Lawrence father grieves for son killed in Iraq
(Essdras M. Suarez/Globe Staff)
Flowers were delivered today to the Jimenez home.
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
The scene is somber today at the Lawrence home of the father of a soldier who was found dead this week in Iraq.
Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez |
In front of the gray two-story home, a large banner with a photograph of Jimenez and Private Byron W. Fouty of Waterford, Mich., who was also found dead, was affixed to a chain link fence bordering the sparse front yard, and four bouquets of mixed flowers were placed on the sidewalk. In the back yard, several relatives and family friends huddled near a shade tree, consoling each other in Spanish.
"It's been a long 14 months. It's caught us all by surprise although we all prepared for the worst. The worst has come to the city and to the family. This is tough. We all wanted to see Alex come home and explain in person what he went through," Francisco Urena, the director of veteran services for Lawrence, said in an interview outside the home.
The remains of Jimenez and Fouty were identified Thursday by a military medical examiner. Their bodies had been discovered Wednesday, the Defense Department said today in a statement. The two men were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, N.Y.
They were part of a patrol that was ambushed south of Baghdad on May 12, 2007. Four other members of the unit and an Iraqi translator were killed. Jimenez, 25, and Fouty, 19, were kidnapped by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists. The families had desperately hoped that the men had somehow survived.
Details on where the two men's bodies were found and how they died were not available today.
"Once they sift through all the information, hopefully we will be able to tell you more in a few days," said Marine Corps Major Neal Fisher, a military spokesman in Baghdad.
Urena said Jimenez's parents are currently working on the details of services. An autopsy is being performed, and when the military releases Jimenez's remains, tentative plans are for the remains to be shipped to Lawrence first, then New York, where his mother lives. Jimenez will be buried in New York, Urena said.
Urena said the father had held out hope for 14 months that his son was still alive. "He had hope until yesterday, until 5 o'clock when we received the news. It was upsetting to hear, but at the same time, it gives the family closure," Urena said.
Jim Wareing, the founding director of New Englanders Caring for Our Military, said he will put up a banner today in recognition of Jimenez. In the past 14 months, Wareing has helped put up dozens of banners across the state welcoming troops home and paying tribute to those injured and killed in action. He's also become close with Andy Jimenez, visiting him about twice a week every week for the past year.
"It's upsetting. Alex was an absolute hero, both him and Bryon,'' Wareing said.
Bryan Bender of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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