Army Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw

Died October 14, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Christopher McCraw, of Columbia, Miss.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Oct. 14 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when he encountered small arms fire while on dismounted patrol.

Slain soldier known for humor

By Nicklaus Lovelady

The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger

Avon McCraw clearly remembers the last time he talked with his son, Pfc. Christopher McCraw.

“I was talking with him on the cell phone, and he was laughing when it cut out,” said Avon, of Marion County. “That was the last time I got to hear his voice, his laughter.”

Christopher McCraw, 23, died Tuesday in Baghdad from wounds suffered when he encountered small-arms fire while on patrol, according to the Department of Defense.

At least 67 people from Mississippi or with strong ties to the state have died in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Christopher McCraw is the third soldier from Marion County to be killed in Iraq.

“We all knew the danger was there, but I didn’t expect this to happen,” Avon McCraw said. “I’ll probably never get over it, but I don’t want to because he was my child.”

Christopher McCraw comes from a family of soldiers, with Avon’s brothers, Jerry and Monroe, both having served in the Army. Christopher McCraw’s brother also served in Iraq and came home two years ago with post-traumatic stress disorder, a family member said.

Christopher McCraw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and was looking forward to coming home from Iraq and marrying the mother of his young son.

There was no mistaking Christopher’s sweet sense of humor, friends said.

“Chris was just a charmer, an all around, happy-go-lucky kid,” said Wendy Bracey, his Sunday school teacher at Woodlawn Pentecostal Church in Columbia. “He was a prankster with a sweet smile. I remember he would always sneak up behind me, then tap me on my shoulder trying to scare me.”

Christopher McCraw called Columbia home until his parents separated as he entered high school. He moved with his mother to North Carolina, where he eventually graduated.

Jerron Carney, 28, of Columbia said Christopher was always loyal to his friends in Mississippi and would always stop by to say hello when he was in town.

On Oct. 1, Christopher McCraw sent Carney a message on MySpace checking in on Carney and his family.

“He was a favorite of mine. He will be missed by a lot of people, and I know I’m one of them,” he said.

A message Christopher McCraw wrote before his death on his MySpace.com page said: “For man hath no greater love than that he would lay down his own life for his friends.”

Avon McCraw said he supported his son’s decision to join the military.

“He loved his job. He was a true soldier,” he said. “He never mentioned anything about being scared, which is why I say he was a soldier.”

‘Happy-go-lucky’ soldier led by example

The Associated Press

From Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw’s childhood to his adult years, those who knew him couldn’t help but be touched by his jovial personality.

“Chris was just a charm an all around happy-go-lucky kid,” said Wendy Bracey, his Sunday school teacher. “He was a prankster with a sweet smile. I remember he would always sneak up behind me then tap me on my shoulder trying to scare me.”

McCraw, 23, of Columbia, Miss., died Oct. 14 of injuries from small-arms fire in Nasar Wa Salam. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks.

“In his unit, he was very respected,” Brig. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco said. “He never accepted defeat. Never left a comrade behind. He set the example for many others in his platoon.”

The Rev. Jerron Carney characterized McCraw as a food aficionado — his favorite dishes being shepherd’s pie, banana pudding and Swiss cake rolls — and a prankster. “If he wasn’t telling a joke, he was pulling a joke.”

He is survived by his 15-month-old son, Issac, and fiancee Brianna Bell.

“He was always a happy kid, a bursting-with-energy-type kid, I guess what you would call a perfect soldier,” said uncle Jerry McCraw.

Army Cpl. Scott G. Dimond

Died October 13, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

39 year old Scott Dimond, of Franklin, N.H.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), New Hampshire Army National Guard, Milford, N.H.; died Oct. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device and his patrol was engaged in a small arms fire attack.

Hundreds pay respects to fallen N.H. soldier

The Associated Press

FRANKLIN, N.H. — The line to get into the Franklin Middle School gym stretched down the hallways and along one side of the brick building as hundreds of people paid respects to a fallen soldier.

Army National Guard Cpl. Scott Dimond of Franklin was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan last week. Hundreds of mourners attended calling hours Friday night, watching photos of Dimond flash on a big screen and sharing memories of the 20 years he spent as a police officer before joining the National Guard.

A funeral service will be held Saturday.

Army Pfc. Scott G. Dimond remembered

The Associated Press

Scott G. Dimond’s uncle, Jean Dimond, said his nephew was fearless and up for any challenge, such as being the only child in the neighborhood brave enough to ride a friend’s red wagon down a hill.

“He had such a wonderful outlook on life,” Jean Dimond said.

Dimond, 39, of Franklin, N.H., died in an ambush Oct. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was a 1987 high school graduate and was assigned to Milford, N.H.

Initially, he had planned to enter the Marine Corps, but the Marines wouldn’t take him because of a football injury, so he took a job with the Franklin Police Department.

He started as a dispatcher, then moved up to special officer, then full-time officer, retiring as a sergeant after 18 years of service.

“He didn’t have a mean bone in his body,” said Bill Athanas, his old principal.

He had been taking pre-med courses, planning to earn a nursing degree and work alongside his mother caring for aged and injured veterans.

“I can’t say enough about him. I wish I had had five more just like him,” said former Franklin Police Chief Doug Boyd.

Dimond is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his four children, Luke, Ashlee, Alexis and Madison.

Army Sgt. William P. Rudd

Died October 5, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old William Rudd, of Madisonville, Ky.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Oct. 5 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq.

Ky. Army Ranger dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Kentucky soldier killed in Iraq says the Madisonville community is “filling me up with love and prayers” since learning of his 27-year-old son’s death.

Sgt. William P. Rudd died Sunday after being hit by enemy small-arms fire while on combat patrol in Mosul, according to the Defense Department.

Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.

“The community is filling me up with love and prayers,” the soldier’s father, Bill Rudd of Madisonville, told The Messenger newspaper of Madisonville. “They support what Patrick did for our cause, so we wouldn’t have terrorists back over here.”

Patrick Rudd is believed to be the first Hopkins County native killed in Iraq.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Patrick Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

“He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country.”

Patrick Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

“He didn’t join for himself,” Bill Rudd said. “You might say he joined for everyone else over here.”

Patrick Rudd was a decorated soldier, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and many awards.

He is expected to posthumously receive the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Bill Rudd last saw his son four months ago when he visited Fort Benning, Ga., where Patrick was stationed.

Other survivors include Patrick Rudd’s mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

The family is waiting to hear when the body will be returned to the United States before making funeral arrangements.

Western Ky. soldier laid to rest, slain in Iraq

The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Ky. Army Ranger recently slain in Iraq said Wednesday that his son was slain during the attack that killed an alleged high-ranking leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The Messenger of Madisonville reported thousands stood by the roadside as more than a hundred cars followed the hearse carrying Sgt. William Patrick Rudd’s body the six miles to the cemetery. The 27-year-old soldier is the first from Hopkins County to die in the Iraq war.

Rudd’s father, Bill Rudd, stood at his son’s casket at First Baptist Church at the beginning of his funeral and told the congregation his son died in the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed Abu Qaswarah, the alleged No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The U.S. military announced Abu Qaswarah’s death Wednesday, saying he died Oct. 5 during a raid on a building in Mosul and that news of his death was withheld to allow for positive identification.

The military said Rudd died the same day of wounds suffered from enemy small-arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

Members of Rudd’s unit shared memories of their friend during the funeral. A Bible verse was repeated often: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“I didn’t understand the meaning of John 15:13 until Oct. 5,” Sgt. Mark Williams said. “The night he died, he was with his brothers, his friends.”

On Tuesday, three of Rudd’s comrades — Cpl. Kyle Lillard, Staff Sgt. Brett Krueger and Sgt. Dusty Harrell — shared memories of their friend, whom they called “Ricky.”

Lillard, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn., served with Rudd for three years.

“Outside of work, we’d hang out a lot,” he said. “He came from a place like mine, with the same kind of people.” The friends shared a love of country music and “outdoor stuff,” like fishing and hunting.

“We had pretty much everything in common,” said Krueger, 25, of Grand Junction, Colo. “He was a good-hearted person who loved life. You could never catch him on a bad day.”

Herrell, 29, of Monetta, Ark., recalled Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. He and Rudd did a lot of camping and canoeing together. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Harrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

“I turned around … Ricky was already up the hill,” Harrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole. The snake was still on it. I dispatched the snake with a big rock to get it off the hook.”

Besides his father, Rudd is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

Hopkins County Sheriff Frankie Latham, whose department helped organize security detail for the funeral procession, told The Messenger that members of Rudd’s unit told him they had seen a negative reaction at another soldier’s funeral recently and asked him what to expect from the community.

“I said it would be just the opposite,” Latham said. “This community supports men and women in the military, but this surprised even me.”

Fallen Ranger known for ‘excellence’

The Associated Press

Sgt. Dusty Herrell recalled William P. Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Herrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

By the time Herrell turned around, “Ricky was already up the hill,” Herrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole.

The snake was still on it.”

Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky., died Oct. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Mosul. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning.

After school, he went to work on an assembly line at White Hydraulics and joined the Army in 2003. “He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country,” said his father, Bill Rudd.

He had done five deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.

“Anything he did, he did with excellence,” said Sgt. Mark Williams, a fellow Ranger.

He also is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley and his stepmother, Barbara Rudd.

“He was the best friend anyone could have asked for,” Herrell said. “And he didn’t have to be talking to you to cheer you up.”

Army Staff Sgt. Robb L. Rolfing

Died June 30, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Robb Rolfing, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 30 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.

* * * * *

Vassar graduate dies in Iraq

By Dennis Gale

The Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Robb Rolfing had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little kid. And when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, spurred the Vassar graduate to join the Army, he aimed for the top.

“He had wanted to be a soldier and specifically a Green Beret, Special Forces guy, for a long time,” said his father, Rex Rolfing of Sioux Falls.

“That was his dream. That’s what he wanted to become. The elite of the elite. And that’s what he was.”

Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing died early June 30, Iraq time, after being hit by a round of enemy fire in a southern Baghdad neighborhood. He was 29.

He was in the Special Forces, assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group Airborne, out of Fort Carson, Colo., the Defense Department said July 2.

Five other Fort Carson soldiers died in Iraq this past week when their patrol was ambushed by insurgents, marking the post’s largest death toll in a single incident. Rolfing was the 213th soldier from the post to die in the war, but only the third in the 10th Special Forces Group.

After joining the Army, Rolfing was allowed to try out for Special Forces school. He was accepted but then was sent to Iraq for his first tour of duty.

“And then when he came back, he went through the intense year and a half of school that they [Special Forces] have,” his father said.

Only about 3 percent of those allowed to try out eventually graduate, Rex Rolfing said.

His son had been in Iraq on his second tour of duty since March.

He was training Iraqi police to clear insurgents. “They came under fire in clearing a neighborhood in southern Baghdad,” his father said. “He came under fire and he caught a round that went through his arm and into his chest.”

His body is being brought home and is under 24-hour guard, accompanied by a Special Forces member from his unit. “We do not know where it is and when it will be here,” Rex Rolfing said.

When a service is held in Sioux Falls “it’ll be a celebration of Robb’s life,” his father said.

Asked to describe how he and his wife, Margie, were notified, Rolfing said it was “kind of like the movies. They just show up with a chaplain and a guy from the service. Two guys in uniform show up at your front door and ring your doorbell. So it’s difficult.”

“You can’t imagine” the emotions, Rolfing said. “We didn’t even open the door, Margie and I. We knew right away … when we saw the two soldiers standing there, we knew right away. We just started bawling and hugging each other. And it was probably a full minute before we could garner enough strength to open the door.”

Robb was the oldest of Rex and Margie’s three children. Brother T.J is 26 and sister Tiffany is 20.

Robb Rolfing played soccer, football and hockey and was the kicker for the Sioux Falls O’Gorman football squad in high school.

He got an academic scholarship and played soccer at Vassar College in New York.

“He was a very bright, bright young man,” Rex Rolfing said.

Rex and Margie Rolfing have been married for 35 years.

Their wedding anniversary was Sunday.

* * * * *

Governor requests flags at half-staff for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

PIERRE, S.D. — Gov. Mike Rounds has requested that all flags in the state be flown at half-staff July 10 in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing of Sioux Falls, who died last week in Iraq.

Rolfing’s funeral will be held July 10 at the Sioux Falls Arena.

The 29-year-old Special Forces engineer died of wounds from enemy small-arms fire last June 30 in Baghdad.

“Staff Sgt. Rolfing paid the ultimate price in defending our nation,” Rounds said in a release. “He represents what is best about the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the United States and put their lives on the line so we can enjoy freedom. This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice that comes with that freedom. Our hearts go out to his friends and family, and I ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

* * * * *

Community honors Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing

By Charles Pulliam

The Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Staff Sgt. Robb L. Rolfing of Sioux Falls, shot and killed late last month while leading his unit into an insurgent compound in Iraq, was laid to rest in his hometown on July 10.

Rolfing, 29, was in the U.S. Army Special Forces out of Fort Carson, Colo., and was deployed in March on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

He died June 30 in al-Dora, a neighborhood in southern Iraq from wounds sustained from small-arms fire while leading his unit into an insurgent compound.

“This young man answered the call,” Gov. Mike Rounds said July 10 during Rolfing’s funeral service at the Sioux Falls Arena. “He answered it for all of us.”

Sen. John Thune also spoke at the service. He said Rolfing was living a life of purpose and was the “best of the best.”

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin also spoke. Former Rep. Bill Janklow, Mayor Dave Munson and more than 1,000 others attended.

Army Lt. Col. Rick Steiner, deputy commander of Rolfing’s 10th Special Forces Group, relayed a message from Rolfing’s supervisor, Master Sgt. Tommy Myers, saying Rolfing “was a warrior, was a hero and an exemplary Green Beret. He was one of us.”

His parents, Rex and Margie Rolfing, were presented with the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star during the service.

Nearly 100 motorcycles with the Patriot Guard Riders escorted Rolfing’s body and the members of his Special Forces unit served as pallbearers. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery with full military honors.

Rolfing had wanted to join the Army since childhood. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he was driven to enlist. He completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., and was deployed on his first tour in Iraq with 101st Airborne. After returning, he went to Special Forces school, undergoing an intense year and a half of training to became a member of the elite Green Berets.

Rolfing graduated from O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls and played soccer at Vassar College in New York.

In 1999, Rolfing led the Vassar Brewers soccer team to its first NCAA postseason tournament berth in school history — a first in any sport at Vassar.

“His transformation as a player and a person over the next three years was amazing,” said Chris Parsons, Rolfing’s soccer coach. “A skinny, long-haired Robb grew up into a man with a chiseled body and clean, shaven head.”

“Robb was utterly, completely committed to the cause” in everything he did, Parsons said.

Rolfing graduated from Vassar with a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics in 2000.

His cousin, Ryan Flohrs, called Rolfing a “goofball extraordinaire.” Rolfing was passionate in all that he did, though, Flohrs added.

“Robb loved karaoke, but boy, was he a terrible singer,” he said. “Now that’s passion.”

“He was the brother that I never had,” he said. “Just being with Robb was the memorable part.”

Rolfing family’s was out for dinner June 29 at a Sioux Falls restaurant and passed by a sculpture of an angel holding a fallen soldier. Looking back, family members said, with the time difference, it was at that moment Robb Rolfing died.

Army Capt. Gregory T. Dalessio

Died June 23, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

30 year old Gregory Dalessio, of Cherry Hill, N.J.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; died June 23 in Baghdad of wounds sustained in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small arms fire during combat operations. Also killed was Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas.

Cherry Hill soldier loved family, God

By George Mast

(Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

Those who knew Greg Dalessio are quick to point out two traits in his life — his love for his family and his faith in God.

These foundations were echoed throughout the funeral mass of Capt. Gregory Dalessio, 30, on Wednesday. Dalessio died June 23 in Baghdad, Iraq from injuries suffered in an attack that day during his second tour of duty.

The Cherry Hill native was laid to rest with full military parade in Colestown Ceremony following the morning service at St. Peter Celestine Church on Kings Highway.

“When thinking of Greg only one word comes to mind — family,” his younger brother Nicholas Pagano shared during the service.

Dalessio was the oldest of eight children.

“There are few things left in this world that can not be measured and Greg’s love for his family remains one of those things,” Nicholas said.

Greg’s brother Daniel Pagano read a letter to the approximately 400 gathered at the parish that his brother had sent from Iraq two days after Thanksgiving.

In the letter Greg said he was writing to his family in the place of Christmas presents and took time to individually thank each one for their impact on his life. The letter drew laughter at times and moments of silence at others as family members fought back tears

Greg described one sister as giving the best hugs in the world and to a brother he attributed the title “king of love.”

To his mother Maureen Pagano, Greg wrote, “You are my favorite person in the world.”

He went on to say that he only hoped to one day become half the parent his mother had been to him and his siblings.

While Dalessio will never get that chance, Father Thomas Newton, the pastor of St. Peter Celestine, where Dalessio was an active member, pointed out that he had already impacted all of their lives.

“Think about the good that he has brought into your life,” he said.

Newton said to observe Dalessio’s life of love and service is to see an example of Jesus himself.

Dalessio was raised in the Knollwood section and graduated from Bishop Eustace Prep School in Pennsauken in 1996. He was fatally shot June 23 as he emerged from a weekly reconstruction meeting with Iraqi officials. A second U.S. soldier, Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas, was also killed in the attack.

In the moments after the shooting Dalessio’s captain held him in his arms and told Dalessio he loved him, Newton said, adding that moments later Dalessio was handed into the arms of God.

Military representatives presented Dalessio’s family with the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge at the close of the service.

The flag draped coffin was escorted to Colestown Cemetery by around 30 members of the New Jersey Patriot Guard Riders. The bikers, comprised mostly of veterans, lined the front of the parish before the service with U.S. flags.

Several members of the military who served with Dalessio were present on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Jeff Grable, described Delassio, who served under him in Iraq in 2006, as a man with exceptional character.

“He got tough jobs done and I didn’t have to check up on him,” Grable said.

While Delassio’s leadership and personality set him apart from others, Grable referred back to the familiar traits as to what stood out most in Delassio’s life.

“There was no questioning Greg’s faith and Greg’s love for his family and his friends,” he said.” There wasn’t anybody that did not know about Greg’s family.

Army Staff Sgt. Esau L. De la Pena-Hernandez

Died May 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

25 year old Esau Dela Pena-Hernandez, of La Puente, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Chak, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. Carlie M. Lee III.

Fort Drum soldier from California dies in combat

The Associated Press

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — The Army says a Fort Drum soldier from California has died from injuries suffered in a firefight last week in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon identified the soldier Monday as 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Esau Delapena Hernandez of La Puente, Calif.

Delapena Hernandez and Sgt. Charlie Lee III, 23, of Birmingham, Ala., died from their wounds on May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank and were with the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment.

Delapena Hernandez joined the Marine Corps in 2002 and signed up for the Army in April 2006. He had previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife.

The 3rd Brigade was the first Army unit to deploy to the country as part of a surge of troops started by President Bush last fall.

Soldier never mentioned his honors

The Associated Press

Esau Ivan De La Pena-Hernandez poured his whole heart into his military service, family members said.

He was a fan of military-themed video games and movies and knew the film “Full Metal Jacket” word-for-word. His love for soccer was a close second.

“He used to always call me and ask ‘Are you proud of me?’ ” said his father, Mario De La Pena. “I told him ‘You are my hero.’ ”

De La Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, Calif., died May 15 after his patrol was attacked in Chak, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

The oldest of three children, he was born in Mexico and moved to America with his family when he was 11. Previously a legal resident, he had recently earned his citizenship.

Family members were shocked to discover after his death that he had earned nearly 20 decorations during his service.

“He wasn’t a flashy person,” said sister Denise. “We never knew he had all these medals.”

De La Pena-Hernandez previously deployed to the Philippines in 2002, to Kuwait in 2004, to Iraq from December 2004 to March 2005 and to Afghanistan from September 2006 to May 2007.

He also is survived by his wife.