Little Village Man, Marine Corps Veteran First Selected to Be Honored with the Abraham Lincoln Veteran Champion Award

Jose L. Campos grew up in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago and joined the Marine Corps in 2002.  With 3 overseas tours behind him as a Field Radio Operator, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2006, he left the Corps.  When discharged, Campos then returned to Illinois - and the Little Village - where he embarked on a new mission.  As a member of the YMCA of Metro Chicago’s Urban Warriors, he and other veterans met with and mentored at-risk youth to help them avoid the pitfalls of fractured neighborhoods, and to help combat veterans heal from combat experiences.      

“Jose Campos is a great example of our young veterans coming back from the military and making a difference in their communities,” said Rodrigo Garcia, Acting Director, Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA).  “We are grateful for his focus on helping at-risk youths, and helping his fellow veterans assimilate and become contributing members of the community.  His informal, can-do leadership is making a difference and it’s greatly appreciated.”

While balancing the responsibilities as a father and husband with his employment and education goals, Campos began his pursuit of higher education at Morton Community College, Northeastern Illinois University and currently at Quincy University where he is studying special education.  In addition to the Urban Warriors program, he had been active in Chicago Veterans and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), supporting the “Vet Together” event at the Artopia Fest and a Vet Picnic at Montrose Beach Chicago.  In August 2014 he started as a student teacher at Madero Middle School.

IDVA was represented at this event by Rodrigo Garcia, Acting Director, IDVA, who presented Campos the award, which includes a framed proclamation as well as a State Flag on behalf of Governor Pat Quinn.  The ceremony was held at the American Legion Dorman-Dunn Post-Chicago, 2129 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago, late in the afternoon on Friday, Oct. 10.  He was nominated by Angel Herrera, Jr., a fellow veteran.

From the YMCA of Metro Chicago:  Many Chicago youth are growing up in environments that are similar to war zones. For these young people, avoiding gunfire, surviving attacks and losing friends are far too commonplace. In response, the YMCA of Metro Chicago and the Adler School of Professional Psychology launched Urban Warriors, a dynamic peer support group that brings together recent military veterans and youth with high levels of trauma exposure. Walking together through a 12-week curriculum, youth in this program learn positive strategies  for coping with loss and are given key tools for improving their physical, mental and emotional health. Thirteen youth and 6 military veterans graduated from this transformative program in 2014. For additional information on the Urban Warrior program, please visit the YMCA of Metro Chicago’s Youth Safety and Violence Prevention Program. 

The Abraham Lincoln Veteran Champion Award (ALVCA) highlights and honors Illinois veterans whose contributions in service to the veteran community and their local communities are truly above and beyond. Nominees are evaluated on the basis of their leadership, dedication, innovation, and impact in serving these communities. ALVCA recipients are those whose efforts add to the powerful narrative that veterans are dedicated, lifelong public servants from whose efforts all of Illinois' communities stand to benefit. In contributing to this narrative through their service to veteran and local communities, the ALVCA recipients not only impact the lives of those they serve, but also the overall advocacy effort for Illinois veterans.  The IDVA readily accepts nominations of veterans for consideration to receive the ALVCA. 

Please contact Ryan Yantis, communication manager, IDVA, ryan.yantis@illinois.gov or 312-814-0778 with any question concerning the IDVA or the Abraham Lincoln Veteran Champion Award.