thedrifter
06-19-06, 05:08 AM
June 18. 2006 11:53AM
LA Marine killed in Iraq tried to keep mom from worrying
Marine Lance Cpl. Salvador Guerrero didn't want his mom to worry, so he told her he was training in Japan - not deployed in Iraq.
Last week, three Marines in uniform arrived on Rosa Guerrero's doorstep in Whittier, telling her that her son had been killed in combat June 9 west of Baghdad. Guerrero had been in Iraq since March.
The 21-year-old was killed in Al Anbar province when the Humvee he was driving was struck in the explosion of a roadside bomb.
That Guerrero had tried to shield his mother from his assignment was no surprise to friends and relatives, who described him as a quiet aspiring artist who loved adventure and was close to his family.
"He knew his mother would worry too much if she knew he was in Iraq," said girlfriend Laura Almanza, who along with Guerrero's other family members knew his true location.
Guerrero's aunt, Maria Vega, described his as "very funny, very likable. He was kind of quiet and very shy, but once he got to know you he was great."
Guerrero was an ammunition specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms.
In his last phone call home, Guerrero told Almanza that his seven-month deployment might be shortened and that she should start making plans for them to attend a Marine Ball in November.
"He was excited that he might come home early," she said.
In addition to his parents, Guerrero was survived by a 16-year-old brother. Funeral arrangements were pending.
Ellie
LA Marine killed in Iraq tried to keep mom from worrying
Marine Lance Cpl. Salvador Guerrero didn't want his mom to worry, so he told her he was training in Japan - not deployed in Iraq.
Last week, three Marines in uniform arrived on Rosa Guerrero's doorstep in Whittier, telling her that her son had been killed in combat June 9 west of Baghdad. Guerrero had been in Iraq since March.
The 21-year-old was killed in Al Anbar province when the Humvee he was driving was struck in the explosion of a roadside bomb.
That Guerrero had tried to shield his mother from his assignment was no surprise to friends and relatives, who described him as a quiet aspiring artist who loved adventure and was close to his family.
"He knew his mother would worry too much if she knew he was in Iraq," said girlfriend Laura Almanza, who along with Guerrero's other family members knew his true location.
Guerrero's aunt, Maria Vega, described his as "very funny, very likable. He was kind of quiet and very shy, but once he got to know you he was great."
Guerrero was an ammunition specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms.
In his last phone call home, Guerrero told Almanza that his seven-month deployment might be shortened and that she should start making plans for them to attend a Marine Ball in November.
"He was excited that he might come home early," she said.
In addition to his parents, Guerrero was survived by a 16-year-old brother. Funeral arrangements were pending.
Ellie