Slain Queens soldier among seven honored
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Army Staff Sgt. Luis Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, died on Oct. 27 while serving in Afghanistan. PHOTO COURTESY FORT LEWIS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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Army Staff Sgt. Luis Gonzalez, 27, from South Ozone Park, was killed on Oct. 27 in Afghanistan while serving his country in Operation Enduring Freedom. Gonzalez leaves behind a wife, Jessica, and five-month-old son.
Gonzalez was among seven slain soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division who were honored by President Barack Obama last week, when their caskets were brought back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The sergeant died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense.
Gonzalez, who was raised in Corona and graduated from Flushing High School, joined the Army in 2002 and served two tours of duty in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan.
The soldier received several accolades during his time in the military, earning 23 medals and citations, including the Bronze Star.
As of Oct. 29, at least 815 members of the United States military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, according to the Department of Defense.
©Queens Chronicle 2009
