Burnt Orange Report

Honoring Memorial Day

By Byron LaMasters

I'll borrow from the Free State Standard and use this space to remember all of the men and women from Texas who have paid the ultimate price - their lives - serving their country in Iraq. It's important to remember that when we read the news clips everyday or watch the 15 second sound bytes on CNN about more Americans killed in Iraq, that we be able to understand that these soldiers are more than just a name and number. They left behind families, sons, daughters, wife's and husbands, mother's and father's, and their uncompleted lives. As a tribute to our military, our Veterans and all those who have served America, here is a list of the Texas soldiers who have lost their life in Iraq, via the Houston Chronicle:

2004:

�May 15: Staff Sgt. Rene Ledesma, 34, of Abilene, died in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Ledesma was assigned to the Army's 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

�May 8: Spc. Isela Rubalcava, 25, of El Paso, died in Mosul when a mortar round hit near her. Rubalcava was assigned to the 296th Combat Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

�April 19: Lance Cpl. Aaron C. Austin, 21, of Sunray, died from hostile fire in the Al Anbar province in western Iraq. Austin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

�April 17: Lance Cpl. Ruben Valdez, Jr., 21, of San Diego, was killed with fellow Marines by enemy forces in Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

�April 17: Army Pfc. Clayton W. Henson, 20, of Stanton, was killed when his convoy was ambushed in Dwaniyan. He was assigned to the Army's 1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, in Fort Polk, La.

�April 14: Sgt. Christopher Ramirez, 34, of McAllen, died in Al Anbar province from injuries sustained in combat.

�April 11: Marine Cpl. Daniel R. Amaya, 22, Odessa, died from hostile fire in Anbar province; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

�April 11: Army Chief Warrant Officer Wesley C. Fortenberry, 38, Woodville; one of two soldiers who died when their helicopter was shot down; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood.

�April 10: Sgt. William C. Eckhart, 25, of Rocksprings, died in an explosion in Baqubah.

�April 9: Marine Cpl. Matthew E. Matula, 20, Spicewood; died in fighting; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

�April 9: Marine Lance Cpl. Elias Torrez III, 21, Veribest; died in fighting; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

�April 6: Army Sgt. Gerardo Moreno, 23, who had lived in Winters and Terrell and was assigned to Fort Hood, died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near Ashula, Iraq.

�April 5: Lance Cpl. Shane L. Goldman, 19, of Orange, died of injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

�April 3: Army Spc. Robert Arsiaga, 25, of Greenwood, died when his unit's convoy was attacked by Shiite militiamen in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City.

�April 3: Army Spc. Israel Garza, 25, of Lubbock, died when his unit's convoy was attacked by Shiite militiamen in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City.

�April 1: Marine Pfc. Dustin M. Sekula, 18, of Edinburg, died April 1 of injuries sustained from enemy fire in Al Anbar province.

�March 31: Army Spc. Michael Greg Karr Jr., 23, of Garland, was killed when an explosive detonated under the M-113 armored personnel carrier he was riding in north of Fallujah.

�March 31: Army 1st Lt. Doyle M. Hufstedler III, 25, of Abilene, was killed when an explosive detonated under the M-113 armored personnel carrier he was riding in north of Fallujah.

�March 25: Cpl. James A. Casper, 20, of Coolidge, died March 25 in a noncombat-related incident at Al Asad.

�March 17: Army Spc. Tracy L. Laramore, 30, of Greenville died in Baji. He drowned after the Bradley fighting vehicle in which he was riding overturned in a river.

�March 18: Pfc. Ricky A. Morris Jr., 20, of Lubbock, died as a result of enemy action in Al Qaim.

�March 19: Pfc. Jason C. Ludlam, 22, of Arlington died March 19 in Baqubah, when he was electrocuted while laying telephone wires.

�March 11: Staff Sgt. Joe L. Dunigan Jr., 37, of Belton died in Fallujah, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.

�Jan. 24: Army Pfc. Ervin Dervishi, 21, of Fort Worth, died when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in which he was traveling in Baji.

�Jan. 21: Army Pfc. James Parker, 20, of Bryan, died when a mortar round exploded near him at his compound in Baqubah.

�Jan. 18: Army Master Sgt. Kelly L. Hornbeck, 36, of Fort Worth, died at the 28th Combat Support Hospital of wounds received Jan. 16 when an explosive hit his vehicle south of Samarra.

�Jan. 17: Spc. Larry E. Polley Jr., 20, of Center, died when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck a roadside bomb while his unit was conducting a surveillance sweep near the town of Taji, north of Baghdad.

�Jan. 16: Army Staff Sgt. Roland L. Castro, 26, of San Antonio, died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Camp Cedar II.

2003:

�Dec. 28: Army Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco, 28, of San Antonio, died in Qaryat Ash Shababi when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle.

�Dec. 28: Pvt. Rey D. Cuervo, 24, of Laguna Vista, was killed when an improvised explosive device hit his mounted patrol in Baghdad.

�Nov. 28: Army Sgt. Ariel Rico, 25, of El Paso, was killed in action near Mosul when four mortar shells hit his base.

�Nov. 8: Staff Sgt. Gary L. Collins, 32, of Hardin, killed while riding in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that hit an improvised explosive device.

�Oct. 13: Army Pfc. Stephen E. Wyatt, 19, of Kilgore, killed in action in Balad when his convoy was hit by an explosive and gunfire.

�Sept. 18: Army Spc. Richard Arriaga, 20, of Ganado and based at Fort Hood, killed in action near Tikrit. He was one of three soldiers killed in a small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade ambush on their Humvee.

�Sept. 11: Army Sgt. Henry Ybarra, III, 32, of Austin, killed in an accident in Balad. He died from injuries sustained when he was changing a tire on his military truck and the tire exploded.

�July 26: Army Sgt. Daniel K. Methvin, 22, of Belton and based at Fort Hood, killed in action in Baghdad when a grenade was thrown from a window of an Iraqi civilian hospital.

�July 24: Army Staff Sgt. Hector R. Perez, 40, of Corpus Christi, killed in action when his military convoy came under fire on the way toward Qayyarah, 185 miles north of Baghdad.

�July 11: Army Spc. Christian C. Schulz, 20, of Colleyville and based in Fort Hood, killed in noncombat-related incident in Baqubah.

�July 9: Army Sgt. Melissa Valles, 26, of Eagle Pass, killed in noncombat-related incident in Balad.

�June 17: Army Pvt. Robert L. Frantz, 19, of San Antonio, killed in action in Baghdad. He was on guard duty when a local resident threw a grenade over the wall.

�June 16: Army Spc. Joseph D. Suell, 24, of Lufkin, killed in a noncombat-related incident in Todjie.

�May 28: Army Spc. Jose A. Perez, III, 22, of San Diego, killed in action in Taji. His convoy was ambushed.

�April 28: Army 1st Sgt. Joe J. Garza, 43, of Robstown, killed in an accident in Baghdad when his Humvee swerved to avoid a civilian vehicle. He fell out and was hit by a civilian vehicle.

�April 7: Air Force Capt. Eric B. Das, 30, of Amarillo, killed in action when the F-15E he was flying went down during a combat mission.

�April 7: Marine Cpl. Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, 21, of Fort Worth, killed in action in central Iraq. He was riding in an Amphibious Assault Vehicle that was hit by enemy artillery.

�April 7: Army Pfc. Anthony S. Miller, 19, of San Antonio, killed in action.

�April 3: Marine Pfc. Chad E. Bales, 20, of Coahoma, killed in an accident near Ash Shahin. He was involved in a non-hostile vehicle accident during combat operations.

�April 2: Army Master Sgt. George A. Fernandez, 36, of El Paso, killed in action in northern Iraq.

�April 2: Army Chief Warrant Officer Scott Jamar, 32, of Granbury, killed in a helicopter accident in central Iraq. He was in an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed.

�March 23: Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano, 24, of Brownsville, killed in action near Nasiriyah. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed before dawn after their convoy made a wrong turn.

�March 23: Army Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso and based at Fort Bliss, killed in action near Nasiriyah. He was in a convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed before dawn after making a wrong turn.

�March 23: Army Spc. James Kiehl, 22, of Comfort and based at Fort Bliss, killed in action near Nasiriyah. He was in the convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed.

�March 23: Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of El Paso and based at Fort Bliss, killed in action near Nasiriyah. He was in the convoy on Iraqi Highway 7 that was ambushed.