Army Staff Sgt. Marc A. Arizmendez

Died July 6, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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30, of Anaheim, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany; died July 6 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Roger Lee and Pfc. Michael S. Pridham.

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Staff sergeant leaves behind wife, 2 children

The Associated Press

Marc Arizmendez’s family says he went from being a “rabble rouser” in his youth to a man dedicated to his wife and two children, and his service in the military.

His dimpled grin also could bring comfort to those around.

Al Arizmendez, the 30-year-old soldier’s older brother, says that when he smiles for photographs now, he will no longer say “Cheese.” Instead, he’ll say, “Hey chief!,” in honor of his brother and the greeting he liked to use.

“I’m going to dedicate the few things in my life that mean something to me” to him, said Al Arizmendez, 44. “I want him right there, in the front of my mind.”

Marc Arizmendez, of Anaheim, Calif., and two others were killed July 6 at Qalat after their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Arizmendez was born the youngest of five children on March 30, 1980, in Hollywood. He grew up in Monterey Park, but was transferred to St. Catherine’s Military Academy in Anaheim after coming close to joining a local gang in middle school.

Arizmendez attended Schurr High School in Montebello, and joined the Army about six months after graduating, his brother said. He was assigned to Hohenfels, Germany, where he met his wife, Barbara. The couple have two children — Jenny, 8, and Justin, 7, who live in Germany.