When WWII Army veteran Felipe Lopez passed away mid-January in Reseda, it wasn't long before his younger brother Eliseo Lopez, also a WWII veteran, did too.
The family said Lopez's death left his brother heartbroken and he died in Texas just 10 days later.
This Saturday, there will be a special tribute at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth to commemorate Felipe Lopez's life and military service.
A Los Angeles Dodgers fan, handyman and prankster, Lopez died at the age of 92. His younger brother, a beloved grandfather, was 91 when he passed.
Born into a family of 13 children, four of the siblings were in active duty during WWII. The brothers served in Germany and Austria during the war. Lopez spent a year in the Philippines after the war and his younger brother continued on to the Korean War.
Erika Hanson, Felipe Lopez's granddaughter, recorded a video of her grandfather sharing stories about his experiences during the war. In one clip, he recalled being on the the frontlines.
"See once you are at the frontlines, you move to wherever you think you are safe," he said. "You use your mind."
News
Top news of the day
"Once you’re there, you try not to think about home," he added. "Because I never thought I was coming back."
The video continued, showing Lopez remembering the letters he would receive from his wife, Mary Lou, and the time he shared with his friend, Nick, who was in the frontlines alongside him. Lopez retired from the military as a staff sergeant.
Eliseo Lopez's daughters also recorded the veteran's experiences. They kept a letter he received from a Polish woman who expressed her gratitude to the veteran for his efforts in saving her family's life.
