemy action. Behind every Purple Heart is a story of service and sacrifice, and Winfield’s service deserves to be remembered.

Winfield was born on April 10, 1913, and passed away on July 27, 2000. He rests here alongside his wife, Sylvia, whose life spanned from 1913 to 1992.

Despite our research, we’ve been unable to uncover more details about Winfield’s military service or his life in the Gilroy community. But we know enough to recognize that he answered our nation’s call, served as a senior enlisted leader, and was awarded the Purple Heart.

We would love to hear from anyone who knew Winfield or Sylvia Curts, or from family members who might be able to share more of their story. What unit did he serve with? Where did his service take him? What was life like for this couple here in South County? We’d be grateful for any information that helps us preserve his history.

At Valor Stone Restoration, this work is about more than cleaning headstones. It’s about honoring those who served, restoring their names to clarity, and making sure their sacrifices are not forgotten.

Winfield, thank you for your service. 🇺🇸

10/12/2026

Remembering Antonio Lopez Jr. 🇺🇸

There are graves in Gavilan Hills Memorial Park that don’t need a major restoration. Sometimes they simply need someone to stop, take a closer look, and give them the care they deserve.

Today, I had the opportunity to restore the bronze monument of Antonio Lopez Jr., a Gilroy resident and U.S. Army Vietnam War-era veteran.

His marker identifies him as a Private in the United States Army. While I haven’t yet been able to uncover all of the details of his military service, what we do know is that he served our country during the Vietnam era—and that alone deserves to be remembered.

Before the restoration, his monument was covered with mud, leaves, and biological growth that had dulled the bronze and made it difficult to appreciate the memorial.

After cleaning, the bronze has been brought back to its original appearance and shine.

Antonio passed away at his home in Gilroy on November 23, 2012, and is laid to rest here at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park. His obituary said he was survived by his wife, Maria, and his family, including his children Norma Talavera and John Lopez and grandchildren Kylee and Isabella Talavera.

There is something special about finding a veteran who lived right here in our community and giving his memorial the attention it deserves.

Antonio Lopez Jr. served our country. He was part of the Gilroy community. And his service should not be forgotten.

If anyone in the community knew Antonio or his family, or can help us learn more about his time in the Army, I would love to hear from you.

🇺🇸 Restored with respect. Remembered with gratitude.

10/11/2026

🇺🇸 Valor Stone Restoration — Sgt. Edwin T. Terrill, U.S. Marine Corps 🇺🇸

Some memorials need more than cleaning. They need someone to stop, take a closer look, and remember the person behind the name.

Today, I had the opportunity to restore the memorial of Sgt. Edwin T. Terrill, a United States Marine Corps veteran who served during the Korean War.

Born April 21, 1931, Sgt. Terrill passed away on November 13, 2001. His memorial at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy honors his service to our country.

This was a particularly rewarding restoration because the memorial itself appears to be well cared for. The engraved lettering, Marine Corps emblem, rank insignia, and personal tribute were already there, but mud and dirt had accumulated on the stone, taking away from its appearance. After a careful cleaning, this beautiful memorial can once again be seen as his loved ones intended.

One inscription especially caught my attention:

“Honored, Loved & Remembered. Always our hero!”

Those words say a lot. The care evident in this memorial suggests that Sgt. Terrill’s memory continues to matter to those who love him. It was a privilege to help restore the stone so that the tribute to his life and service can shine through again.

I’d also like to learn more about this Marine. We know he served during the Korean War, but there is still more of his personal story to uncover.

Did you know Sgt. Edwin T. Terrill, or do you know anything about his military service, his family, or his life in the Gilroy area? I’d love to hear from anyone who can help us put the pieces together and preserve more of his story for the community.

At Valor Stone Restoration, the mission is about more than cleaning headstones. It’s about honoring those who served, preserving their memory, and making sure their stories are not forgotten.

Semper Fi, Sergeant. 🇺🇸

10/10/2026

🇺🇸 ANOTHER WORLD WAR II VETERAN REMEMBERED 🇺🇸

Today I had the opportunity to restore the bronze marker of David Valdez Esquivel at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park.

David was born on March 1, 1921, in Seguin, Texas. In 1942, at just 21 years old, he entered the United States Army during World War II.

His marker tells us that he served as a Technician 5th Grade — a specialized Army rank used during World War II for soldiers with technical skills. There is still more of David's military story that I'm hoping we can uncover, including his specific unit, his specialty, and where he served during the war.

What really caught my attention about David's grave, though, was that this is clearly a grave that is still being remembered.

The flowers, decorations and other items around his marker make it obvious that someone still comes back to visit him.

The bronze itself had accumulated dirt, staining and some biological material over the years, so I was able to give it the attention it needed and bring the inscription back to life.

David passed away on November 30, 2005, and is now resting here in our community.

His marker says:

“BELOVED HUSBAND
FATHER AND GRANDFATHER”

And that is a reminder that behind every military marker is much more than a name and a rank. There is a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a lifetime of memories that continue through the generations.

I would love to hear from David's family.

If David Valdez Esquivel was your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, or someone you knew, please reach out or leave a comment. I'd especially love to learn more about his time in the Army and what he did during World War II.

Sometimes the information we find in the records only tells part of the story.

The family is often where the rest of the story lives.

🇺🇸 David, your service is remembered. 🇺🇸

10/09/2026

🇺🇸 REMEMBERING JOSE CARRASCO RODRIGUEZ 🇺🇸

Today I had the opportunity to give a light cleaning to the headstone of World War II veteran Jose Carrasco Rodriguez at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy.

Jose was born on March 21, 1921, and passed away on February 15, 1997. He served his country in the U.S. Army as a Private First Class during World War II.

I want to point something out about this particular grave.

It was obvious before I ever touched the stone that Jose has not been forgotten.

There were American flags, flowers and personal items surrounding his grave. Someone is still coming back. Someone is still remembering him.

And his headstone tells us something else about the man behind the name:

“BELOVED FATHER
AND GRANDFATHER”

That's the part that really gets me.

Behind every veteran's name is a person who had a life, a family, people who loved them, and people who still miss them.

I wasn't able to uncover much about Jose's military service beyond confirming that he served as a U.S. Army PFC during World War II. But I would love to change that.

If anyone in the Rodriguez or Carrasco families knows Jose, remembers him, or can tell us more about his life and his time in the Army, I would love to hear from you.

Who were his children?
Who were his grandchildren?
Where did he serve?
What was he like?

If this is your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, or friend, please know that his name is being remembered here in Gilroy.

It was a privilege to take care of his marker today.

Jose Carrasco Rodriguez served his country.

His family clearly continues to remember him.

And now, another piece of his story is waiting to be told.

🇺🇸 Rest easy, Jose. Your service mattered. Your family remembers. And we remember too.

Valor Stone Restoration

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