Army Officer, 23, Leapt High In Life Cut Short By War (MD - Patriot Guard Mission - Sept 23rd )

Baltimore Sun ^ | September 22, 2006 | Rona Marech

[tgslTakoma]

Quick and intense. That's how Emily J.T. Perez performed on the track, one coach said - and the same could be said for the rest of her short life. She was a star student and talented athlete. She was a captain of her high school track team and a leader at her alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She helped start an AIDS ministry at her church.

A 23-year-old soldier from Fort Washington in Prince George's County, 2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez was killed while on duty in Al Kifl, Iraq, on Sept. 12. A Medical Service Corps officer, she died during combat after an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee, according to the Department of Defense.

(SNIP)

Her desire to help led to personal sacrifices: Shortly before shipping out to Iraq, Lieutenant Perez flew from Texas to Maryland to be a bone marrow donor to a stranger who was a match, Pastor Bell said.

Lieutenant Perez, who came from a military family, spent much of her youth in Germany. She returned to the United States in 1998 and graduated from Oxon Hill High School in 2001. She excelled at West Point, where she was a medal-winning athlete and a top-ranked cadet, said Jerry Quiller, the head track coach. She also had one of the highest grade-point averages of all the students on the track team, he said.

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That was Lieutenant Perez, friends said - bubbly, dedicated, talented, opinionated, confident.

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Lieutenant Perez's family is establishing a scholarship fund for African-American and Hispanic women who share the soldier's passion for medical services and sociology.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, September 23rd) at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington. Lieutenant Perez will be buried Tuesday at the West Point cemetery in New York.

[tgslTakoma]

2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez

Survivors include her parents, Daniel and Vicki Perez of Fort Washington; and a brother, Kevyn, of Fayetteville, N.C.

Patriot Guard Riders have this young officer's services as a confirmed mission.

Maryland, Southern MD and Virginia Freepers: Patriot Guard Riders still need help with this one.

Here's the link to the PGR page with pertinent information on the mission.

[wideawake]

A great American murdered by scum for committing the crime of helping people in need.

God bless her, her family and God bless us - we've lost one of our best countrymen.

[tgslTakoma]

I know we have a rally at noon tomorrow, but some of you may not be coming into town for it. OR, maybe you can do both, arriving at the rally a little bit late.

In any event, I thought some of you might be able and willing to honor this young soldier's memory and assist the PGRs.

Thank you all.

[livius]

Thank you, Patriot Guard, for going along with her.

She seems like a truly phenomenal person. This is enormously sad. Prayers for her and her family.

[cgk]

Hero bump. God Bless her and all those serving our country so valiantly.

[Mr. Silverback]

DC Area Freepers, scramble for intercept!

Note: If you are in an area of Maryland or Virginia that is far from DC, please let me know immediately and I'll remove you from this list.

This message brought to you by FREEPNORAD. If anyone wants on or off this ping list, say so here or by freepmail.

[Mr. Silverback]

A heroine proved in liberating strife...and proved as heroic and caring long before she went to a combat zone.

Rest in peace, my sister, rest in peace my comrade.

[Mr. Silverback]

Maryland Freepers, scramble for intercept!

This message brought to you by FREEPNORAD. If anyone wants on or off this ping list, say so here or by freepmail.

[beachn4fun]

R I P 2nd Lt. Emily J. T. Perez

Hometown girl

God Bless her family

[beachn4fun]

The reason we're here.

Come pay your respect to a fallen hero

Salute!

[TexKat]

2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez ping!

[StarCMC]

 

To be on or off my PGR list, please FReepmail me!

[tongue-tied]

May God bless her family, and may He now hold her in His arms.

[BamaAndy]

May one of our best rest in peace. I am so sorry we won't have her in our society.

[StarCMC]

RIP 2LT Emily J.T. Perez

 

The Mansions of the Lord
Click the picture for music

To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
To the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
Through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord.

 

[basil]

May God rest her soul, and give comfort to her family and her friends. Her sacrifice will live on in the hearts of true Americans, and may she not have died in vain. We must win this war!

[GodBlessUSA]

Thoughts and prayers for hero, 2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez family and loved ones

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[jazusamo]

2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez, one of America's finest.

May God Bless her and her family.

[DollyCali]

Thanks for ping Texkat & for thread tiggles.

IF I GET TO DC, I will surely want to participate in this.

FReep mail to TgslTakoma.