Soldier from Hub dies in Iraq blast
Had dreamed of college and being a policeman
Ever since he was a young boy -- at age 5 he persuaded his mother to buy him a pair of combat boots and military uniforms -- Daniel J. Londono wanted to become a soldier.
He got his wish, and then some.
By age 22, he had served as a paratrooper, a sergeant, and a battle-hardened foot soldier whose duty took him to such war zones as Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The Dorchester native's service to the country ended last weekend, less than three weeks before his birthday. On Saturday, while patrolling on the outskirts of Baghdad, Londono and two other soldiers died when an explosive device destroyed their Humvee. They are among more than 550 US soldiers to die in Iraq since the invasion started a year ago.
"He was the best son; a mother couldn't ask for more," said Iwona Londono, his mother, reached at the family's home in Dorchester. "Everyone loved him. They loved him from the first time they met him."
In 2000, Londono graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, where he was a member of the track team.
Mary Ellen Barnes, who was principal at the high school when Londono was a student, said, "I have very positive feelings about him." She described him as a "quiet, respectful student."
Despite his mother's wishes, he joined the Army right after high school, in part, he told her, so that he could later afford to pay for college on his own.
A quiet young man, Londono believed in the honor of serving his country, relatives said. He was in his final year in the service -- assigned to the First Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C. -- and would have completed his duty in August. Afterward, he hoped to go to college and become a policeman.
"It was his dream to be somebody," said Mirka Kozikowski, his aunt, also at the family's home in Dorchester last night. "And he was. You couldn't ask for anyone better in this world. There isn't a description to say how wonderful he was."
Before leaving for Iraq in December, Londono left home for his base in North Carolina without telling his mother his new orders. When she reached him before his unit shipped out, he told her he didn't want her to worry.
While in Iraq, Londono called home and sent nearly a dozen e-mails to his family. He wouldn't say much about life there. But when his mother pushed him in one recent conversation, he told her, "It's like Afghanistan, but worse."
Now, the family is questioning why the government sent him there.
Diana Londono, his 18-year-old sister and only sibling, described him as "the most good, loving brother" who always protected her. She knows her brother was proud of his service, but she doesn't understand why it was worth his dying.
"I don't believe he should have been there, or anyone else," she said. "There are just too many people getting killed. It's not worth it."
Londono's body is now in Maryland, awaiting transport home to Boston. The family said they are not sure when he will be returned, and they have yet to arrange a funeral.
Globe correspondent Jared Stearns contributed to this report. 