Memorial Day’s essence is often overshadowed when we mark it as the inauguration of summer, celebrated with fireworks, parades and barbecues. But not all Americans celebrate it with such spirited enthusiasm. It’s not just a day to bask in the excitement of what’s in store in the coming months; it’s when we remember those who’ve fallen, fighting for our nation.

Remembering heroes like Coloradan Amos Estrada is the true spirit of the holiday. Born in Adams County and attending high school in Aurora, Estrada married Lillian, who gave birth to a daughter, Melinda. Estrada, along with his brother and father, enlisted in World War II, and he trained at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado.

During the war, he filled page after page with his love for his wife and daughter, but now only those letters stand as a testament of his feelings. During his fourth mission, on June 21, 1944, his plane was shot down near Stolzenburg, Germany. He was the only crewman shot and killed as they parachuted down from the B-17 Flying Fortress. He was 24 years old.

It wasn’t until the following September that Lillian was officially notified of her husband’s death. The telegram read: “Report now received from the German Government through the International Red Cross states your husband Sergeant Amos F. Estrada who was previously reported missing in action was killed in action on twenty one June over Germany….” For months, Lillian had been unsure of her husband’s fate and had received letters from Amos’ own crew, asking for any information she’d heard, as they too were still in the dark as to his whereabouts.

The date and locale of his death were hardly enough consolation, so Lillian sought more information. She received letters from his crew, detailing the events leading up to the day they abandoned the plane, but no one knew what had become of him. It wasn’t until the end of the war that the War Department translated the captured German records that identified Estrada as a crewman killed while parachuting from the damaged Flying Fortress that crashed at 9:35 a.m. on June 21 near Stolzenburg. Records indicate that Estrada’s body was buried at 6 a.m. on June 22 in the community cemetery, but was later moved to Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium.

History Colorado has the collection (donated by his daughter, Melinda) that follows Estrada through his time in the U.S. Army Air Force Corps. This very personal collection poignantly tells—through letters, documents and photos—the story of a soldier’s love for his family and fear of losing his wife. Estrada writes, poetically, “At night I lay in bed and look out at the stars and [it] seems like I can walk on them straight to you….” He can’t wait to return to the life in which he and Lillian will “Sleep late, have pancakes for breakfast...and go for a long walk.” The collection concludes with the Western Union telegram notifying Lillian that Amos was killed in action.

This Memorial Day, take a moment to honor heroes like Amos Estrada, who loved, fought and died for their country. Estrada’s story illustrates the heartbreak that wars create, and while Amos and Lillian didn’t get to have their pancakes, continuing to tell his tale can help honor his life and memory so that they can go on their long walk together.

To see the collection in person or learn more about Amos Estrada or other Colorado veterans, visit History Colorado’s Library and Research Center