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War Casualties Results: Home: N.M.
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| Photo | Name | Age | Service | Status | Country |
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Christopher S. Adlesperger's last message to his mom was good news. "Chris said he had just been promoted meritoriously to lance corporal," said his mother, Annette. "He said, 'How cool is that?'" Adlesperger, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Dec. 9 during fighting in Iraq's Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton. Adlesperger ran track, did tae kwon do and wrestled in high school, which he graduated from in 2003. "He was always looking to have fun," said his uncle, Dennis Adlesperger. "He loved the outdoors, he loved sports. He loved being around people, but he was competitive." After graduation, Adlesperger briefly attended the University of New Mexico and joined the Marines. "He felt like that was what he wanted to do _ go over there and defend us," Dennis Adlesperger said. "He knew when he was signed up that he was probably going over. That was his duty." He also is survived by his father, Gary. | |||||
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27 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| To his older sister, Cpl. Lyle J. Cambridge will always be little Lyle, the brother who bought her an Easter dress each year and always tried to make people laugh. Â "I don't believe there was ever a day when Lyle got mad. He just wins your heart," Shauna Dee said. Â Cambridge, 23, of Shiprock, N.M., was killed July 5 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. He was based at Fort Carson. Â He is survived by his wife, Evonne, and two young sons, 3-year-old Wyatt and 1-year-old Nick. Â A member of the Navajo Nation, Cambridge joined the Army in May 2002, two years after graduating from high school. His father, Joe Cambridge Sr., is a veteran, as his brother Vernon. Â "He was a good man," Evonne Cambridge said, crediting his parents and siblings for her husband's good nature. "You raised him to be a very respectful and honest, encouraging man." | |||||
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27 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Jeremy E. Christensen never did anything halfway, either in work or in play. Take Thanksgiving: His preferred activity wasn't a relaxed game of tossing the pigskin with the family. "Full-contact football," said his younger brother, George Hunt Jr. "No pads." Christensen, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Nov. 27 when his tank was destroyed by a roadside bomb during a combat patrol north of Baghdad. He was based at Schweinfurt, Germany. He grew up in the Portland area and signed up with the Army National Guard at age 18 and attended Mt. Hood Community College. Once Christensen was a civilian again, he moved to Idaho to work as bail bondsmen and later moved to Albuquerque to serve as office manager with the company. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Christensen decided to re-enter the military. He said "that's too close to home. I need to go and serve my country, and keep you guys safe," said Gerri Jimenez, a co-worker and friend. "He was prepared for the war. He wasn't scared." He is survived by his mother, Linda Hakes; stepfather, Rick Adamek; and father, George Hunt. | |||||
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23 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Jonathan Grant and his fiancee had planned to marry when Grant returned from Iraq in October. But Grant, 23, of Pojoaque, N.M., died May 11 when the vehicle he was in hit an explosive device in Iraq. His reserve unit was stationed in Albuquerque. "He had a great sense of humor," Eva Maestas recalled of her partner of seven years. "He loved to work out, play sports and was really into low riders." Grant leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter and a son about 1½ years old. Maestas said she got pregnant with the couple's first child while still in high school and Grant dropped out to care for the child and allow her to graduate. He earned his GED in 2000. Grant's grandmother, Margie Warner, 83, said her grandson's death took her by surprise. "I didn't expect this because he said he was coming home soon," said Warner, who raised Grant since he was an infant. | |||||
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34 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Tommy L. Gray had a passion for fishing, for reading comic books _ and for life. "He loved people and he loved his life," Joyce Gray said of her son. "He smiled all the time. He was such a bright person." The 34-year-old tank mechanic from Roswell, N.M., died Aug. 3 when he was caught between two vehicles in his unit's motor pool in Taji, Iraq. He was based in Fort Hood, Texas. Gray entered the military in 1989 at the age of 18. He had served in the Army for 15 years before going to Iraq earlier this year. Army officials said his death was under investigation. Joyce Gray said her son was intensely patriotic. "He loved his God, his family and his country," she said. Survivors include his wife, Rene. | |||||
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23 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 23-year-old Marine who was killed in Iraq has been laid to rest at his family's ranch in northern New Mexico. Â Lance Cpl. Shane P. Harris of San Geronimo was killed Sept. 3, 2006, in Al Anbar province while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force based in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Â A few hundred people turned out Tuesday at the Harris ranch to honor the Marine. Friends and family had followed a 17-mile funeral procession from Rogers Mortuary in Las Vegas to the ranch west of town. Â A silent fire truck led the way. Harris had been a volunteer firefighter with the Cabo-Lucero Volunteer Fire Department in San Miguel County. Â Sunflowers lined the road and small flags adorned fence posts along the way. Once at the ranch, Marines carried Harris' flag-draped coffin to its final resting place. Â Patrick Harris, the Marine's father, said at first he was angry with God for his son's death and he lamented what he called his own failure to keep him safe. But he said he realized that his son is now "at the feet of Jesus." Â "God, please tell Shane I love him so much," he said. Â ___ Â Information from: the Albuquerque Journal, www.abqjournal.com -- Shane P. Harris' parents said their son always wanted to protect others. When everyone else would run away from danger, he would run to help. Â His father recalled on an incident that occurred while Harris was at Bible College in Texas. "He was playing soccer and a motorcycle accident occurred nearby," Pat said. "Everyone else just stood there, but Shane ran to the injured rider to offer comfort and aid." Â Harris, 23, of Las Vegas, N.M., was killed Sept. 3 when a roadside bomb detonated as his light armored vehicle passed in Anbar province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms. Â Mistica Walker, of Angel Fire Resort, where Harris had worked, said he was "good-natured, fun, charismatic, willing to do anything for anyone." Â "He was one of those people who lit up a room." Â Harris was home-schooled and was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed hiking, hunting, fishing and skiing. Â In a letter home, Harris once wrote, "Mom, if I don't fight over there, then they will come fight over here, and if that happens, your grandkids would not get to grow up free like I did." Â He also is survived by his mother, Carol. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â As his casket lay underneath the basketball hoop at one end of Maxwell High School gymnasium, Chad R. Hildebrandt's former teachers and friends recalled the spots on the court where he would dive for loose balls and make other hustle plays. Â He was a prankster, a warrior, the big man on campus, a role model to younger students, a good older brother and a young man "intent on living his life to the fullest," said those who spoke in eulogy. Â Hildebrandt, 22, of Springer, N.M., was killed Oct. 17 in Rutba in a gunfight. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton. Â Hildebrandt, a 2003 high school graduate, enlisted in the Marines eight days after graduation. Friends said becoming a Marine had always been his dream. Â "Chad was the greatest guy. It's not fair that he had to go out like this. But he died doing what he loved. It's all he talked about _ being a Marine," said Hildebrandt's friend Richard Galli. Â Hildebrandt's yellow jersey, No. 44, hung from the hoop for his memorial service. When the service was over, Hildebrandt's classmates gave it to his parents, hugging each of them. Â He is survived by his parents, Coleen and Bob Hildebrandt. | |||||
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23 | Army | Freed POW | U.S. | |
| Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M., was among seven POWs rescued by Marines on April 13. As a member of the 507th Maintenance Company, his ordeal began March 23 when their convoy made a wrong turn near Nasiriyah and rolled into a 15-minute firefight. Two others were captured the next day when their helicopter went down. Shortly after their capture, the seven were shown on Iraq's state-run television. The POWs said they were kicked and beaten when captured and were taunted and interrogated by their captors. But they were given medical treatment and did not complain of torture. They were moved through six holding places in their last days and ended up in the hands of some Iraqi policemen who pooled their own money to buy the prisoners food and medicine. Hudson had been shot twice in the ribs and once in the buttocks. Hudson and six others were rescued April 13 when Marines kicked in a door of a house south of Tikrit and shouted, "If you're an American, stand up! Hudson, a 1998 graduate of Alamogordo (N.M.) High School, did weight training at the school and liked fishing, bowling and card games, said his mother, who is of Filipino ancestry. She said her son joined the Army to have a good future, not to fight. | |||||
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26 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Christopher A. Merville liked nothing better than tramping around Revolutionary and Civil War sites. "He really loved history," said his uncle, Edwin Merville. "We walked those battlefields out east. His dad was in the Army, which might have had something to do with his signing up and his interest in history." Merville, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Oct. 12 when his unit came under fire in Baghdad. He was stationed in South Korea, where he became engaged to Renabeth Luis from the Philippines. He wrote his mother about being promoted and getting better pay. "Now I can look forward to having a little more saved for when I finally return to American soil. That way I have something to start my foundation as a married man. Yikes!" he wrote. Merville attended the University of New Mexico and could retain a working knowledge of any language in a few months, said another uncle, Herb Merville. "He spoke German just like a native," he said. "He could pick up other languages so easily. That's why the Army initially recruited him." | |||||
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27 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| While stationed in Iraq, Spc. James H. Pirtle wrote letters to family and friends in New Mexico, telling them of warming relations with farmers, his love for the Iraqis and his hopes for the U.S. mission. In a letter to his mother, he called his work in Iraq "the experience of a lifetime, and the reason I joined the Army." Pirtle, 27, died Oct. 4 when his Bradley fighting vehicle was attacked about 60 miles north of Baghdad. He had been in the Army for more than two years and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Pirtle _ who went by the name Heath _ had planned to come home in January and join his wife, two stepsons and a new baby girl in the family's new home. "He was a beautiful person, inside and out," said his wife, Ursula Pirtle. Pirtle graduated from high school in 1994 and attended Dona Ana Branch Community College in Las Cruces, N.M., before joining the Army in 2001. He was featured in a photo in Time magazine before heading off to the Middle East. "My son was my hero before he went in _ now he's the world's hero," said his mother, Kay Beeman. | |||||
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26 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Christopher Ramos grew up in the same city as the woman he would one day marry, but they didn't meet until 2001, at the wedding of mutual friends. They themselves married in January 2003, and Ramos shipped out for the Middle East a few months later. Lance Cpl. Ramos, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., was on his second tour in Iraq when he was killed April 5 in Anbar province. The couple last spoke about a week before his death, and they talked about their 18-month-old daughter, Malaya. "He loved her more than anything in the whole world," Dianna Ramos said. She said her husband entered the Marines to better himself, although he also aspired to serve as a police officer in Albuquerque, where his brother is a firefighter. "He was a wonderful husband, a great father," Dianna Ramos said. "He was supportive in everything that I did. I was always supportive of everything that he did. We were each other's two best friends." | |||||
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19 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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33 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Moses Daniel Rocha was a strong man with a powerful presence _ so powerful that a friend called him "Superman." "He just had that aura about him like nothing could hurt him and he helped make you a stronger person by being near him," Melanie Varagon said. "He was such a strong person who could always lift your spirits up." Rocha, 33, died Aug. 5 when Iraqi militants outside Najaf opened fire on his vehicle. The Roswell, N.M., native was serving his second tour in Iraq. This time, Rocha was doing infantry work. His job last year was protecting military VIPs. A 1990 high school graduate, Rocha joined the Marines when he was 24 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He is survived by a 15-year-old daughter, Miranda Pruitt. Aloysius "Joe" Sanchez said he talked his stepson into joining the military. "He died for his country," Sanchez said. "He was a good kid." | |||||
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25 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Although Joseph E. Rodriguez weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, he didn't grow up to be a large guy. That came later. "More recently he had started lift weights, working out," said his mother, Gloria Nava. "It wasn't until then that I noticed he was really starting to get buffed up." Rodriguez, 25, of Las Cruces, N.M., died Jan. 28 when insurgents attacked his Humvee in Baghdad. He was stationed at Fort Hood. After six years of active service, Rodriguez was mulling whether to stay in the Army and try to become a helicopter pilot. A 1998 high school graduate, Rodriguez did well in academics. He also played football and rugby as a teen. "He always did really well in school," said his mother. "Math was always his best subject. He could add numbers in his head; I know because he always did that for me." While his stepfather attended school in Arizona, Rodriguez took it upon himself to help around the house. "It was just Joseph and I," Nava said. "He would do all the work over here, and he was just in his early teens." He is survived by his wife, Leslie, and son, Ethen, 2. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Ricky Salas Jr.'s mother kept in e-mail contact with her son while he was in Iraq. In those message, he confided what was in his heart. "He said he saw awful things. He said he loved me, he missed me, he wanted me to be happy and proud of him. I was very proud of him," said Brenda Robertson. Salas, 22, of Roswell, N.M., was killed March 7 by a roadside bomb in Mosul. He was assigned to Friedberg, Germany. "He'd always wanted to be the leader, and wanted to be the best at anything and everything," said Robertson. The former construction worker enlisted in the Army about 18 months ago so he would be able to care for his family and gain worldly experiences. "I'm hurting. I feel like a part of me is gone," she said. Salas grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and married in 2002, building a home in Roswell with his wife, April, and two young children, a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. Salas was an outdoorsman who loved playing golf and put his family first, said Robertson, who is employed in a work-study program at Clovis Community College. "Rick registered me for school," she said. | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â SANTA FE (AP) _ Gov. Bill Richardson has ordered flags around New Mexico to fly at half-staff through sundown Wednesday in honor of a New Mexico infantryman who was killed while serving in Iraq. Â Marine Lance Cpl. Emilian Sanchez, 20, the son of David and Jennie Sanchez of Santa Ana Pueblo, died Jan. 21 in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Â Sanchez's body arrived at Albuquerque's international airport Monday morning. His flag-draped coffin was escorted by a Marine honor guard. Â Sanchez, who joined the Marines in July 2005, leaves behind his parents, three brothers, three sisters, his fiancee and other relatives from Santa Ana and Sandia pueblos. Â "Lance Cpl. Sanchez's patriotism, bravery and dedication to the state of New Mexico will always be remembered," Richardson said in an executive order signed Monday. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Eastern New Mexico residents, armed with American flags and banners of appreciation, turned out in droves to show respect for fallen Clovis soldier Leroy Segura Jr. and his family. Â A memorial service was held Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church for the 23-year-old Army sergeant, who died Aug. 4 from injuries sustained when his military vehicle overturned in Habbaniyah, Iraq. After the service, Segura was buried in Fort Sumner. Â About 70 Patriot Guard Riders _ motorcyclists whose main mission is to attend the funerals of soldiers killed in conflict _ formed a wall around the church. Â "We are here to support the family of the fallen soldier," said Byron Cross, with his motorcycle behind him. Â Other supporters _ most of whom had never met Segura _ lined entire blocks in Clovis and Fort Sumner. Along Sumner Avenue, a band of residents shouldered heavy flags despite a cold drizzle. Â "We respect what the soldiers are doing," said Miki McRee of Fort Sumner. Â Margaret Romero and her four young sons held banners and flags in Clovis. Â "This hits home," she said, explaining that her brother, a Marine, deploys next month. Â Segura was serving his second tour in Iraq and had received the Purple Heart for injuries received there in 2004. At Monday's service, his family was presented with a Bronze Star for his latest tour. Â "His sincere desire to bring sincerity to the (region of Iraq) is an example to which all service men and women aspire," a soldier told Segura's parents as the honor was presented. Â Gov. Bill Richardson ordered flags around the state to fly at half-staff through sundown Tuesday. In his executive order, the governor said Segura's patriotism, bravery and dedication will always be remembered. Â "The thoughts and prayers of the people of New Mexico go out to his family as well as a heartfelt thank you for his courageous service," Richardson said. Â Members of a Kansas church group that has made headlines for protesting at military funerals nationwide had plans to appear at Segura's funeral, but community members said no one from the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church showed up Monday. Â Mayor David Lansford had urged people to line the funeral procession in support of Segura's family. His call was answered as residents showed up with flags and signs, including some that read: "God Bless You," and "American Hero, Thank You." Â Segura worked as a 21C, or a bridge crew member, in Iraq. His duties included helping other soldiers by providing bridge and rafting support. Â Friends have said Segura, a 2001 graduate of Clovis High School, had an opportunity to attend college on a cross country scholarship, but he chose the Army. Segura joined in 2002 and arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., in June. Â Segura is survived by his parents Leroy and Sandra Segura; his sister, Michele; and brothers Jake and Symon. Â ___ Â Information from: Clovis News Journal, www.cnjonline.com -- When Leroy Segura Jr. first went into the Army, the workouts didn't seem that difficult. After all, he had been a champion runner. Â "He'd always joke about some of those guys that didn't do so well with the running," said Mark Bussen, his high school cross country coach. "That part of Army life _ running four to five miles a day and working out _ came as second nature to him." Â Segura, 23, of Clovis, N.M., died Aug. 4 in a vehicle accident in Habbaniyah. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning. Â Family and friends described a young man who loved his grandmother's homemade tortillas and his mother's menudo. They recalled how he loved summer camping trips, how he would play in the Pecos River, and how he would scoop up his baby brother for hugs. Â "Happy-go-lucky," is how Leroy Segura described his son. Â He helped his high school win the district cross country title in 2000. Â "Loyalty, dedication, simplicity were the things that made his life. You knew what to expect. J.R. was J.R. and you knew what you were in for with him," said Bussen. Â He also is survived by his mother, Sandra. | |||||
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43 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Before Marshall A. Westbrook was deployed to Iraq, he installed a new door on his family's home. It was the start of many home improvement projects he wanted to get done. Recently, about 20 community volunteers from at least eight local businesses _ including the Public Service Company of New Mexico, where Westbrook worked as an environmental process operator _ picked up hammers and other tools and picked up where Westbrook left off. "He worked for us for 23 years. This is the least we could do," said Dick Goeden, who worked with Westbrook at PNM. "The house definitely needed some repairs." Westbrook, 43, of Farmington, N.M., was killed Oct. 1 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was based at Albuquerque. "He was a gentle giant," said Sgt. 1st Class Arthur Garcia, who has known Westbrook in and out of the military for about 15 years. "He had a soft voice. He was a good guy, and he will be sorely missed." He is survived by his wife, Jolene, and five children: Marcia, 24, Ryan, 23, Anthony, 20, Nicole, 14, and Chadrick, 22 months. "He was a father figure," said Sgt. Darryl Henry. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| The Army said Monday that a Fruitland, N.M., sergeant killed in Iraq was one of four soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division who died when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee. Sgt. Clifton Yazzie, 23, a 2001 graduate of Kirtland Central High School, was an infantryman assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. He joined the Army in November 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Ky., in July 2005. He was promoted posthumously. His family said he was killed Friday on his second tour in Iraq. All four of those killed while patrolling near Hawijah were members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Campbell. The others were identified as Staff Sgt. Rickey Scott, Sgt. Dennis J. Flanagan and Spc. Matthew C. Frantz. A soldier who was wounded was not identified. The deaths were the most in a single incident involving Fort Campbell soldiers since four were killed in November by a roadside bomb. Yazzie is survived by his 21-year-old wife Michelle; daughter Chynitta, 3; son Cayden, 18 months; and parents Clifford and Jeanette Yazzie of Fruitland. Clifton and Michelle Yazzie would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary April 15. They had planned to renew their vows during a family vacation to Las Vegas, Nev. "I'd talk to him and he'd say, 'We'll have the wedding we never had. We'll have the wedding pictures we never had," said Michelle Yazzie, who met her husband at a high school dance she sneaked into. She said he was devoted to their children. "It's going to be hard raising them by myself," she said. Jeanette Yazzie said her son always wanted to be a soldier and that as a child, he would use tree limbs and sticks as imaginary guns to play war. Gov. Bill Richardson on Monday ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sundown Tuesday in honor of Yazzie. Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan asked Navajos to pray for Yazzie's family. "We have much to understand from the daily sacrifices of all our soldiers as they perform their duties in defense of our great country, as well as our own Navajo Nation," Morgan said. "Let us remain vigilant in our prayers of our men and women in uniform and for their families." ___ Information from: The Daily Times -- Friends and family of a 23-year-old Army sergeant killed during his second deployment to Iraq remembered him as an outstanding soldier who did his best. "He was a great, caring guy. He was my best friend, the closest thing to family you got over there," said Marco Sanchez, 29, of Acoma, who served with Sgt. Clifton Yazzie of Fruitland during Yazzie's first tour in Iraq. Funeral services have not been set, but more than 250 family members and friends gathered at the Nenahnezad Navajo chapter house Tuesday to remember Yazzie, who is survived by his wife, Michelle, 21; children Chaynitta, 3, and Cayden, 18 months; and his parents. Sanchez and his wife learned of Yazzie's death from a television newscast. "We just started crying," Sanchez said. "It's something that's hard to bear." Lambert Yazzie, no relation to the soldier, told the crowd, "The hardest thing for us is to share in the passing of one of our warriors." Lambert Yazzie, who has a son in Iraq, spoke in front of a table draped with a black-and-gold United States Army blanket on which several photos of Clifton Yazzie were displayed. Keith Tso, 31, and his brother Kee Tso, 33 _ uncles of Michelle Yazzie _ remembered Clifton Yazzie as the type of person who brightened up a room with his smile and jokes and was disappointed if he didn't make people happy. "He brings the room to life. He's a happy person. He was always cheerful," Keith Tso said. They also said he put his family first. "He was always there for his kids, no matter what," Keith Tso said. The soldier's father, Clifford Yazzie, said after the memorial that so much community support surprised him. "It's special," he said, looking at the packed meeting room. "That's what makes us strong, this is what keep us up. I love them all for doing all this." ___ Information from: The Daily Times -- Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said a Fruitland sergeant killed in Iraq "has left a legacy for all of us." Army Sgt. Clifton Yazzie, 23, was one of four soldiers killed Jan. 20 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee. It was Yazzie's second tour in Iraq. His funeral was held Saturday before a standing-room only crowd at the Farmington Civic Center. State Department of Veterans Services Secretary John Garcia told Yazzie's family that many soldiers and soldiers' families share their pain. Quoting the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Garcia said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Garcia said Yazzie's legacy will not be forgotten. "Clifton stood his ground, feet firmly planted," he said. Shirley presented Yazzie's 21-year-old wife, Michelle, and his parents, Clifford "C.Y." and Jeanette Yazzie, with a plaque of honor on behalf of the Navajo Nation, and Navajo Nation Vice President Frank Dayish Jr. said he believed the soldier's journey to the "next life" would be a good one. "I know it's difficult at the present time to talk about heroes, to talk about war," he said. Clifton Yazzie was posthumously awarded a plaque by the Military Order of the Purple Heart in addition to the Navajo Nation Council's Warriors Medal of Valor. "He grew up to become not only a soldier, but also someone fighting for freedom," said his uncle, Jay Yazzie Jr. "He was truly a Dine (Navajo) warrior." Yazzie's friends and family members recalled their favorite memories of a man they knew as a "smurf." Jay Yazzie Jr. said Clifton Yazzie had received the nickname because he resembled a smurf when he was a baby. His uncle said the soldier cared for his family. "When he was home, he always tried to visit every relative and not leave anyone out," he said. He also said Clifton Yazzie was respectful of his elders, and always knew how to greet his relatives _ with a big hug. Yazzie's junior varsity basketball coach, Richard Crum, recalled learning a lesson from him in 2000 when Yazzie was a junior at Kirtland Central High School. During a game against a particularly aggressive Colorado team, one of the smaller freshman boys was intentionally fouled by a Colorado player, and Yazzie walked over to the opponent and stood up for the boy _ Crum's son. Crum said he learned that day that it takes a strong man to stand up for others and face their bullies. After the funeral, family and friends went to Greenlawn Cemetery to place flowers on Yazzie's casket and say their final goodbyes. More than 250 family members and friends also had gathered Jan. 24 at the Nenahnezad Navajo chapter house to remember Yazzie, who is survived by his wife; children Chaynitta, 3, and Cayden, 18 months; and his parents. -- Clifton J. Yazzie liked to catch bugs, loved to read about dinosaurs and study reptiles. That fascination is a trait that has been passed on to his daughter. "He loved chasing snakes and lizards. Now his daughter likes that," said his mother, Jeanette Yazzie. "She wants a pet snake now." Yazzie, 23, of Fruitland, N.M., was killed by a roadside bomb Jan. 20 in Hawijah. He was on his second tour and was assigned to Fort Campbell. Yazzie was a 2001 high school graduate and was part of the state championship basketball team in his senior year. Yazzie had always wanted to be a soldier, his mother said. As a child, he used to take tree limbs and sticks and turn them into guns to play war. Enlisting in the military is somewhat of a family tradition. One of Yazzie's favorite things to do when he was homes was to change into his old pants and shirt and butcher sheep, recalled his wife, Michelle. "He'd come back smelling like sheep," his wife said. "The kidneys were his favorite part," his mother said. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Paula Gonzalez had only one question when Army officials showed up at her home: which of her two sons was killed in Iraq. "When you have two over there, it's like hurry up, say which one," she said by telephone from her home Sunday as the family looked at pictures of the slain soldier, Jesse Zamora, 22, her youngest son. On Friday, Zamora was killed when a roadside bomb blew up near his Humvee in Beiji, Iraq. A piece of shrapnel flew up and hit him, she said. As he slipped away, Zamora asked one of his friends to hug him, Gonzalez said. "It's just incredible how close these guys are. They love each other so much," she said. Her other son, Tyrel Zamora, is stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, and is on his way home to attend his brother's funeral. Jesse Zamora was an infantryman assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He was the sixth member of the Fort Campbell, Ky., 101st Airborne Division killed in Iraq since Wednesday in four separate incidents. Jesse Zamora graduated from Mayfield High School in Las Cruces in 2002, joined the Army later that year and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2003. "He just had a longtime want to be in the military," Gonzalez said. He enjoyed being out in the desert near Las Cruces in his rust-colored GMC truck to practice shooting. Memories of his truck got him through tough times in Iraq, where he was on his second tour, she said. "They always have a dream," she said. "Some of them have a wife and kid. He didn't. He had a truck." Zamora often would send his family requests for service on his truck: spray the bed liner or paint this, Gonzalez said. The tires, he said, he would buy when he returned home, his mother said. Zamora's most recent request was for his mother to send him a digital camera he had ordered. She packed it up Thursday with Valentine's Day candy and put it in her Jeep to send Friday. But before she could get to the post office, she was notified of his death. "I'm one of those (who believes) that everything happens for a reason," she said. Zamora outlined his future plans to his mother in an e-mail he sent her the day he died. He said he wanted to work for an old couple who has an electrical business, referring to his mother and stepfather. "He was funny, he had this huge sense of humor," Gonzalez said. "He was just a clown all the time. He was just incredible." She responded to his e-mail by writing, "the owner is old, but the bookkeeper is not." She's not sure her son received that message. Zamora is survived by his mother and stepfather, Sergio "Nacho" Gonzalez of Las Cruces, his brother Tyrel Zamora and sister Christy Zamora of Phoenix. His biological father, Orlando Zamora, died when Jesse Zamora was three months old. -- Relatives said goodbye to Army Cpl. Jesse Zamora, 22, who was killed earlier this month during his second tour in Iraq. Zamora was buried Tuesday with full military honors at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Earlier, a funeral Mass was celebrated at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral on an emotional day for his family. "At an early age, Jesse often said he wanted to be a soldier. And before long, he was one," said Gerardo Gonzalez, Zamora's uncle. The 2002 Mayfield High School graduate died Feb. 3 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Bayji, Iraq. Zamora, the third Las Cruces soldier killed in Iraq, was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Motorcyclists from the veterans groups Patriot Guard Riders and Rolling Thunder escorted the funeral procession to the cemetery. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Ky., where Zamora was stationed, carried his casket. Students from Picacho Middle School, some waving American flags, lined up along Picacho Street to await the funeral procession. "I just want to honor a fallen soldier and show respect," seventh-grader Jarrett Samaniego said. Zamora is survived by his mother, Paula, and stepfather, Sergio "Nacho" Gonzalez, as well as a brother, Army Spc. Tyrel Zamora, and a sister, Christy Zamora. "I really don't have much to say right now, but I know this much: Jesse's up in heaven," said Tyrel Zamora, who saluted as the honor guard removed an American flag from his brother's coffin and presented it to his mother. Tyrel Zamora, who was serving in Iraq when his brother died, was wounded during his first tour of duty in Iraq. | |||||
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24 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Army Spc. Jose Zamora's tour in Iraq was set to end next month and he planned to return home to southern New Mexico. Â The 24-year-old from Sunland Park was one of three soldiers killed Sunday by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, according to the military. The other two were identified as Staff Sgt. Stephen A. Seale, 25, of Grafton, W.Va., and Sgt. Carlton A. Clark, 22, of South Royalton, Vt. Â The three _ all combat engineers with the 2nd Brigade Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky. _ were riding in a Humvee when the bomb exploded. Â Zamora's family has been trying to cope with their loss, said his sister, Diana Zamora. Â Zamora joined the Army in 2003 and deployed to Iraq last year. His sister said he was very proud to be a soldier. Â "That's what he wanted to do since he was little," she said. "He wanted to serve the nation, to fight for our country. His mentality was that when the war was over, he wanted the next generation to have a more peaceful world." Â Zamora graduated in 2000 from Santa Teresa High School, where he played the clarinet in the marching band, learned to play guitar and was on the tennis team. He planned to get married in January and hoped to work for the U.S. Customs Service or Border Patrol. Â Services for Zamora were pending, though the family plans a burial at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas. Â Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the fact that Zamora is the third New Mexican to die in Iraq and Afghanistan in less than a month is sobering and calls attention to the dangers faced by men and women in uniform. Â "Their resilience and strength are so remarkable that when they fall, their loss is all the harder to accept," Domenici said Tuesday. Â Zamora and his fiancee, Nadine Robles, visited Sunland Park in June for his sister's 17th birthday. His family had been looking forward to the couple's January wedding. Â Diana Zamora described her brother as "a very good guy." Â "He was very happy at the moment. He was about to get married and was, like, the happiest man ever," she said. Â Sunland Park Mayor Jesus Ruben Segura has ordered flags to fly at half-staff until Zamora's burial. Â Zamora was the second New Mexico soldier killed in Iraq in less than a week. Army Sgt. Leroy Segura Jr., 23, of Clovis died Friday from injuries he suffered when his military vehicle overturned in Habbaniyah. Segura was in his second tour of Iraq at the time. -- More than 200 people crowded into a funeral home here Friday to remember an Army soldier from southern New Mexico who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Â Jose Zamora, who died Aug. 6, was commended for his service in the nation's war on terror and for his role in search and recovery operations for two missing soldiers. He also was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal with V for valor and a Good Conduct Medal. Â Zamora, 24, was the gunner in a Humvee on a recovery mission when the roadside bomb exploded, killing him and two other soldiers. All were with the 2nd Brigade Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Â Zamora's best friend, Staff Sgt. Jose Galvan, who also served in Iraq, choked back tears as he said goodbye. Â "The truth is, I don't have the words," Galvan said in Spanish. Â While he celebrates Zamora's life, he said he's sad for himself because he lost a good friend. Â After the service, Galvan said he often talked with Zamora when they were both serving in Iraq and recently when Galvan was stateside. Â "He would call me from over there. He would tell me he liked what he was doing. He was happy," Galvan said. Â Zamora joined the Army in 2003 and deployed to Iraq last year. Upon his return, family members said the soldier had planned to get married and hoped to work for the U.S. Customs Service or Border Patrol. Â Zamora, a 2000 graduate of Santa Teresa High School, is survived by his parents Anna Maria and Jose I. Zamora, sisters Anabel Zamora-Gibson and Diana Zamora, and his fiancee Nadine Robles. Â Zamora-Gibson said the family is grateful for the support it has received from the communities of Sunland Park, N.M., and El Paso. Â That support was evident Friday during the funeral procession as more than 100 vehicles drove through Sunland Park. There, mourners lined the streets and waved flags. Â A burial ceremony was later held at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Â Javier Garcia, who attended Friday's services, has been friends with Zamora's father for years. He said the father was in tears when he learned of his son's death. Â Garcia said he saw the younger Zamora earlier this summer when he returned home to tell his family that he was going to get married. He said Zamora had come back from Iraq with the maturity of a man. Â "He used to pray before he went out on missions," Garcia said. "He would tell his comrades in arms, 'Don't forget to pray.' ... It's a great loss for this country." -- Ana Maria Zamora recalled one of the last conversations she had with her son, Jose. He said he told her: "If I die, open the casket and see me, so that you'll know that war is real, not a game." Â Zamora, 24, of Sunland Park, N.M., died Aug. 6 in Baghdad from a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Campbell. Â "Joe was always smiling, always the one that was happy," said Saul Nunez, who grew up with Zamora. "I still can't get that out of my mind. He was a better person than most people." Â Zamora graduated from high school in 2000. He played the clarinet in the school band and was on the tennis team. He also played guitar and sang, and loved his car, a Hyundai Tiburon. Â "I had him for four years in band," said Frank Rivera, the band director. "He was an excellent student and well-liked by everybody in the band. He was a high achiever and was always willing to help out other students." Â The family last saw Zamora in June when he paid them a surprise visit on his sister Diana's 17th birthday. "He was a great brother, always overprotective of his little sister," his mother said. Â He also is survived by his father, Jose, and fiance, Nadine Robles. |  |
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