Village To Host Purple Heart Recipient, Author Israel Del Toro, Jr.

NEW LENOX, IL — The Village of New Lenox is offering an opportunity to meet a beloved American hero and recipient of the Purple Heart award at a book signing and meet-and-greet event.

Senior Sgt. (Ret.) Israel Del Toro, Jr. will visit the New Lenox Village Hall, 1 Veterans Parkway, on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., promoting his recent book, "A Patriot’s Promise." The memoir depicts Del Toro's personal pursuits to keep promises to his family, protect his country and fellow soldiers, while risking his own life as a special operations paratrooper with the United States Air Force.

Guests can purchase Israel’s book for $30 (cash only), and have the opportunity to meet him and have him personally sign their copy.

Del Toro grew up on the south side of Chicago. At age 12, he lost his father, who died from a heart attack. When Del Toro was just 14, a drunk driver killed his mother. The oldest of four children, he took on the responsibility to care and provide for his siblings, with the assistance of his ailing grandparents, according to a U.S. Department of Defense website. Del Toro also attended Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, graduating in 1993.

Del Toro came into the wider public eye when the Humvee he was inside rolled over a roadside improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2005. He was comatose for three months with third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body, and doctors believed if he survived, he would require a respirator and would not walk again. He underwent numerous skin grafts and intensive physical therapy, and went on to make a full recovery. He would later become the first 100 percent disabled veteran to reenlist in the Air Force. He retired in 2020.

All profits from this event will be donated back to Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 and New Lenox American Legion Thomas E. Hartung Post 1977.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as a limited number of books will be available at the event.