In memory of those who gave all.
In celibration of the freed, and to be freed...
Leni
San Luis Marine killed in combat
Yuma Sun - Apr 11, 2003
One day before his picture was to be put on a wall featuring locals serving in the U.S. military, the parents of Marine Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez of San Luis, Ariz., were told their son was killed in Iraq.
San Luis Police Department officers said they were at thefamily's home Thursday when Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma notified the family of the death.
"This is a very sad thing," said Luis Marquez, of the San Luis Police Department.
The notification comes more than a week after Ramirez, 25, was listed as missing March 29. Officials said Ramirez had been conducting convoy operations in the vicinity of Nasiriyah, Iraq, at the time of his disappearance. A few days later, a search and rescue operation ensued.
He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, which provides ground support for Marine aviation squadrons. More than 200 Yuma-based Marines belonging to the squadron deployed to the region the week of Feb. 15.
Since officially listing him as missing, the U.S. Department of Defense has not updated Ramirez's status and no information on the circumstances surrounding his death was available as of Thursday evening.
Marquez said the news of Ramirez's death will undoubtedly bring a somber mood to today's ceremony where officers expect to display photos of the more than 50 San Luis citizens currently serving in the U.S. Military. It is not known how many of those are fighting in Iraq. The ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. outside of City Hall, was scheduled before the news of Ramirez's death came.
Marquez said officers are working with a local bank to establish a college fund for Ramirez's two young sons — one of whom was born just days before he left for the Gulf region. Ramirez also leaves behind a wife.
San Luis Police Sgt. Ernesto Lugo said the news hit the department especially hard because Ramirez, whose family moved to San Luis from Mexico more than 20 years ago, essentially grew up around the officers since joining the police department's Explorer Club in 1992.
Last year, in his spare time from his duties at MCAS, Ramirez decided to join the reserve police academy and attend training classes at Arizona Western College.
"It's not a good picture here right now," Lugo said. "Everyone is sad."
Mayor Joe Harper said he asked that all flags in San Luis be flown at half-staff in honor of Ramirez's death and said city officials and community members will rush to assist the family in any way they can.
"There's nothing you can do except to tell them everything is going to be OK," Harper said. "But their heart is broken and you have children who will not see their dad again."