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When I can't not write...

The place I keep friends and family updated on our life in the US Army. My part in that I affectionately refer to as being part of the 82nd Chairborne Division!

Monday, April 21, 2008

A time to mourn

Since I don't remember who all I sent the original prayer request to, I figured the best way to get this news out was to post it here.

We found out Saturday that Spc. Sergio Sanchez passed away. I don't have any other details at the moment, but wanted to pass this along to all of you who were praying for him and his family.

If you weren't in the prayer chain on this, here's what I wrote then-

Last Saturday (April 12) Aaryk got called in for a formation at B Company. Not entirely unusual, but generally means that something has happened that they need to tell they guys that can't wait until Monday.

Seems that Spc. Sanchez was out on Friday night as the designated driver for a group of soldiers. He stepped outside to make a phone call and interrupted a robbery/mugging. Not realizing that the robbers had guns, he sought to help the victim. He was shot in the neck. He's currently in critical condition at the UNC hospital at Chapel Hill. He survived 15 months in Iraq to come home and get shot 3 weeks later.

We'd appreciate prayers not only for Spc. Sanchez and his family, but for all the soldiers in B Company. This has hit them particularly hard. They had ZERO casualties in Iraq, and to have this happen so soon after returning is particularly tough.

As Aaryk told me, Sanchez did everything right. He wasn't drunk, he didn't start a fight, he was simply doing what soldiers do. I don't think I've met Spc. Sanchez, but Aaryk said these men really do become brothers after 15 months together, and that Sanchez is one of the really good ones. Aaryk is taking it hard...and he's not one to let things get to him usually.

Spc. Sanchez's prognosis is not good. If he survives the next few days and multiple surgeries, he will most definitely be paralyzed.

So, please pray for healing, for strength, and for peace.


Aaryk's Platoon Sargent called him this past Saturday to see if he wanted to be part of the funeral party. We were in Charleston SC for the weekend, and so don't know when the funeral is/was.

Please continue to pray for the Spc. Sanchez's family, both his regular family and his Army one.

Thank you all.

2 Comments:

Blogger pgepps said...

here's a respectful bow, a moment of silence, a moment more for prayer, and a hope for better things from now on. Peace, coz. PGE

12:27 PM  
Blogger choadlywan said...

This is heart breaking.

All I can think of is the lyrics from 'taps' -

"Sleep in peace, soldier brave. God is nigh" -

My heart goes to to his family. All of them.

1:30 PM  

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