Army Sgt. Christopher Ramirez

Died April 14, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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34, of McAllen, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; killed April 14 during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

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South Texas soldier’s remains returning home

Associated Press

EDINBURG, Texas — As a South Texas soldier’s remains were returning home, one of his former comrades from Iraq remembered their service in the first Gulf War.

Funeral services for Sgt. Christopher Ramirez were scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Edinburg, followed by a procession to Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery in McAllen.

Weslaco resident Juan Castro, who served with Ramirez in Germany in the early 1990s, hadn’t seen Ramirez since 1992 when he left military service.

Ramirez of the 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Ga., died last week in an ambush in Fallujah, the second of two Edinburg men to die recently in combat. Marine Corps Pfc. Dustin Sekula, 18, died April 1.

Castro remembered the camaraderie he, Ramirez and the other soldiers from the Rio Grande Valley shared both in Iraq and Germany.

“He loved to go out and have a few German beers,” Castro, 31, told The Monitor in McAllen for Tuesday’s editions. “We did a lot of training, but we spent our off time together to keep a sense of unity as far as our Hispanic culture. We bonded so much.”

They deployed to Iraq in December 1990 and had the same job.

“I was on Bradleys (tanks),” he said. “I carried an M2-49 automatic machine gun. I would dismount and engage the enemy on the ground, clear bunkers, take prisoners. He was doing the same thing.”

After the war, Castro said he saw a change in Ramirez, 34.

“Before the war, he was outspoken about ‘What am I doing here?”’ recalled Castro. “We were thinking the same thing. The war made him stay in the military. He was more motivated, more disciplined. He saw what life was like over there, what type of lives the Iraqi soldiers were living, how low their morale was because Saddam Hussein was not taking care of them.”

Ramirez’ remains were scheduled to arrive at the McAllen-Miller International Airport, said his sister-in-law, Cynthia Ramirez, 31. She said Rosary will be 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The officer was scheduled to leave the service in January, but he received a call on Christmas Day to return to Iraq.

“He didn’t want to go,” said his former brother-in-law, Jose Rangel. “He did what he had to do. If you don’t go, it will be worse.”

He said the troops in Iraq should come home. “We’re losing more troops every day, more than when we were at war,” he said.

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Edinburg man killed in Iraq

EDINBURG, Texas — A 34-year-old Army sergeant who loved spending time with his family and dreamed of settling down in his hometown died Wednesday in Iraq, family members said.

Military officials told the family that Sgt. Christopher Ramirez of the 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., died in an ambush.

“He did not want to be over there,” said Cynthia Ramirez, Ramirez’s sister-in-law. “He only wanted to be there for his troops, to lead his platoon. He couldn’t let his comrades down.”

One of a family of 11 children, Ramirez loved to come home to see all his nieces and nephews.

“He loved spending time with his family, loved being with his brothers and nephews and nieces,” Cynthia Ramirez said. “He loved baseball games. When he was home, almost every day we had to do something with him.”

After graduating from Pharr High School, Ramirez immediately joined the military. He had more than 12 years of military experience and had served in Kosovo and Desert Storm, according to KRGV-TV.

He was looking forward to ending his military career and joining the U.S. Border Patrol.

He had been saving for a plot of land and planned to build his own house.

His term with the Army was up in January, but the Department of Defense extended his tour.

On Christmas Day during his last leave he was told there was an emergency and he had to return.

“Christmas Day, when he had to go back, he was just quiet. It wasn’t like him. It was silence, it was nothing,” Cynthia Ramirez said.

_ Associated Press

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Family says new details of soldier’s death describe heroism

McALLEN, Texas — The family of Army Sgt. Christopher Ramirez says a letter with additional details of his death in Iraq shows his heroism during the last moments of his life.

Ramirez, 34, of Edinburg, died April 14 in an ambush, the military reported previously. His family, however, recently received a letter from another soldier who says Ramirez was killed while entering hostile territory to ensure it was safe.

The (McAllen) Monitor quoted from the letter in Tuesday editions but did not identify its author by name. The newspaper quoted Ramirez’ brother, Simon, as saying he would not reveal the letter’s author to protect his privacy.

After Ramirez and other soldiers came under heavy fire, “Chris then moved to the location of the enemy forces, acting on his heartfelt concerns for those around him,” according to the letter.

“Chris entered the hostile trench and was mortally wounded by enemy gunfire. Because of Chris’ courage, no other soldiers lost their lives in this tragic event,” the letter says.

Family members said the letter shows the courage and honor with which Ramirez served.

“My mother called, she was all excited,” said Simon Ramirez, 35. “She was proud of him before, but now she’s even more proud.”

The soldier’s mother lives in Illinois.

Gene Ramirez, 38, said his brother cared about his family and the soldiers in his command.

“He always wanted the best for his soldiers, especially the young ones that didn’t have much training,” he said.

— Associated Press