Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

"April 16, 2009
To the family of Spc. Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez:
Aleina gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org"
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV

"Remember April 15th
9-11-01 is the date everyone in our country cried at the same time....

I’ve been awake for 42 hours, I’m tired... but the ceremony under the hot desert sun to remember 9-11 overbears all that. My Colonel reads President Bush's speech that was given to the country when we declared war on Iraq...
-bombs over Baghdad-
I’m standing at attention wearing my 40lb flack vest and holding my 20lb machine gun with ammunition... after 8 months of carrying this everywhere I go, it no longer feels heavy to me.. I’m crying behind my eyes....
I am in the 3rd Infantry Division which was the first division the president sent into Iraq when the war began in 2003.. This is my first time being in Iraq but some of the soldiers to my left and right have been deployed here twice already. We miss our lives... but fully appreciate we still have our lives to miss...
-the events of April 15, 2005 -
That’s all I can think about as the sweat drips down my face from the heat of my combat helmet...
My Colonel is still quoting the president..
I feel angry...
I look at the American flag blowing in the hot breeze... and I get goose bumps..
then it comes... the flash back of to that dark, rainy day in Tikrit, Iraq when I lost my dearest friend in battle. She was killed in a mortar attack. My unit was stationed in one of Saddam Husseins many palaces. This particular forward operating base (FOB) had been considered one of the safest to deploy to in Iraq. The palace had been turned over to the United States Army during the first war in 2003.. For two years, the FOB managed to escape every attempted mortar round fired from across the Tigris River. The palace stands high on a cliff overseeing the river of holy oil and death. The other side of the river contains partly vegetated desert with Iraqi houses scattered about the land in no particular arrangement. This is the side of the land the attempted mortar attacks came from, but always failed miserably due to the horrible firing angle. On April 15th, 2005 at 8:30 p.m., Iraqi insurgents managed to escape this fortunate fate, firing a mortar round that exploded into the side of the palace, and into my battle buddy’s chest.

I was off duty, upstairs in the palace in the female living quarters; lying in my cot next to the 15ft tall window, when the thunderous blast went off. The rocket hit so hard that the entire palace rumbled, the luxurious chandelier shook, the glass of the window nearly shattered, and my chest felt as if it had caved in, stealing a beat from my heart. I knew right away we had just been hit by a mortar round; and my gut warned me that someone I cared about had suffered the consequences. Immediately, my comrades and I jumped up and threw on our uniforms; within five minutes, a female soldier came running up the eight flights of marble stairs, loudly commanding us to put on our protective gear, grab our weapons and ammunition, and report as quickly as possible to our fighting positions. My female battle buddies and I were in shock, some of them even had to ask her twice if she was serious. 10 minutes prior to the attack, we were all relaxing, laid back in the palace like any other day. We had always been aware we were in a combat zone, but never before had we been so awake to that cruel fact until this moment.
We bolted to our fighting positions. I was on top of the roof with my machine gun poking out over the edge of the palace; my head slightly ducked behind green sand bags. The wrenching feeling in my gut grew incredibly worse and for the first time in my short military career, I was a soldier at war.

The excitement was overwhelmingly unpleasant. I was scanning my sector with the night vision goggles trying to find the enemy. I will never forget the sound of the helicopters, three Black Hawks, hovering over my head and landing for a brief moment before taking off and disappearing into the stormy night. The helicopters were ordered in to evacuate a wounded causality, CODE NAME Ramirez. When I heard that over the radio, my body became so tense I thought I was tearing in half. Time no longer existed up on that roof. All I could do was look out across the oil-infested river flowing through the polluted land and pray she would be okay. I replayed the Black Hawks tearing through the darkness as I envisioned the medics struggling to save her life. I begged my sergeant to keep me updated every minute. Finally, after hours of worrying on top of the palace, another soldier relieved me, and I was finally able to climb down the ladder.
I followed the red ray of light shooting out from my sergeant’s tiny flashlight as we journeyed through the pitch-black palace. My sergeant stopped me in a lit passageway and looked directly into my eyes. I knew from the expression on her face that what she was about to tell me was not going to be good. In vain, she uttered, Ramirez didn’t make it. I tried to be strong and hold in my pain but it was no use; I lost all control of my emotions. She tried to hold me, but I could not be held. I have never felt so furiously sad and angry in my entire life. I loved Ramirez.

She was like a sister to me. She knew how to be brave through any situation. The medics told me that she held on for longer than anyone expected her to stay alive. She fought so hard and refused to accept defeat. The debris from the rocket got to her heart though, and she had to let go. We were the only two female gunners who carried the M249, 15lb machine guns in our entire brigade. She was teaching me how to speak Spanish and I was helping her with her English. She was funny, strong, loyal, intriguing, and had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. I had made friends with her in the beginning of our deployment while we were stationed in Kuwait. She used to bring me breakfast in the morning. It was a two-mile walk through the desert; so it meant the world to me. She would have done anything for anybody.
When the rocket hit, she was taking her friend a plate of food for dinner. We had been together in the area of the FOB that was struck minutes before the attack. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask myself, what if? What if I had done something to prevent this… I fell asleep after not being able to sleep for days after she was killed, and she came to me in a dream. It was so real… She told me something that I desperately needed to hear.
I wrote this poem after that dream, and within the poem I included everything that she said to me…. I wrote it to honor her and her beautiful family.. She was the best of us all. She will always be missed.

Freedom Bleeds From Soldiers Hearts

Intense emotions dance to silent music
Every thing is connected, fused, it’s..
Truly the butterfly’s effect
Pieces of puzzle time
Constructed fates picture
Portraying this dragon fly’s death
that could have been mine..
Meditate an escape home because you can’t go home.
Try to disappear in make believe silence
Haunted by a symphony of sympathy
Violently composed with musical tear drops
That won’t stop, even when it stops.
Be brave soldier, stiffen up those shoulders.
I wish I could have been there
To hold her...
DONT LOSE YOUR COMPOSURE
Its over.
It’s never over.
fear be silent before I be violent..
It needs to be quiet so I can listen hard
It hit so hard..
YOU HAVE TO BE HARD.
But it is so hard..
The mortar round stole a beat from my heart
And robbed life’s lullaby from hers..
The one that God composed from the start..
It hurts so much marching to this cadence
“Some say freedom is free
But I tend to disagree
Some say the battle has been won
Through the barrel of a gun
But I say why, oh why, oh WHY!!!
Did my buddy have to die?”
I fell asleep high in the sky one morning
finally after the nightmares
and one more final cry of mourning
her beautiful face appeared with that glowing smile and she said
Dry your eyes soldier, can’t you see? I’m happy now, please believe
and I asked
Where are you at? I miss you, come back
“I’m in heaven, everyone has unlimited money in their bank accounts”
She made me laugh and then said the most amazing thing
“I had a chance to come back that night, and I chose not to, because I am finally free”
I awoke to a tiny tickle of a dragon fly buzzing in my ear
With no more fear..
And in the peaceful silence I could hear
A symphony of every fallen soldier’s song
Choreographing the path of freedom for you and I ,
asking us to dance along
And I cried
Because I have never felt so free..
and I have never felt so strong..
And I will never forget
Freedom bleeds from soldier’s hearts..
And that is why my battle buddy is gone."
Megan L. Zeigler of Albuquerque, New Mexico

"i miss you so much lady!!! it should have never been you... you are in my thoughts and prayers. we all miss you. i know that you are watching over us. we all miss you terribly!!!"
Jenn Hass of Ft Stewart GA

"TO MY SPECIAL SISTER AND FRIEND. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU. YOU ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN. I CONTINUE TO LOOK BACK ON THE TIME WE SHARED AND REMEMBER THE JOY AND LAUGHTER YOU BROUGHT TO ME. YOU ARE FOREVER MY HERO."
SGT CALDERA, CARMELO of FORT STEWART GEORGIA

"To the family of:Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. My heart cries out for you in your grief and you have my thoughts and prayers. He died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Prayerfully we will all meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need prayer or need someone to talk to, please call or write my pastor: Rev. John Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd., Covington, GA 30016. (770)787-1015. Your friend in Jesus Christ, Polly Ballew Covington,Ga"

"Para la Familia de Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez. Mi nombre es Deborah. Yo estuve en la escuela con Aleina, desde intermedia hasta la escuela superior. Aleina llego a ser para mi una de mis mejores amigas. Estuvimos en la banda escolar juntas tambien. Yo me mude a NY antes de terminar la escuela superior, pero me mantuve en comunicacion con Aleina por unos anos despues de eso. Perdimos contacto despues de un tiempo, pero la amistad de Aleina siempre la atesore muchisimo. No fue sino hasta esta noche que por alguna razon el pensamiento de Aleina me vino a la mente y me puse a buscar en el internet a ver si encontraba su direccion o telefono, hasta que encontre esta escalofriante noticia de su fallecimiento. Le quiero decir que Aleina fue y siempre sera una persona muy especial en mi vida y con dolor en el corazon les doy mi mas sentido pesame. Que Jehova Dios les siga dando fuerzas para soportar esta gran prueba y consuelo al haber perdido un ser tan maravilloso. Con mucho carino y respeto"
Deborah Loyola-Cover of Charlotte, North Carolina

"To the Family and Friends of CPL Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez, May God bring you peace of heart and mind. You will be in our prayers."
CPT James McCormick of New Haven, WV

"CPL Aleina Ramirez~
You are such a wonderful woman! I am so thankful and proud to have had the privelage of knowing you. I will always remember our short time spent together and know you watched over all of us throughout the rest of our deployment. You will always hold a place in my heart. I love you girl and see we will see eachother again one day."
SPC Ashley Bernal of Hinesville, GA

"Soy el pardre de lo mas que quise en la vida,a mi hija Aleina Ramirez Gonzalez (Aly); mi heroe, de la cual me sentia y me sentire siempre orgulloso de ella.Ya no se encuentra con nosotros pero si en la mente y corazon de su padre,su madre y hermanos y demas familia. Gracias a todos por haberla conocido y por haber utilizado este sistema para enviar las condolencias.Se que conocieron un ser maravilloso y muy querido por todos.Descansa en paz querida hija y a todos los que la conosieron y demas personas.."DIOS LOS BENDIGA SIEMPRE.Nos encontraremos en el cielo y para siempre.
SFC Wilfredo Ramirez Lopez (retired)"
Wilfredo Ramirez Lopez of Guayanilla Puerto Rico

"CPL Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez, I know that you were watching over us the rest of the deployment;you were like our gaurdian angel. And I thank God that I was able to get to know you. I have only the fondest memories of you that will last a life time. We are always soldiers first, but girls will be girls! and I send my regards to your family for bringing you up to be that wonderful person that you were. I will never forget you."
SGT Stephanie Trout of FT Stewart, GA

"CPL Ramirez-Gonzalez, you will be missed greatly. I will never forget your smile, personality and the comfort you brought to everyone you came in contact with."
SGT Miller, Stephen of HHC 1-3 BTB, Ft. Stewart, GA USA

"Ramirez you will always be in my heart and i my thoughts. i will never forget how you always motivated me on out daily runs. I will never forget how you were my inspiration to get on top of the gun because you were the only female i knew that did it as soon as we got to iraq QUE DIOS TE TENGA EN SU SANTA GLORIA"
SPC ALVARENGA of HHC 1-3 BTB FSGA

"CPL Ramirez, we all miss you and you will live forever in our hearts. Remember that NOBODY will forget your legacy and the joy you brought to our lives. Rest In Peace, we will never forget."
Raider MPs of Ft Stewart, GA

"Aleina, I remember seeing you at the squad barbeque; remembered those few times I saw you. The pain is still there, and you were etched in stone at Warrior's Walk on Fort Stewart. I was at the memorial service and your name wasn't only etched in stone, it was etched in my heart. My father was your squad leader )( SSG Gregory Rivera )( , thank you for being there for him; thank you for everything you've done. Hopefully we'll see each other on the other side."
Kenneth Rivera of Hinesville, GA

"aleina que dios siempre te bendiga y que los angeles te cuidan. aleina was a soldier in my unit and i was able to get to know her fairly well in the short time that i was in the army. i will always remember that you were quick to give a smile or let me bum a cigarrette off you, or we would laugh and joke about the people around us. when i heard of your passing i was shocked and saddened. the rest of the country just doesnt know the quality of human being that we have in the armed forces and im hurt that we have to lose people in this war. pues, god bless you and ill see you in heaven."
simeon facey of new york, ny

"Aleina your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Our country is strong because of people like you. Godspeed."
Alex Quilez of San Juan, PR

"We Will NEVER FORGET !"
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness,
and we are continuing to remember your family in your loss and your deep grief.
Our nations HERO, Aleina will be remembered by name.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
God Bless you ALWAYS.
Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana "

"I work at the 228th CSH where we received Aleina. We tried so hard to help her and her death hit some of us really hard. We pray for her family and friends."
SGT Lee of Iraq

"Para la familia Aleina,
Yo soy de guayanilla tambien y de los Indios. Es fuerte perder un familiar. Febo se fuerte tu tambien eres militar. Saludos de corazon. SSG Jose M. Garcia (manolo)"
SSG Garcia of FT Hood, TX

"Aleina Ramirez Gonzalez was the niece of my dearest friend, Lourdes Gonzalez Rodriguez. She was such a wonderful person to everyone. I am so terribly sorry this had to happen. It was quite a shock. My heart aches for her family. They are beautiful people who will miss her so much. God bless you, Aleina, you did pay the ultimate sacrifice but I know your reward is great!!!""
Kathy Walker of Petersburg, Fl.

"I met her the day she shipped out for Iraq when I was saying good-bye to my brother. I am honored to know that I met a true soldier and a hero. Her family and loved ones are in my prayers."
Bruce Brown of Memphis, TN USA

"Siempre te recordaremos tus companeros y hermanos de todo el mundo. Descansa en paz.
A los familiares les digo que si alguien merece el reconocimiento de heroina esa as Aleina mujer incansable e increible, es una perdida incomparable y dificil de rellenar, en los corazones de aquellos que la conocimos, compartimos y la recordamos.
Mi mas sentido pesame desde lejos en Arizona, un amigo"
DAVID E FUENTES SENIOR PATROL AGENT of NOGALES, ARIZONA

"Para la familia de SPC Aleina Ramirez soy miembro de la Guardia Nacional PR unidad 544MP, la cual ella pertenecio. Mi nombre es Roberto Ortiz/SGT. Siento mucho su perdida, y me duele en el corazon que haya sido alguien de nuestra unidad. Rezando mucho por ustedes en su dolor, que Dios los bendiga siempre y a Aleina que DIOS la tenga en la gloria."
SGT ORTIZ R. of Puerto Rico

"To the family of Aleina, my family honors your Hero. Her Bravery, Valor, and courage will always be remembered. We are grateful for her Loyal Service and her sacrifice will never be forgotten.
God Bless Aleina and her family"
Jennifer and SSGT Larry Mays and family of Massillon, Ohio

"I'm sorry for your loss. You helped fight for freedom and I know you will never be forgotten. You are such a hero, I hope you knew that while you were here. I hope you're able to comfort your family from above throughout this tough time. May God Bless you and your family!"
Catherine of New York

"Para la familia de Aleina, yo tambien soy de Guayanilla estoy estacionada en Fort Hood, Texas. Mi nombre era Lorna Urbano de Villas del Rio tambien. Siento mucho su perdida, y me duele en el corazon que alla sido alguien de nuestro pueblo querido. Rezando mucho por ustedes en su dolor, que Dios los bendiga siempre."
Lorna Nichols-Urbano of Fort Hood, TX

"Para la familia de Aleina,

Yo tambien soy de Guayanilla, tambien estube en la banda para el tiempo que ella estubo. Mi nombre es SGT Jose "Gordo" Caraballo de Villa del Rio. Este es mi segundo tour en Iraq, los acompano en los sentimientos y tambien siento bien fuerte la perdida de Aleina."
SGT Jose R. Caraballo of Al Taji, Iraq

"Specialist Ramirez-Gonzalez, goodbye soldier and thank you. You are my hero."
Bill of Houston, Texas

"Para los familiares de Aleina:

De parte de la familia Blanco-Caldas le extendemos nuestro mas sincero pésame. Compartimos el mismo dolor ... la misma pena. Le pedimos al Señor que les de la fortaleza necesaria para sobrevivir esta pérdida! De otra familia boricua que tambien sufre ...

Sinceramente,

La Familia del Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco-Caldas, 82nd Airborne
KIA Iraq 12/28/2003.
Gloria Caldas (The Big Ern's Mom)de San Juan, PR y San Antonio, TX
gloria.caldas@sbcglobal.net"

"Thank you Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,"
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios

"To the family and friends of Spc. Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez:
May God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Aleina for the sacrifice she has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Spc. Aleina Ramirez-Gonzalez:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. She will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Aleina, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia