European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse May 2007 stars and stripes Mideast edition tithe Best no Ive Ever w a superiors words about staff ii he was Happy and everyone around him to be Happy of a friends words about Flores memorial honors two soldiers killed in Iraq by Mark stars and stripes Germany two task Force Vanguard mechanics were honoured at a memorial service at Ledward Barracks Chapel staff Felix Giovanni and John Derek were killed May 3 during a mortar attack on their Forward operating base in both were highlanders from Headquarters and Headquarters 1st 18th infantry a previous memorial was held by deployed Mem Bers of task Force Vanguard on thursday in Bagh members of the unit rear detachment in sch Weinfurt read words by Gonzalez Iraheta and Flores Meaders and friends during the service Down born in Al and from Sun Gonzalez Iraheta gonzo to his buddies had been with 118 since february having also previously served in during his nine plus years As a remembered by his Boss downrange As the Best no Ive Ever Gonzalez Iraheta was an expert on humvee and Bradley having memorized schematic he and Flores were members of the 91soldier maintenance Section in 118 in charge of keeping the units 200 vehicles run Ning and the infantrymen who ride in them on his second Iraq deployment with Gonza Lez Iraheta had acquired citizenship while with the becoming naturalized in april he is survived by his daughters Celina and Mother Christine Wertz and Moth Erin Law Cindy Gonzalez Iraheta sister inlaw told Rob Ert rear detachment commander in sch Mark and stripes after firing a 21gun Salute monday in Honor of staff Felix Giovanni Gonzalez Iraheta and John Derek a detail of 1st infantry division sol Diers departs from Ledward Barracks Chapel in both killed by mor tar fire in Baghdad on May were from 1st Battal 18th infantry that his family knew he was a hero Long be fore he entered the having saved his younger brother from drowning while on a childhood Camp ing joining the army through the delayed enlist ment program from his native Flores had served in 118 since june 2005 after training to be come a Bradley system he served with distinction As tool a position of great responsibility in the maintenance Section where he and Gonzalez Iraheta if you were stuck on a Job and needed a he was there to help you even if it meant he had to stay said staff Matthew Reading the words of one of Flores friends still in he was Happy and wanted everyone around him to be Flores worked for Gonzalez Iraheta and they had a great friends with con fessed spam addict stealing his noncommissioned officers meat he loved spam and Colleary read of when everyone else was in the mess hed be in the motor Pool cooking spam and for him there was no better also remembered As a Fine guitar Flores is survived by his and daughter Gonzalez Iraheta and Flores Are the 10th and Lith members of 118 killed during the present deploy the 2nd Dagger brigade combat 1st infantry of which the battalion is a has lost 34 soldiers since leaving for Iraq in a gust and september of last email Mark Iraq duty Dejavu conditions in Iraq May be austere but they remind one officer of Days growing up in dominican Republic by Teri Weaver stars and stripes Camp Iraq first Saul Merejo re members life without running walking a mile or two with tubs to lug enough from the nearby Well to grew up in the dominican his House was built on pillars and with a Shotgun Airway so the Breeze could sur round and blow one of his first memories is Wak ing up in that hut and finding his legs tied to the he looked up to see the roof Fly he later realized his family had tied him Down so the Hurricane beat ing the Island carry him now Merejo is one Small part of the military efforts to bring first Saul of the running 1st brigade combat sewage 3rd infantry is part of the Effort to guide reconstruction projects in pumps and other infrastructure to every military officers through out the 1st brigade combat 3rd infantry division Send in their updates on local projects in the City and surround ing Mere Jos Job is to track that Progress and help prepare the next mornings Brief for the brigade its Merejo but the office work reaches far beyond his for coming to this coun it brings Back he the same problems that Are happening i had to in i know because of some of the stuff i went i lived Merejo is Quick to Point he and his family didst have to endure a when he was Merejo and his family moved to a freezing cold transition into american he was put into the fourth Grade and didst speak any the teasing from other students prompted him to because he wanted to know what they the Day after his 20th birthday he enlisted in the his Mother had told him the american military once helped Dur ing a rebellion in his Home and he liked that he also liked the idea that the army trained sol Diers for civilian life As As a Merejo worked As an orthopaedic technician and earned a fou year nursing in Merejo became a Citi in part so he could become an his tour in a Madi is his first in he finds Camp with its Rocky streets and san filled perfectly theres running water he flush As Merejo he polished off his Turfan turf dinner at the Camps main Chow when asked if he gets tired of hearing others complain about the living conditions in he not As he it de when soldiers sometimes they just need to be you give them that time and and feel bet email Teri Weaver at Teri and stripes military services we do what we say say what we do group from construction to maintenance supplies to weve got it All located at Afghanistan Qatar Kuwait Iraq email us
