Army Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Whitaker

Died May 15, 2007 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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23, of Long Beach, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 15 in Qalat, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained in small-arms fire.

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Long Beach Green Beret dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Joshua R. Whitaker of Long Beach had always talked about joining the military, according to his family.

When he finally did, he quickly decided he wanted to be part of its elite Special Forces unit known as the Green Berets.

“We were worried, but we knew there was no stopping him,” said his uncle, Robb Whitaker. “He was very, very happy. He felt he finally found his calling.”

In March, the 23-year-old engineer sergeant was deployed to Afghanistan — his first mission since completing his Special Forces training. On Tuesday, Whitaker died in action near Qalat, Afghanistan, from wounds he suffered in a firefight.

An only child, Whitaker was raised by his mother, Catherine Whitaker, and his uncle. He was a staff sergeant assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, N.C.

“He was looking forward to making a difference in the world. He’ll always be a hero to me,” his uncle said.

On Friday, flags at the state Capitol were flown at half-staff in his honor.

Whitaker “willingly put his life on the line and made the ultimate sacrifice while bravely serving our country abroad,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

The former Millikan High School linebacker joined the Army in 2003 after finishing his education at Opportunities for Learning, an alternative high school. He completed Special Forces training in August 2006.

Whitaker was the second Long Beach soldier killed this month. Spc. Astor Sunsin-Pineda, 20, was killed on May 2 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq.

In addition to his uncle and mother, Whitaker is survived by his father, Frank Dougherty of El Monte, an aunt and two cousins.