Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Johnny Villareal Mata

Died March 23, 2003 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

35, of Pecos, Texas; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.

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The family of Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of Amarillo, Texas, has guarded its privacy since the Army chief warrant officer was first listed as missing in action.

A cousin of Mata, who has served as a spokesman for the family, said he was married and has a teenage son and a young daughter. “We share the pain with other families that have lost a loved one,” Javier Contreras said. “He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.”

Mata’s parents, Domingo and Elvira Mata, live in Pecos, Texas, where their son played football for the Pecos High School Eagles and graduated in 1986.

— USA Today and The Associated Press