Freedom Remembered

Born: November 29, 1979
Died: May 24, 2007 in Buhriz, Iraq

Sgt. Iosiwo Uruo of Agana Heights, Guam joined the Army soon after graduating from George Washington High School. His dad wanted him to continue his education and pursue a carrer in architecture. But Iosiwo wanted to join the service and the family supported that decision although they didn’t like him being so far away. It had been almost 4 years since he was last home on the island where his father’s family came to Guam from Chuuk in 1987 for Mr. Uruo to receive training for his job. Then an elementary school teacher in Chuuk, his father had decided he’d keep his family on Guam so his children could have a chance at a better education. Iosiwo died at age 27 in Buhriz, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces. Born in an American territory, Uruo was a United States citizen.
Army
1st Squadron
14th Cavalry Regiment
3rd Brigade
2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team)
Fort Lewis, Washington

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery, in Piti, Guam – Sec H Row J Site 16

Born: February 19, 1987
Died: June 7, 2010 in Konar, Afghanistan

Sgt Joshua A.  Lukeala of Yigo, Guam graduated in 2005 from Simon Sanchez High School where he played football his senior year and was part of the marksmanship team. He also enjoyed weight lifting. Josh knew at an early age that he wanted to be in the Army just like his father, and his uncles. His father, who is now retired from the Army is an ROTC instructor. Joshua joined the Army right after high school and was soon deployed to Iraq. During that tour he received a purple heart for combat wounds while serving with the 26th Infantry Striker Brigade. He suffered hearing loss from the battle that earned him the medal. He had just begun his deployment to Afghanistan and was expected home for a leave in early fall of 2010. Josh was proud to be able to serve in the Army. He kept a smile on his face and a positive attitude. He is survived by his wife Deniece Nave, their daughter Maiya, his mother Dorothy, father Anthony Guzman Lukeala, and brother Anthony Keone Sablan Lukeala. He died at age 23 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Konar, Afghanistan.
Army
2nd Battalion
327th Infantry Regiment
1st Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti, Guam

Born on Jul. 22, 1973 in Guam

Died on Mar. 25, 2008 in Iraq

United States Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa of Yigo, Guam. A sometimes-mischievous teenager, who was most often put back into his parents good graces by his older siblings. During his teenage years, he met the love of his life, Michelle, his complete opposite. Love prevailed; they married and had five children together. Joe had a variety of interests in his life, including sports, especially golf, spear fishing, and karaoke, but it was his family that was his priority. The desire to provide for them and himself a better life led him to join the military in 1999, following in his father’s footsteps. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based at Vilseck, Germany. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, two weeks shy of returning home when he was killed when he came under indirect fire. He is survived by his wife Michelle and their five children. He is additionally survived by his parents Francisco Gamboa and Cecilia Gamboa, of Dededo, four brothers and four sisters, and several relatives. His medals included the Purple Heart, Bronze Medal and Meritorious Service Outstanding Service to America, Iraq campaign medal, global war on terrorism expeditious medal, and a global war on terrorism effort medal.

Joseph was buried in Guam Memorial Park in Barrigada, Guam.

Born: March 27, 1980
Died: September 13, 2004 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq

Cpl. Jaygee Meluat of Tamuning, Guam and his wife, Melanie, playfully tried to predict the gender of the couple’s first baby. He wanted a girl; she wanted a boy. But he had to miss the birth due to training. He said that since he got his baby girl I could name her. She named the baby MiaCai in honor of the proud new father. She said “mia” means “mine” and “cai” means “girl”. The day he died was their daughter’s third birthday. Meluat was a native of Palau, the youngest of 12 children, and had moved to Guam as a teenager to live with one of his older sisters. He graduated George Washington High School in 1999. He was one of the students you remembered because he was always laughing, smiling and joking when he was on campus. His father, Jonathan George Meluat. Jaygee died at age 24 due to enemy action.
Marines
3rd Assault
Amphibian Battalion
1st Marine Division
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, California

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti, Guam – Row 2 Site 4

Died: August 8, 2008 in Sangatesh, Afghanistan

Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Carbullido of Agat, Guam was a Navy corpsman working as an instructor at the Hospital Corps School when he was deployed to Afghanistan. Tony and his wife had been living in housing at the naval base and he had planned to move his family back to Guam after his return from Afghanistan. Tony was always the prankster but was very dedicated to his job and took it very seriously. As a youth he was kind of wild growing up. Back then he had dreams to be a doctor. Tony was on his second tour of duty and had previously been deployed to Iraq. Tony was last in Guam, where he was born and raised, in March 2008. He was killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device. He was 25. Services were held at the Mount Carmel Church in the village of Agat.
Navy
Naval Hospital Corps School
Great Lakes, Illinois

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti, Guam

Born: December 24, 1978
Died: March 5, 2007 in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Sgt. Christopher J. C. Fernandez of Dededo, Guam graduated from Guam Community College adult high school in 2000. He joined the guard in 2004 he liked being in the service. Before being deployed he drove for MidPac and was a waiter and cook at the Outback Steakhouse. Chris was friendly and liked to joke around and enjoyed taking care of everything that he cared for. He was 28.

Guam Army
National Guard

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti, Guam – Sec TT Row A Site 8

Born: August 29, 1949 in Guam
Died: August 18, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan

First Sgt Jose San Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington left Inarajan, Guam after joining the Army in 1969. After basic training in California, he was sent to Vietnam. Over the next twenty four years, “Sinbad,” as he was called, was stationed all over the world including, Fort Benning, Georgia, Brussels, Belgium, St. Louis, Mississippi, Fort Lewis and Texas, Fort Devens in Massachusetts and Germany, where he was stationed for seven years before returning to Washington finally retiring in 1993. In April 2008, he was recalled to active duty. He trained at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, and then stopped at Fort Lewis in Texas before deploying to Kabul, Afghanistan, in June of 2008. He had been serving in the United States Army for 40 years and had been deployed in Afghanistan since June 2008. Joe was a proud Chamorro and the president of a Chamorro group in Washington State. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Leon Guerrero Crisostomo. Joe helped found Grupun Minagof, a group of Chamorro Americans who organize fiestas and other happenings in the local community. The group also raises money to help if someone in the local community loses a family member and provides scholarships for Chamorro youth. He served most of the last decade as its president. Even when he was in Afghanistan, he’d phone into the monthly meetings in Spanaway to say hello to group members and help plan the next fiesta or golf tournament. The group was planning to throw a big, 60th-birthday bash for Crisostomo when he returned, complete with Chamorro food and cold beer. He was also a good neighbor and a friend to many. He was a handyman who could do everything from electricity to plumbing to building you a patio. He never hesitated to use those skills when someone was in need. During a winter snowstorm, Joe’s neighbor’s water heater was leaking. In spite of rough driving conditions he drove his own vehicle to the Home Depot, loaded a new heater, and helped to install in that same day.

Army
International Security Assistance Force
Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Burial is at Fir Lane Memorial Park in Spanaway, Washington

Born: July 13, 1978 in Guam
Died: March 5, 2007 in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Sgt. Gregory D. Fejeran of Barrigada, Guam attended George Washington High School and graduated from Guam Community College in 1996. He worked for the Guam Waterworks Authority as a wastewater operator and he joined the Guard in 2001. Greg planned to take his family on vacation after returning from the Horn of Africa in a few months. He died at age 28 in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. Also killed was Sgt. Christopher J. C. Fernandez.
Army
National Guard
1st Battalion
294th Infantry Regiment
Barrigada, Guam

Burial is at Guam Memorial Park in Barrigada, Guam

Birth: July 5, 1970
Death: August 27, 2007 in Fob Naray, Afghanistan

Major Henry San Nicolas Ofeciar of Guam graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1988 and joined the United States Army ROTC program at the University of Guam where he excelled, being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1994. He went on to obtain his master’s at Syracuse University in New York, double-majoring in finance and public administration. Henry continued to strive for excellence and in 2004 was promoted to the rank of major. Not one to sit behind a desk he volunteered to go to Afghanistan. He was promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army in 2004. His death is the sixth life lost in the year 2007 with Guam roots, and the ninth from Micronesia. Since the conflict in the Middle East broke out in 2003, twenty-three servicemen have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service. He is also the second person to die from the southern village of Talofofo. He was 37.
Army
1st Brigade
1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, Kansas

Burial is at Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti, Guam – Sec VV Row A Site 34