Marine Cpl. Romulo J. Jimenez II

Died November 10, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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21, of Miami; assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed Nov. 10 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

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Marine from Miami-Dade dies in Fallujah attack

Associated Press

MIAMI — A Marine from Miami-Dade County died this week during the United States’ offensive in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, Iraq, his father said.

Sgt. Romulo Jimenez, 21, died Wednesday in the battle to oust the rebels, during which 18 U.S. service members have died since its start Sunday. He had enlisted recently for a second tour of duty.

Romulo Jimenez learned on Veterans Day from his daughter that his only son and namesake died in Fallujah.

“They were patrolling and they got into some combat,” Jimenez said. “He got shot and he didn’t make it. That’s what I got from the Marines.”

Jimenez, who now lives in Oklahoma, got the call from daughter Alexandra Evann, whose husband, Sean Evann, is in the same Marine platoon as his fallen son.

“R.J.” — as the younger Jimenez was known — loved playing war games as a youngster and became an avid deer hunter during his upbringing in West Virginia. The family later moved to South Florida.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating from South Dade High School in 2001, fulfilling a lifelong ambition.

“You can tell by the way he would always wear (military) uniforms and loved guns that he was born to be a soldier,” Jimenez said. “He didn’t like to play any sports. He liked hunting, firearms and outdoor activities.”

Jimenez said his son came home between tours of duty, from November to June. He said he didn’t talk much about his experience in Iraq, except to complain about the food.