Marine Lance Cpl. Steven M. Chavez

Died March 14, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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20, of Hondo, N.M.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 14 from a nonhostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. Chavez’s death is currently under investigation.

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New Mexico Marine died in non-combat incident

The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Defense Department has announced that a 20-year-old New Mexico Marine who lost his life in Iraq this week died in a non-combat incident in Anbar province.

Lance Cpl. Steven Chavez of Hondo was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Chavez’s family said they learned about his death March 14. They were told he had died from a gunshot wound. The Defense Department said it was investigating the incident.

The loss of Chavez has been hitting his family hard.

“You pray and you pray that the day never comes, and then it does,” said Novelda Chavez, the Marine’s mother. “Your emotions are mixed — it’s not true, it’s a bad dream, a bad dream you never wake up from.”

Eddie Chavez, the Marine’s father, said he talked to his son about 15 hours before learning of his death. He said the younger Chavez had just another week in the field and he was coming home.

Chavez, who joined the Marines after graduating from Hondo High School in 2005, loved the outdoors and participated in track, basketball and six-man football while at Hondo, his father said.

In addition to his parents, Chavez is survived by a sister, Jackie Chavez, 22; and a brother, James Chavez, 11.