Pablo Bañuelos, 20, serving in the United States Army as a specialist, recently was put on a banner in Colton as part of the Colton Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program. The banner was put up on Rancho and Valley Blvd. on the corner where Colton High School sits. Bañuelos was born in Pomona and moved to Colton when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Colton High School in 2012 and joined the service immediately after graduation. He traveled overseas to Afghanistan and is currently stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas. His mother, Leticia Bañuelos, who immigrated to the United States as a teenager, said, “I’m proud of him and think he deserves the honor." Bañuelos said, “I joined because my parents are from Mexico and they taught me that I shouldn’t take being in America for granted and I saw it as a chance to give back." Bañuelos has received several medals, one of them being the Overseas Medal. “I have respect for people who have served before me and the sacrifices that they made," he said. Bañuelos said staying in the military is an option he is considering for the future. When Bañuelos came back from Afghanistan just weeks ago, his parents showed him the banner and he said, “I was very surprised actually, especially coming from Afghanistan. I felt very proud that people at home not only remembered me, but other soldiers as well."

Service Member Given Banner in Colton