: The Queens Dozen: Latest Casualty Reminds Us Of All Whom We Have Lost

Queens lost its 12th soldier in Iraq this weekend as the casualty total for the armed forces in the region climbed over 1,900.

Regilio Nelom, 45, an immigrant from Suriname, South America, fell victim to an improvised explosive device that detonated near his Humvee Saturday during an escort mission near Al Asad, Iraq, according to the Department of Defense.

First coming to the United States in 1987, Nelom lived in Jamaica for a period before moving to Woodhaven, according to published reports. Although his family currently lives in Killeen, Tex, military officials list his hometown as Queens, N.Y.

As the number of dead increases, people can turn into statistics. But every soldier who dies has a family, a life and a story. Below are brief accounts of the servicemen from Queens who have given their lives in the call of duty.

Robert Marcus Rodriquez, 21, Maspeth, U.S. Marine Corp., killed March 27, 2003

Rodriquez came from a long line of servicemen and police officers: several of his siblings are longtime members of the Navy and NYPD. To follow in their footsteps, he joined the Marines when he was only 17 and barely met the height requirement to be a member of the Military Police, which was his goal.

A tank he was riding in flipped off a bridge into the Euphrates Rivers during combat operations northwest of An Nasiriyah, killing everyone aboard. He was the first Queens solider killed in battle.

“We’re taking this one day at a time,” his sister, Hyda Hernandez-Lopez, said at the time. “This is God’s will.”

Wilfredo Perez Jr., 24, Ridgewood, U.S. Army, killed July 26, 2003

Family members of Perez said that he loved children. It was ironic, therefore, that he was killed by a grenade attack while guarding a children’s hospital outside of Baghdad.

The 24-year old Ridgewood native, who later moved to Norwalk, Conn., was buried in Queens near his mother’s home. Known to his family as Junior, Perez had expressed his desire to return home just before his death, the Associated Press reported.

“At first it was exciting for him, in the later phone calls he didn’t really like it, he wanted to come out,” his father told the AP.

Roger Ling, 20, Dougalston, U.S. Army, killed Feb. 19, 2004
Ling was able to escape death once, but not twice. Only weeks before an insurgent attack took his life, along with another soldier, he managed to survive a roadside bomb that tore his Humvee to bits, according to the Department of Defense.

After the explosion, Ling stayed with his wounded Lieutenant and helped save his life. “Ling was a good kid,” said the officer, Lt. Matt Homa. “You could count on him to do anything.”

Unlike many soldiers who are buried near their home, Ling was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, the fifth soldier in the Iraq war to receive the honor.

James Prevete, 22, Whitestone, U.S. Army, killed Oct. 10, 2004

Prevete loved two things: the Army and his neighborhood in Whitestone. His mother, Jean Prevete, said his ultimate goal in life was to live on Fifth Avenue in College Point and raise a family.

Although a vehicle accident in Iraq took away that possibility, a piece of him will always remain on that street after Community Board 7 named the section between 147th and 149th streets after him.

“I believe renaming Fifth Avenue will truly keep the memories of Jim alive,” said Joanna Massaro, a lifelong friend.

Jeffrey Lam, 22, Bayside, US. Marine Corp. Reserve, killed Nov. 8, 2004

A son of Chinese immigrants who barely spoke English, Lam was pursuing the American Dream, graduating from the prestigious Bronx Science High School and attending classes at Pace University to start a career in information technology.

He died when a bulldozer he was using to dig a trench fell into a river. Fellow Marines said he died trying to save another man’s life.

His funeral, held in Flushing, was a reminder of Queens’ diversity—Buddhist priests chanted prayers while fellow Marines stood at attention, saluting.

Francis Obaji, 21, Queens Village, U.S. Army National Guard, killed Jan. 16, 2005

Obaji was walking to his college in Staten Island on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Centers collapsed around him, sending him fleeing from a cloud of noxious dust. The Nigerian-born man lived through that experience and several attacks in Baghdad, but he couldn’t escape a rocket missile that claimed his life in January.

On hearing the news, Obaji’s father, Cyril, had to be taken to the emergency room. He had just spoken to his son over the phone the previous day.

“If you ask me,” said Stanley Obaji, his brother, who had also talked to the soldier, “it was like he knew he was going to die.”

Wai Lwin, 27, Douglaston, and Azhar Ali, 27, Flushing, U.S. Army National Guard, killed March 2, 2005
Lwin and Ali became fast friends during boot camp and later ended up in the same unit, the National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, based in Manhattan. The two were killed in the same attack, a roadside bombing that exploded underneath their Humvee.

Although from different backgrounds, both were recent immigrants—Lwin from Burma and Ali from Pakistan. While the two families grieved according to their own traditions, their grief was laced with a uniting sense of patriotism.

“I can understand. He loved his job,” said Thein Zaw, Lwin’s mother. “My son always wanted to be a soldier.”

Michael Postal, 21, Glen Oaks, U.S. Marine Corp. killed May 7, 2005

Since he was 12 years old, Postal always wanted to be a Marine. He participated in NYPD and Marine training programs while at Martin Van Buren High School. He even dropped a significant amount of weight to be eligible for the Corps.

During his second tour of duty, Postal was killed while conducting combat operations near the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah helping to train Iraqi security forces. After coming back from his first tour in Iraq and Haiti, his grandmother, Sandi Postal, urged him to be careful and reconsider his career choice.

“Nana, I’m a Marine,” he told her.

James McNaughton, 27, Middle Village, U.S. Army Reserves, killed Aug. 3, 2005

McNaughton was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the war in Iraq. As a member of the transit bureau, he patrolled the former site of the World Trade Center looking for terrorists at home before searching them out abroad.

“He was a normal, good kid,” said Sgt. Shawn Murphy, who worked with McNaughton. “He was the kid who would always catch the guy who was trying to mug somebody who was sleeping on the train.”

A sniper gunned down McNaughton while he guarded a military encampment outside Baghdad. He was given both military and NYPD funerals.

Hernando Rios, 29, Woodside, Army National Guard, killed Aug. 7, 2005

Rios lived with his mother, wife and two daughters in an apartment in Woodside. After his death was announced, a purple ribbon adorned the entrance to the apartment building and makeshift memorials were placed in front of his door.

An explosive device and small arms fired directed at his Humvee fatally injured Rios and another soldier, who both succumbed the following day. His brothers in arms honored him with a memorial in Iraq shortly after his death.
“These are not average soldier by any means,” said friend Sgt. Jose Colon. “They were among the best.”