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We Honor and Remember:
SPC Jonathan Batista
Hometown: Kinnelon, NJ Age: 22 years old. Died: July 8, 2012 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Unit: 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC Birth: Aug. 19, 1989, New York, New York County, New York, USA. Spc. Jonathan Batista, 22, of Kinnelon, N.J., died July 8, in Zharay, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. "Jon was a devoted son, a caring brother, a Paratooper dedicated to the safety and security of his Infantry team and a newlywed," Lt. Col. Philip Raymond, Batista's battalion commander, said in a press release. "As a soldier, he represented the qualities and values that make our nation great." Born in New York City, Jonathan grew up in Rutherford before moving to Kinnelon 3 years ago. He was proudly serving his country as a paratrooper in the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division in the Zharay province of Afghanistan. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan. Jonathan has been awarded several medals, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal. Jonathan is survived by his parents, Jeannette and Erik Gaston; his brother, Andrew Gaston; his sister, Gabriella Gaston; his grandparents, Mercedes Castillo, Sonia and Pedro Batista, and David and Beverly Gaston; and many close relatives and friends. Jonathan loved spending time with his many friends, who easily took to him and his charismatic personality. Burial: Our Lady of the Magnificat Church Chapel Kinnelon Morris County New Jersey, USA |
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 99
WHEREAS, United States Army Specialist Jonathan Batista graduated from Rutherford High School in 2007, before moving to Kinnelon, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista entered the United States Army in 2010 and was assigned to Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista was an honorable and courageous young man who loved his country and the military; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista tragically lost his life while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista was a dedicated soldier as well as a loving husband and son, whose memory lives in the hearts of his family, friends, and fellow soldiers; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista’s heroism, patriotism, and service to his country and his fellow soldiers make it appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember him and his family, to mark his passing, and to honor his memory;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Specialist Jonathan Batista.
2. This Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 16th day of July, Two Thousand and Twelve, and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred and Thirty-Seventh.
[seal]
/s/ Chris Christie
Governor
WHEREAS, United States Army Specialist Jonathan Batista graduated from Rutherford High School in 2007, before moving to Kinnelon, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista entered the United States Army in 2010 and was assigned to Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista was an honorable and courageous young man who loved his country and the military; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista tragically lost his life while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista was a dedicated soldier as well as a loving husband and son, whose memory lives in the hearts of his family, friends, and fellow soldiers; and
WHEREAS, Specialist Batista’s heroism, patriotism, and service to his country and his fellow soldiers make it appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember him and his family, to mark his passing, and to honor his memory;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Specialist Jonathan Batista.
2. This Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 16th day of July, Two Thousand and Twelve, and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred and Thirty-Seventh.
[seal]
/s/ Chris Christie
Governor
New Jersey Run for the Fallen ~ 2023
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New Jersey Run for the Fallen ~ 2022
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KINNELON — Army Spc. Jonathan Batista was a proud soldier. He was a giving friend. And, according to his stepfather, he was kind of a frightening driver.
"He as a very distinguished service record. He also has a very distinguished driving record," Erik Gaston said Monday morning, recalling how his son got his first speeding ticket three hours after getting a driver's license.
Gaston's comment brought smiles to a solemn moment, as hundreds of friends, family members, servicemen and servicewomen, local emergency officials and dignitaries gathered to remember Batista at Our Lady of the Magnificat Roman Catholic Church in Roman.
Batista, who moved to Kinnelon three years ago, was killed July 8 in Zharay, a part of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. He was on his first tour, working as a mine detector.
The day before the funeral Mass, hundreds of people lined Kinnelon Road to pay their respects to Batista's family. Gaston said it's a sign of how "community comes together, how people come together, how strangers come together."
He told the congregation he came into Batista's life at something of a late stage — Batista was 9 years old, and until then, had been raised only by his mother, Jeannette Gaston, and her family.
Erik Gaston said he vowed to do all he could for his new son. He taught him to play baseball. He taught him to ski. He taught him to stand up for what's right, and to face adversity.
And when Erik Gaston married Batista's mother, he said, he asked Batista what he wanted. The answer: "I want a younger brother and a dog."
"Those were big requests. Thank God we were able to fulfill them," Erik Gaston said.
Jonathan Batista, 22, shown in his Facebook photo.But since Batista wasn't Erik's biological son, he said, he always doubted he'd be able to do the one thing a father should — love his son unconditionally.
Yet when Gaston learned of Batista's sacrifice, he said, and the initial crush of the loss passed, he was filled with a sense of peace. It's because, he said, he'd found that unconditional love.
"We love you," Erik Gaston said. "We love you for who you are."
While many of those in attendance were there to honor Jonathan Batista, the soldier, some were there for Jonathan Batista, the longtime friend.
"Jonathan was one of the most generous people I knew," Laura Pellegrino, who grew up with Batista in Rutherford, said after Batista's body was laid to rest in the church's cemetery. "He did everything with a full heart."
During the service, another friend, James Parnofiello, told the congregation he would always remember Batista's honesty, free spirit and infectious smile.
He said joining the Army gave Batista purpose, and Basista's commitment filled his loved ones with pride.
"I hope I am everything to you you are to me," he said to his fallen friend.
John Pierce, a priest who took part in the ceremony, had served in Vietnam. He said after the burial that he's proud to see communities honor their soldiers, noting they didn't always show the same respect during his time of service.
"These guys really stepped up for to fight global terrorism," he said.
That's the spirit that brought Louise Giacoio to the service. Giacoio said her daughter knows Batista's mother, but she had never met Batista personally.
"I just felt I had to be here," she said. "I felt it would be my honor."
Batista is survived by his parents, Jeannette and Erik Gaston; his brother, Andrew Gaston; his sister, Gabriella Gaston; and his grandparents, Mercedes Castillo, Sonia and Pedro Batista, and David and Beverly Gaston.
KINNELON — A young Army paratrooper from the borough has been killed in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Jonathan Batista, 22, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C., was on his first deployment in Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire on Sunday, the Pentagon said.
Batista, who recently married, is a 2007 graduate of Rutherford High School.
The “Rutherfordian” yearbook shows a young Batista in formal attire with a bow-tie, as all his male classmates dressed for their pictures that year. An anonymous blurb written in the yearbook describes Batista as a “man with a thousand names.”
He joined the Army in March 2010 and attended airborne school at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining his unit, A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne, according to a statement from the 82nd Airborne Division
“Jon was a devoted son, a caring brother, a paratrooper dedicated to the safety and security of his infantry team, and a newlywed,” said Lt. Col. Philip Raymond, Batista’s battalion commander.
As a soldier, Batista represented the best qualities and values “that make our nation great,” Raymond said.
Batista served his platoon as a mine detector operator, clearing paths for his unit as they patrolled throughout the farmland of Zharay, Kandahar Province.
“Their safety was his priority,” Raymond said. “His courage bolstered theirs and endeared him to his platoon.”
Nick Jameson, who attended Rutherford High School with Batista, said his friend enjoyed baseball, was a Red Sox fan and joined the Army because “he wanted to better himself.” Jameson appeared distraught and said he couldn’t say much more.
“He was a really good guy; he was nice to everybody,” Jameson said.
Governor Christie issued a statement calling the young soldier’s death a heartbreaking tragedy for his loved ones, the community and “our entire state.”
“As a parent, it is unthinkable to lose such a young man in the service of our nation,” Christie said. “On behalf of the people and state of New Jersey, the thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies of Mary Pat and I are with Specialist Batista’s family through this difficult time.”
Batista’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO medal, Combat Infantry Badge and Parachutist Badge.
"He as a very distinguished service record. He also has a very distinguished driving record," Erik Gaston said Monday morning, recalling how his son got his first speeding ticket three hours after getting a driver's license.
Gaston's comment brought smiles to a solemn moment, as hundreds of friends, family members, servicemen and servicewomen, local emergency officials and dignitaries gathered to remember Batista at Our Lady of the Magnificat Roman Catholic Church in Roman.
Batista, who moved to Kinnelon three years ago, was killed July 8 in Zharay, a part of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. He was on his first tour, working as a mine detector.
The day before the funeral Mass, hundreds of people lined Kinnelon Road to pay their respects to Batista's family. Gaston said it's a sign of how "community comes together, how people come together, how strangers come together."
He told the congregation he came into Batista's life at something of a late stage — Batista was 9 years old, and until then, had been raised only by his mother, Jeannette Gaston, and her family.
Erik Gaston said he vowed to do all he could for his new son. He taught him to play baseball. He taught him to ski. He taught him to stand up for what's right, and to face adversity.
And when Erik Gaston married Batista's mother, he said, he asked Batista what he wanted. The answer: "I want a younger brother and a dog."
"Those were big requests. Thank God we were able to fulfill them," Erik Gaston said.
Jonathan Batista, 22, shown in his Facebook photo.But since Batista wasn't Erik's biological son, he said, he always doubted he'd be able to do the one thing a father should — love his son unconditionally.
Yet when Gaston learned of Batista's sacrifice, he said, and the initial crush of the loss passed, he was filled with a sense of peace. It's because, he said, he'd found that unconditional love.
"We love you," Erik Gaston said. "We love you for who you are."
While many of those in attendance were there to honor Jonathan Batista, the soldier, some were there for Jonathan Batista, the longtime friend.
"Jonathan was one of the most generous people I knew," Laura Pellegrino, who grew up with Batista in Rutherford, said after Batista's body was laid to rest in the church's cemetery. "He did everything with a full heart."
During the service, another friend, James Parnofiello, told the congregation he would always remember Batista's honesty, free spirit and infectious smile.
He said joining the Army gave Batista purpose, and Basista's commitment filled his loved ones with pride.
"I hope I am everything to you you are to me," he said to his fallen friend.
John Pierce, a priest who took part in the ceremony, had served in Vietnam. He said after the burial that he's proud to see communities honor their soldiers, noting they didn't always show the same respect during his time of service.
"These guys really stepped up for to fight global terrorism," he said.
That's the spirit that brought Louise Giacoio to the service. Giacoio said her daughter knows Batista's mother, but she had never met Batista personally.
"I just felt I had to be here," she said. "I felt it would be my honor."
Batista is survived by his parents, Jeannette and Erik Gaston; his brother, Andrew Gaston; his sister, Gabriella Gaston; and his grandparents, Mercedes Castillo, Sonia and Pedro Batista, and David and Beverly Gaston.
KINNELON — A young Army paratrooper from the borough has been killed in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Jonathan Batista, 22, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C., was on his first deployment in Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire on Sunday, the Pentagon said.
Batista, who recently married, is a 2007 graduate of Rutherford High School.
The “Rutherfordian” yearbook shows a young Batista in formal attire with a bow-tie, as all his male classmates dressed for their pictures that year. An anonymous blurb written in the yearbook describes Batista as a “man with a thousand names.”
He joined the Army in March 2010 and attended airborne school at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining his unit, A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne, according to a statement from the 82nd Airborne Division
“Jon was a devoted son, a caring brother, a paratrooper dedicated to the safety and security of his infantry team, and a newlywed,” said Lt. Col. Philip Raymond, Batista’s battalion commander.
As a soldier, Batista represented the best qualities and values “that make our nation great,” Raymond said.
Batista served his platoon as a mine detector operator, clearing paths for his unit as they patrolled throughout the farmland of Zharay, Kandahar Province.
“Their safety was his priority,” Raymond said. “His courage bolstered theirs and endeared him to his platoon.”
Nick Jameson, who attended Rutherford High School with Batista, said his friend enjoyed baseball, was a Red Sox fan and joined the Army because “he wanted to better himself.” Jameson appeared distraught and said he couldn’t say much more.
“He was a really good guy; he was nice to everybody,” Jameson said.
Governor Christie issued a statement calling the young soldier’s death a heartbreaking tragedy for his loved ones, the community and “our entire state.”
“As a parent, it is unthinkable to lose such a young man in the service of our nation,” Christie said. “On behalf of the people and state of New Jersey, the thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies of Mary Pat and I are with Specialist Batista’s family through this difficult time.”
Batista’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO medal, Combat Infantry Badge and Parachutist Badge.
