PFC Christopher Ramos, U.S.M.C (KIA)

Iraq War Hits Home

By Miguel Navrot
Journal Staff Writer
    Alvaro Ramos last spoke with his son Christopher in late September, before the Marine infantryman deployed to Japan and, later, a second tour of Iraq.
    "He went to Iraq, came home, did some training, went to Okinawa (Japan) and from there, went to Iraq," the senior Ramos said from his West Side home Wednesday. "That was the last time I saw him."
    Pfc. Ramos stayed busy with the Marines and mostly kept in touch with his wife, Dianna. The couple had a home in California and a new daughter, Malaya, so he mainly telephoned there when he could.
    Today the family is awaiting the Albuquerque Marine's remains to return stateside for services. Ramos, 26, a victim of escalating Iraqi violence, is the latest New Mexican killed in the ongoing occupation there, the Defense Department announced Wednesday.
    "That's what he wanted to be, only a Marine," Al Ramos said of his son.
    Another area serviceman, Army Sgt. Lee Duane Todacheene, 29, of Lukachukai, Ariz., died in an Iraqi ambush, according to the Navajo Nation. Todacheene is a nephew of Navajo Vice President Frank Dayish Jr.
    Christopher Ramos, a West Mesa High School graduate and decorated Marine, joined the service in October 2002. He began his second deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom one month ago, his parents said.
    His wife is also from Albuquerque. She arrived here Wednesday from California to be with family and friends.
    Ramos served in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
    Viola Ramos, his mother, said she also last spoke with her son months ago. It was before his most recent deployment, when he was stationed in Okinawa.
    Ramos recently wrote to his mother explaining that he had arrived in Iraq safely and asking her not to be concerned. They were the last words from him that she received.
    "I've been worried for a long time now," said Viola Ramos, who arrived Wednesday in Albuquerque from her home in Mesa, Ariz. "He was a good person. He was a very good Marine. I believed he loved what he was doing."
    Ramos enjoyed baseball and playing the guitar. Being a Marine was paramount, said his father, but he almost missed his chance to serve because of a broken leg. While he healed, his enlistment was postponed.
    Before entering the corps, Ramos worked a few jobs in Albuquerque, including a stint at American Home Furnishings.
    Ramos received the National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, according to Camp Pendleton. About 14,000 Marines from Camp Pendleton are now serving in Iraq.
    Al Anbar is Iraq's westernmost province, touching the borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and reaching just shy of Baghdad's eastern outskirts. The province includes the city of Fallujah, where a mob last week mutilated the burned bodies of four U.S. security contractors.
    Todacheene served in an Army task force with the First Infantry Division. His parents are Melvin and Alberta Todacheene.
    News of his death arrived Tuesday night.
    "Right now everyone's grieving," said Todacheene's younger brother, Rydell Todacheene, adding family members from around the nation were making their way to the reservation.
    "He was proud to be in the U.S. Army and a medic, he was proud to be a Navajo," Todacheene added. "He believed he was doing some good in Iraq when everyone thought it was wrong. He was a quiet man, he was a strong man, a gentleman."
    Services for both service men are pending.
    New Mexico lawmakers expressed condolences Wednesday.
    Gov. Bill Richardson said he was "deeply saddened" and ordered flags flown at half-staff in memory of Ramos.
    "His sacrifice will not be forgotten," Richardson said. "My heart goes out to his family and friends. I ask that all New Mexicans join with me in prayer as we honor our fallen hero."
    Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., asked Americans to support the completion of work in Iraq.
    "I am so sad that, once again, violence in Iraq has hit home," Domenici said. "I am sad that this young life has been lost and extend my deepest sympathies to his family."
    Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said the country "is very fortunate to have brave men and women from New Mexico, like Private First Class Ramos, who are willing to risk their lives for a greater good."
    In October, Army Spc. James Pirtle, 27, became the first New Mexican killed in Iraqi combat. He was from Carlsbad.
    According to the Pentagon, 634 U.S. service members and civilian contractors have died since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.