Freedom Remembered

Born: August 14, 1972 in Puerto Rico
Died: December 22, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq

Spc. William Lopez-Feliciano of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico enlisted in the United States Army in December of 1997 arriving at Fort Campbell in October. He had served in Afghanistan before being sent to Iraq and had only been in Iraq for seven weeks when he was killed. William loved serving in the military and his family felt he died doing what he always wanted to do. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal, Campaign of Iraq, War against the terrorism and Recognition by Expeditionary Services Medal. He is survived by his wife and three children and his parents. William was killed at age 33 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol in Baghdad. Also killed was 1st Lt. Benjamin T. Britt.
Army
1st Battalion
502nd Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Burial is at Cementerio Municipal in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

Born: October 29, 1962
Died: April 8, 2010 in Mombassa, Kenya

Sgt. Roberto E. Diaz Borio of San Juan, Puerto Rico enlisted in the Air Force in 1988 and also served in the Navy Reserve. He later joined the Army and became a member of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard in February 2009. He participated in military operations in the Horn of Africa and for the previous 10 months, he worked at training the military of nine countries. He was expected to return to Puerto Rico in June of 2010. Roberto loved being among his friends and family. He was friendly and caring. Roberto died at age 47 in Mombassa, Kenya. The circumstances of his death are under investigation.
Army
1st Battalion
65th Infantry Regiment
92nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
Cayay, Puerto Rico

Burial is at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Puerto Rico – Sec E Site 2000

Born: November 8, 1972 in Puerto Rico
Died: February 17, 2006 in Djibouti

Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez of Bayamon, Puerto Rico served in the United States Air Force repairing ground radio equipment. He deployed to Djibouti as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. Luis was married to Michelle and the father of two. He was killed at age 33 when two CH-53 helicopters crashed into the Gulf of Aden in the vicinity of Ras Siyyan, northern Djibouti, while flying a training mission in the Godoria Range area. Also killed were Marine 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, Sgt. James F. Fordyce, Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large Jr., Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, Capt. Bryan D. Willard and Air Force Senior Airman Alecia S. Good.
Air Force
1st Communications Squadron
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

Burial is at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Puerto Rico – Sec L Site 2

Born on June 30, 1957, in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

 Died on Jan. 2, 2005 in Shindand, Afghanistan

 A native of Aguada, Puerto Rico, Pedro enlisted in the Army in February 1986 as an automated logistical specialist. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1990 and was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and soon after deployed in support of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1994, he deployed to Haiti for 7 months in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. Pedro deployed to Colombia in the mid-1990’s and bonded with the Colombian forces. He always thought of other people before himself. At the age of 40, he decided he wanted to join the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. Failure was not an option for him. Pedro always scored among the highest on physical fitness tests even though he insisted on being graded by standards set for 17 to 21-year-old soldiers. Called Poppy by his fellow soldiers, they watched him do his physical training that put the younger guys to shame. Some even said jokingly that his intensity would have put a 20-year old in a coma. In 1999, he was assigned to the Golden Knights. He completed over 300 static line and 4,000 free fall parachute jumps. He returned to Special Forces in 2002. Pedro deployed to Afghanistan as a detachment operations and intelligence sergeant assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). On January 1, 2005, he was struck by small arms fire while his unit was conducting an offensive operation in Herat province. He was pronounced dead the following day after his medical evacuation from the scene. Pedro was awarded numerous medals and decorations during his 18 years serving, including the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge with 2nd Award Star, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Master Military Free Fall Badge and the Special Forces Tab. His wife and daughter survived him. 

Birth: September 26, 1975 – Humacao, Puerto Rico
Died: November 4, 2003 – Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt Martinez was assigned to B Detachment, 82nd Soldier Support Battalion (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as a human resources specialist. He was in a convoy when an improvised explosive device hit the truck he was traveling in.

Burial: Puerto Rico National Cemetery, Bayamon, Puerto Rico – Section G, Site 2027A

Born: May 25, 1981 in Puerto Rico
Died: March 17, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Ed Santini of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico came from a military family, among which are his father, uncles and two grandparents. Ed was a loving and brave young man. Knowing the impending arrival of his first child, he realized that his job at a fast-food restaurant would not get his family ahead. This knowledge led him to enlist in the military at the age of 20. He died in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations at age 25. He is survived by his widow and a daughter among others.
Army
2nd Battalion
12th Cavalry Regiment
4th Brigade Combat Team
1st Cavalry Division
Fort Bliss, Texas

Burial is at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon, Puerto Rico – Sec E Site 2117

Born: September 29, 1980 in Puerto Rico
Died: November 5, 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Carlos M. Camacho-Rivera of Carolina, Puerto Rico graduated from Lola Rodríguez de Ti High School and later attended the Institute of Tecnology before he joined the service at age 19. Carlos was the guy you wanted in your convoy. During one mission, he was flagged down after a fuel tanker accidentally rammed a Humvee, pinning two soldiers inside. The scene was horrific, everyone was in a state of shock, but Carlos took charge, working with others to rig a wrecker truck with chains and lift the tanker off the truck. Carlos died at age 24 in the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad from wounds sustained earlier that day in a rocket blast in Fallujah, Iraq. He is survived by his wife and son. He left two letters to be opened in the event of his death. One was to his wife, the other to a fellow soldier, who shared parts of it at the memorial service.
Army
368th Transportation Company
11th Transportation Battalion
Fort Story, Virginia

Burial is at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Born: October 5, 1972 in Puerto Rico
Died: November 16, 2005 in Balad, Iraq

Spc. Alexis Roman-Cruz of Brandon, Florida and Quebradillas, Puerto Rico was always taking care of other people.  He was a doting father and son, and a best friend to his wife. When Alexis, a construction worker, decided to join the military, he told his wife he wanted a better job with benefits to care for her and their two children. She disagreed, but she understood. Johan didn’t want her husband to join the military and the war, but she supported him in everything. She knew he was very grateful for what military life was able to give him, although he sacrificed for it. He was a fighter, a very positive person and he was a great father. With his salary from the military, they were able to buy a house and car. Initially Alexis believed in the war in Iraq, but sometimes he questioned its purpose. The couple lived in Brandon for a year between 2002 and 2003 before moving to Tennessee. Before that, they were in Puerto Rico, where they were both born and raised in the same town. They didn’t meet until after high school. They had been married 13 years. He worked in construction both in Puerto Rico and after they moved to Florida. He joined the military to secure a better-paying job with benefits to improve their economic standing. Alexis died at age 33 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained on November 15, 2005 in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations.
Army
1st Battalion
320th Field Artillery Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Burial is at Cementerio Municipal in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

Born: July 16, 1987
Died: June 26, 2009 in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Miguel Ortiz of Florida, and Puerto Rico was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. AWF 2, United States Navy. Miguel died at age 21 following an auto accident.

Burial is at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon, Puerto Rico – Sec E Site 64

Born: May 14, 1984
Died: October 4, 2007 in Iraq

Sgt. Ricardo X. Rodriguez of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, joined the Army in May 2004 and joined the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg in April 2005. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. He died at age 23 near Bayji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations.
Army
2nd Battalion
325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Burial is at La Santa Cruz Cemetery in Arecibo, Puerto Rico