YBOR CITY, Fla. (WFTS) — A piece of Ybor City legacy is returning Wednesday, just in time for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
"Not a lot of people know who Salvador Martinez Ybor was. His name is something that is so central to Ybor City and to Tampa," said Tampa Councilman Luis Viera.
Now Salvador's name is getting some recognition. Councilman Viera uncovered the grandson of Ybor City's Founder, Vicente, by accident earlier this year.
"I found out about this because I was doing research for city council for a Memorial Day event I was doing, and I was trying to find the names of people who died in World War II from Hillsborough County," he recalled.
That's when he saw the last name Ybor.
"I contacted Ignacio, his nephew, through Facebook," Viera said.
Months later, Viera received an unforgettable gift from Ignacio.
"After (Salvador's) death in January of 1945, Ignacio would take the Purple Heart that was given to the Martinez Ybor family for the wounds sustained and the injury sustained by Salvador Martinez Ybor that would lead to his death in battle," he explained.
One request from Ignacio, the Purple Heart be displayed at the Ybor City Museum.
"It is absolutely unbelievable to us that we will be receiving Salvador Martinez Ybor's purple heart," said Ybor City Museum President Chantal Hevia.
On Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the museum is planning a homecoming of sorts for the piece of history.
"We're very authentic. You can recreate all kinds of things everywhere else. But we are really in the national historic landmark district. The center of where this history started. So basically, in a way, the purple heart is returning home," Hevia said.
The public is welcome to attend to the ceremony for the purple heart.
It's Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Ybor City Museum State Park.
