Because he is missed
During the November first Homecoming celebration, a small crowd gathered at the AFROTC Det 810 headquarters on Baylor University’s campus to honor a fellow alum. Nicolas Alba Lopez, who had served with the Air Force after having completed his degree through Baylor’s ROTC program in 2003, had stepped into a skirmish in San Antonio on December 28, 2007 to do what he thought was right. The off duty Sheriff was at a club where two men were fighting and Lopez was fatally stabbed as he attempted to calm the men.
News of the incident traveled quickly over the telephone and internet lines to fellow classmates now scattered far and wide. Claire Kultgen organized the drive to raise funds to honor Lopez at Baylor University’s ROTC Detachment Headquarters. Money was raised quickly from fellow classmates now serving in the Air Force in the U.S. and abroad, enough to purchase two Air Force swords, a display case. The remaining funds were donated to current ROTC cadets.
The solemn ceremony began with a display of the Baylor ROTC drill team, a group that Lopez spearheaded. Kultgen then told of how Lopez enthusiastically recruited cadets to join him at 6:00 a.m. to practice with baseball bats, a humble beginning. Somehow one morning, Lopez arrived at the practice field with his car trunk filled with wooden rifles that Baylor cadets practice with to this day. Other classmates told of his leadership, his honesty and, most appreciated, his humor.
Lopez’s family traveled from south Texas to be a part of the memorial. His father shared a story of visiting his son while stationed at Minot AFB and how he persuaded his father to stay up all night to help make tamales for his entire squadron. Then together they spoke about the importance of honesty, a trait that is stressed in the U.S. Air Force and at the very core of the son. A fellow classmate, Capt David Aparicio, presented Lopez with the second sword that will hold a place of honor in his home.
Baylor University’s ROTC Detachment is lead by Col Danny L. Leonard and touts the prestige of being the country’s best large ROTC unit, an honor just recently bestowed. The cadets are dedicated, serious and anxious to serve our country as officers in the United States Air Force. 1st Lt Nicolas Lopez was one of those cadets not so long ago and his memory will linger at Baylor’s headquarters with the sword that will not only be on display, but used by cadets for many years to come.
