The flags at New Bedford City Hall were flown at half-staff last week in honor of a New Bedford veteran who passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 28.

Air Force Staff Sgt. John Santos passed away at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston due to a brain aneurysm. He was only 25.

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Remembering John

After graduating from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School in 2015, Santos immediately became a member of the U.S. Air Force.

According to his obituary, Santos served overseas in 2019 and was promoted to staff sergeant in 2021 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Santos was also a deputy sheriff at Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department for five years and was awaiting the Massachusetts State Police Academy in 2023.

He was also going to become a father for the first time this year. His son is due in a few months.

“He was an outstanding young man in every respect, who had fully committed himself to the service of others,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said. “I hope and pray that those who loved him may be comforted by their pride in his many accomplishments and the example he set.”

Friends and Family Come Together

Shortly after Santos’s passing, a memorial page was created to give information on a fundraiser that was put together by loved ones. In partnership with the Firefighters Wives Association, the money raised will help cover the costs of the funeral and the birth and raising of his son Hayden.

Contributions in Santos’s honor can be made to the Veterans Transition House at 1297 Purchase Street, New Bedford.

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