Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Remembering the servicemembers who died in the service of their country.

Army Sgt. Joel Perez

25, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Perez was on board a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter when it went down in Al Fallujah, Iraq. The cause of the incident is unknown and an investigation is underway. Perez was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Died on November 2, 2003.

Please send information, photos, and corrections for Army Sgt. Joel Perez.

Links:

Contributions to the Families of the Fallen

Messages:

Leave a message in memory of this servicemember, and/or to the loved ones left behind.

Please report inappropriate messages

"My beloved son. One more year that you have been gone but remain alive in my heart. Love you and miss you💔"
Luisa of New Jersey

"I will never forget the day I was given the most important and sacred mission I've ever given... to report the death of SGT Joel Perez to his wife and to his mother in Newark, NJ. I think of him often and the legacy that he left behind. I hope his little girl knows that her daddy was a hero. God Bless."
Rob

"Hi, My name is Simon and I went to school with joel in Newark, NJ over at Abington ave, and he was my one of my best freind, I recently found out that he had joined the Army when I was station in 3rd ACR, and I had seen the fallen soldie's wall there and I was heart broken. Even though its late, A great man has left our society to a better place and my heart goes out to the family."
SSG Cabello, Ret.. of Texas

"Hi.I am a vet of iraq and I would like to thank your family and ur son for his service in iraq I thank him with all my heart, my Brother. Will miss you and thank you."
joel perez of pacioma ca usa

"Hi.I am a vet of iraq and I would like to thank your family and ur son for his service in iraq I thank him with all my heart, my Brother. Will miss you and thank you."
joel perez of pacioma ca usa

"TO SGT,JOEL PEREZ..
HEY JOEL,U WILL NEVER GET 2 READ THIS MESSAGE BUT I FEEL AT PEACE DOING IT ON MY BEHALF..LISTEN U WAS MY BEST FRIEND MILAGROS PEREZ HUSBAND & ALSO FATHER 2 UR DAUGHTER JAILEEN,..U WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL HUSBAND N FATHER 2 THEM BOTH....U ALWAYS HAD THEM VERY HAPPY & I APPRECIATED THAT,...UR TRULY MISSED..N U WAS BRAVED...LET U REST IN PEACE.."
JOAN MARIE MEDINA GELY of NEWARK NJ

"November 2, 2008
To the family of Sgt. Joel Perez:
Joel 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

"TO MY BROTHER IN ARMS WHO CAN NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. I'LL NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE PUERTOBLACK ENT. THING WE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST PUERTI RICAN AND BLACK RECORD LABEL OUT THERE,LOL I KNOW YOUR WATCHIN OVER ALL US MAKIN SURE WE GOOD. I LOVE YA LIKE A BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER."
Ronnie of Mathis

"To the family of:Joel Perez 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 Brown Bridge Rd., Covington, GA 30016. (770)787-1015. Your friend in Jesus Christ, Polly Ballew Covington,Ga"

"I lived across the street from one of the Perez' good friends, the Laguerre Family. My husband and son played basketball with Joel, and we attended a few barbeques with him as well. He loved his wife, and his baby very much. He was always very kind, polite, and gentle. Milly, I hope that you are doing as well as you can be doing under these circumstances. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your baby. God Bless you, and Joel, see you in heaven. You are a Hero, and I thank you for your sacrifice to keep me and my family free! You will never be forgotten!"
Mrs. Keialoha Louis of Fort Sill, OK

"I had the honor to be Joel's platoon leader in Iraq. I cannot recall him without a smile on his face or a kind word to someone. I can remember the day our commander got his HMMWV stuck in a mud pit in Ramadi and Joel and I (along with several Iraqis) had to find a way to get it out. We had a really good laugh about that incident. I have since left the Army, but not a day goes by that I dont think of him and the others and see thier faces in the crowd. Joel was a good man, I miss him although I know he is in a better place now. God Bless to his family and friends."
Captain Alex Wright of Oklahoma City, OK

"Goodbye
You will not be forgotten!"
Vaughn Warriner of San Jacinto, Ca

"Your son is a great hero to our country.god be with him"
Joel j Perez jr of w.covina ca. usa

"God bless everyone that have left us and that are still here. As a father that has lost a son I just want to say that thank you, to you and your family. For giving us your son for the freedoms of this country. I will always remember my son as I will remember all the sons and daughters, that have giving all they can for our freedoms. Sorry and Thank you! xoxoxo"
Army Sgt. Ramos of Brooklyn, NY

""THEY ARE ALL MISSED, LOVED AND THOUGHT OF ON THERE DAY!!!!!!!!!""
MAGGIE TERRONEZ of LAWTON/FT.SILL,OKLA

"I sit on my porch and look at my pecan tree with the yellow ribbon and U.S. flag that was placed there for Joel of which I can't bring myself to remove. It will always be there. He was a great man. He was my friend and brother, and he will never be forgotten. My hero..."
Charles Wilkerson of Fontana, CA

"May the glory be yours. Thank you Joel."
Robinson Perez of Brooklyn, NY

"Sergeant Perez, goodbye soldier and thank you. You are my hero."
Bill of Houston, Texas

"To Sgt Perez's Family:
Though we are strangers, we want you to know how sorry we are your Joel was taken from you. He is our hero. You are in our hearts. We will never forget."
Carol & Larry Miller of Tampa, Florida (2/24/04)

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

""P" you were my first roomate in the army, you were my pal, you were my buddy, you were my friend. i'll never forget the times we had together. you carried me back from the club, and did the same for you. i loved you then bro and i love you now. and i will love you forever bro. weve been through a lot of stuff together. im lookin at a picture of you, me, and asch, and i just wish i had that moment back.i remember tellin milly to"get in my belly" like it was yesterday. we was boys bro. i will never forget you P.you will always be in my heart. i love you bro!"
Jeff of Ft. Campbell

""P" you were my first roomate in the army, you were my pal, you were my buddy, you were my friend. i'll never forget the times we had together. you carried me back from the club, and did the same for you. i loved you then bro and i love you now. and i will love you forever bro. weve been through a lot of stuff together. im lookin at a picture of you, me, and asch, and i just wish i had that moment back.i remember tellin milly to"get in my belly" like it was yesterday. we was boys bro. i will never forget you P.you will always be in my heart. i love you bro!"
Jeff of Ft. Campbell

"Rest in peace brave soldier!"
Dan and Meg Manninen of San Antonio, Texas

"Light a candle for your soldier

http://www.militarychapel.org/guestbook/guestbook.html"

"Though I did not know Joel, he knew my older brother Steven Conover, who was stationed with him in Fort Sill and who died with him in that fatal attack. To his family, I am sorry for you loss. I know that nothing can heal this pain but kind words can comfort the heart. You are in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless."
Corrie Simpson of Wilmington, Ohio USA

"My heart breaks, and I cry as I read these messages left here for Joel and his family. I am the mother of PFC Jason Mohler, he told me of this website and asked that I take a look at it about Joel. He is tore up about Joel, he told me that Joel was his brother. And I know my son enough to know that it wasn't just because of the 'brotherhood' of the Army. He is terribly saddened by his loss of Joel and can't begin to understand the pain and suffering of his family. I, myself, can't as well, but offer my condolences and prayers to you. I extend them with the deepest sincerity and hopes that this one little note will help you to know that your fallen one had touched my son so deeply that he considered him the brother he never had. Jason is still struggling with the fact that he is gone and I grieve with you as a mother. There's nothing worse than losing a child, they're a part of you that no one or nothing can take away. I believe that Joel can see these messages left here for him somehow and I want to thank him for being there for my son, since I couldn't, during what I know is the hardest thing he will ever have to do, you have a part of my heart just because of that. Until Jason comes home from Iraq all I know is that he is doing the best he can and he keeps Joel in his memories. Be proud of the man he had become, cause he made a big impact on my son and therefore a big one on me as well. Thank you for letting me share this with you."
Carla Mohler of Statesville, NC / USA

"May the Lord give you the strength to bear this terrible loss. Because of Joel and others like him we enjoy freedom in America. His sacrifice will not be forgoten."
LT Eduardo Gomez of Sicily, Italy

"Sgt. Perez,
I know that you'll never be able to read this message yourself but I know your family will. You were my brother and when I needed anyone the most it was you. I didn't really know your family b/c I really didn't know you until after we left, but I want your family to know that you're in my prayers and so are they. When it seemed like everyone was against me you were there, like a brother and that means more than anything else to me. No matter what I do or how faded the memories of this war get....you'll never be forgotten in my mind. My promise to you, brother, is that I will always lift weights from now on. You knew how much lifting meant to us both and I'll carry that on. I love you man, more than you'll ever know and as for the family.....you're in my prayers. The greatest soldier then, now and forever: Sgt. Perez
Take care.... ~Mohler"
PFC Jason Mohler of Iraq

"Thank you Joel Perez, 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

"I believe that a mother is the most important person in a childs life, but when you lose a son in the tragic way that we lost Joel and the mother was not even acknowledged and treated like she was none existant it hurts even more . He was a son even before he was a soldier or a husband."
AmaliaTorres of Long Island City,N.Y.

"I lost my son twice, when he went to the army and when he died. He meant everything to me he was my son , my friend my everything. He will be in my heart forever. No one can imagine the pain I feel."
Luisa Mangual of Newark N.J.

"Joel was my cousin but I loved him like a brother. It hurts to know that he'll no longer be around. I want to thank everyone who offered their condolences to my family."
Diana of East Elmhurst, NY/USA

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Joel Perez:
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 Joel for the sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Joel Perez:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. He 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 Joel, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia

Honor them by remembering... Freedom - is their gift to us But his soul goes marching on