"I thank you for all you did... and being the best that you were... I love you and always will. You will forever be in our hearts." --
Angelica Escobedo
Tonight, please spare a thought for Angelica Escobedo and her three children -- Elvida, 9; Jose, 4; and Mikey, 2 -- who are grieving for their soldier.
Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo Jr., 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., and of the 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany. The Department of Defense says that he died March 20 in Baghdad, "of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident the night before at Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Iskandariyah, Iraq. ... The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation."
There is little information available about Sgt. Jose Escobedo. Before he joined the Army, he served in the Marine Corps for 11 years, having joined when he finished high school. After a year away from the military, he enlisted in the Army in 2007. He died just over a week ago, far from home and family.
His sister-in-law, Ruth Patricia Flores, told KOAT TV "I can’t believe he is gone ... It is just really sad. ... He loved his kids, his wife."
The family is finalizing plans for a memorial service in El Paso, Texas.
Godspeed, Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo Jr.
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About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
The series was begun by i dunno and is maintained by maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo and Mediaprof. If you would like to participate in writing these tributes, please contact monkeybiz.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.