Army Master Sgt. Joseph J. Andres Jr.

Died December 24, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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34, of Seven Hills, Ohio; assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 24 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day when he was attacked by enemy forces during combat operations in Baqubah, Iraq.

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Funeral Mass held for Ohio soldier killed in Iraq

PARMA, Ohio — School children lined a street as a hearse carrying the body of a soldier killed in Iraq was driven to his funeral Mass on Thursday.

School youngsters served as an unofficial honor guard for Master Sgt. Joseph J. Andres Jr., 34, of nearby Seven Hills, as the casket was driven to St. Columkille Roman Catholic Church in this Cleveland suburb.

His body will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, following his wishes.

Andres was killed in Baqouba, Iraq, on Christmas Eve, when his unit came under small-arms fire.

Two years into studying materials engineering at the University of Cincinnati, Andres joined the military and started as a medic in the Army Reserve in 1992. He joined the Army a year later.

Since 2003, he had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C., as a communications officer.

— Associated Press