Army Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr.

Died October 8, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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24, of Salinas, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Oct. 8 in Mohammed Agha, Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds caused by small-arms fire.

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Soldier from Salinas killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

SALINAS, Calif. - The Defense Department says a 24-year-old soldier from Salinas was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan.

Pentagon officials say Army Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr. was mortally wounded by small arms fire Saturday when his unit attacked insurgents barricaded in a compound in Afghanistan's Logar province.

The Army Ranger was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

The Monterey County Herald reports that Cerros graduated from Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas and University of California, Irvine before enlisting in the Army in July 2010.

His battalion commander, Lt. Col. David Hodne, says “Cerros was incredibly talented and a well-respected member of this battalion.”

Cerros is survived by his father, mother, stepmother, brother, sister and stepbrother.

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Soldier's funeral to be held in Indiana hometown

The Associated Press

GARY, Ind. - The body of an Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan has been returned to his childhood home of Gary for his funeral.

Police cars and fire trucks and about 60 motorcyclists escorted the hearse bearing U.S. Army Spc. Ricardo Cerros from Gary/Chicago International Airport to a funeral home in Gary on Monday. The Times of Munster and the Post-Tribune of Merrillville report the 24-year-old from Salinas, Calif., lived in Gary until he was 5, and his mother still lives there.

Cerros died Oct. 8 in a firefight in Logar Province in Afghanistan. Cerros was a rifleman assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Visitation will be Tuesday at Ridgelawn Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Wednesday at Cathedral of Holy Angels in Gary.

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Soldier buried with honors at Michigan cemetery

The Associated Press

VICKSBURG, Mich. — The body of a 25-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan has been escorted through the streets of a southwestern Michigan city.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that people lined the streets of Vicksburg, about 60 miles south of Grand Rapids, with U.S. flags Oct. 20 in honor of Army Captain Drew Russell.

About 500 people later gathered at St. Martin of Tours church where services were held. Russell of Scotts was buried with full military honors at the Vicksburg Cemetery.

He died Oct. 8 with Capt. Joshua Lawrence of Nashville, Tenn., during an attack on their unit in Kandahar province.

The Rev. Chris Ankley said Thursday that Russell was "the kind of man we want to defend our country."

Gov. Rick Snyder ordered flags lowered Thursday.