Like Father, Like Son: Colton Has More Hometown Hero Duos

Matias Moreno and Jess Flores, father and son, were both honored with a military banner installation ceremony early last month. Moreno was drafted into the Army in 1943 where he worked on the China-Burma-India (CBI) Tour and helped build the longest military pipeline. According to Yolanda Moreno, Moreno's daughter, he worked as a pipe fitter most of his life, even before being drafted. “We think that that had a lot to do with why he was chosen for the job,” Yolanda explained. Moreno served until 1946 and continued to work as a pipe fitter. Unfortunately, he died in 1992 from cancer. His son, Jess Flores, enlisted in the Marine Corps with four of his friends in 1971 and actively served for two years where he received/transmitted top secret coded communications. Just like his father, Flores stuck to the same career path and is still working in communications. He served his last two years in reserve. Since Flores currently lives in Las Vegas, he was unable to attend the ceremony. However, he did visit a couple weeks later to see the his dad's and his own military banners for himself, Yolanda shared. Yolanda was the one who planned the entire installation process. She was able to get both of the banners directly across from each other and that's not even the most special thing about it; they are both right in front of her own home in Colton. “I was so excited that both of the spots in front of my house were available,” she said. Although both veterans were unable to attend, it didn’t stop their friends, family members and loved ones from attending in honor of their hometown heroes. “My mom was so happy. She invited all of her friends from the Cotlon Senior Center,” Yolanda shared. “She got to show off her successful boys to everyone.” Since both banners are in front of her house, Yolanda explained that she put out chairs for everyone who attended. They installed Flores’s banner first, and then Moreno's. “My mom was so happy when they were raising Jess’s banner but she got really emotional when my dad’s went up… It was a bittersweet day for her,” Yolanda explained. Many of their family members were able to attend. Matias’s daughter and Jess’s other sister, Rose Moreno, Jess’s daughter Angel Cummings, and Yolanda’s children Alec and Alexis Rosales were all included. Matias’s daughter from a previous marriage, and Jess’s half-sister Marylou Eisinger, were unable to attend the ceremony. However, Eisinger's children, George and Beth, were there to support them. Matias Moreno and his wife Irene didn’t grow up in Colton. However, when they decided to start a family, they wanted to raise their children in a nice and little town and they chose Colton, according to Yolanda. They moved to Colton when Flores was about five years old. All three of their kids - Yolanda, Rose and Jess - attended elementary school through high school in the Colton Unified School District; they’re all former Yellowjackets. Yolanda added, "I'm really glad Colton does these military banners. Colton is so united and small that we even know of the veterans we see on the banners driving down the street...it's just something to be very proud of."