Los Lunas WWII Anti-Aircraft Gun Monument Restored, Re-dedicated by Community Volunteers

A drab, olive-green World War II anti-aircraft gun that stood largely unremarked at the corner of Luna Avenue and Main Street in Los Lunas for more than six decades has been restored and formally re-dedicated, with Schools Superintendent Susan Chavez and Mayor Charles Griego laying a wreath at the monument on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The restoration was led by volunteers from the Los Lunas Daniel D. Fernandez VFW Post 9676 and partners from the Valencia County Historical Society. In a proclamation passed by the Los Lunas Village Council, the monument was re-dedicated as the Los Lunas Schools Veterans Memorial.

"Preserving this means so much to so many," Chavez said at the ceremony. "Thank you for bringing it back to life."

The 90mm anti-aircraft gun was installed in 1959, in memory of the veterans of all wars, and was one of 11 such guns donated to municipalities across New Mexico by the New Mexico National Guard that year. Despite its history, the inoperable gun had attracted little attention since its installation.

The project began when local author and Valencia County Historical Society President John Taylor reached out to VFW Post 9676, asking whether the post would be interested in helping restore the gun and its monument. The answer was never really in doubt. When Taylor made contact, post Quartermaster Jack Lovato Jr., who serves as co-chairman of the gun memorial restoration committee, knew the post would answer the call, and the project held particular meaning for him personally. Lovato Jr. spoke at the re-dedication about the role his father, Jack Lovato, played in establishing the monument back in 1959, making the restoration a project that bridged two generations of the same family's commitment to honoring veterans.

The re-dedication carries new institutional weight. By naming the site the Los Lunas Schools Veterans Memorial through a Village Council proclamation, the monument is now formally linked to the school district, giving it a broader community purpose and a clearer path toward ongoing recognition.