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We Honor and Remember:
Lt. Richard Torres
Hometown: Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. Age: 25 years old. Died: October 6, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Birth: Feb. 7, 1978, Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey. Army 2nd Lt. Torres was assigned to 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. Torres was leading a platoon on combat patrol when an improvised explosive device hit his convoy. Richard grew up in Passaic, the son of Peruvian immigrants. During his childhood he discovered his interest in military service and liked collecting GI Joe figures. He wanted to better himself and didn't want to become a burden to his parents. He attended Passaic High School where he played basketball and graduated in 1996. Richard joined the Army out of high school and was sent to Fort Campbell in North Carolina where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He eventually attended Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, where he held a double major in political science and history and graduated in May 2002 with honors. He joined the ROTC program at Peay, where he won several awards, so the Army would pay for his education. His dream was to retire in the military, get his master’s and teach military science at West Point. He was proud to be the first person in his family to graduate from college. After graduating, Richard went to Fort Benning, Ga., to attend the Infantry Officer Basic Course. He was most recently assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. After a month at Fort Drum, training in urban operations for Afghanistan, his unit deployed to Iraq where he had been for about two months. He was excited about the mission his unit was ordered to do. All he wanted to do was make sure he got all his people home safe and alive. Richard was posthumously honored with a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He is survived by his wife, Linda. Burial: East Ridgelawn Cemetery , Clifton, Passaic County, New Jersey, USA. Plot: Section: 21 Laurel Hill Lot: 160 E Grave: 3 State of New Jersey ~ Executive Order #72 ~ Governor James E. McGreevey
WHEREAS, Second Lieutenant Richard Torres, a lifelong resident of the State of New Jersey, graduated from Passaic High School; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Torres enlisted in the United States Army after high school and subsequently joined the ROTC Program at Austin Peay State University, where he graduated with honors in May 2002; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Torres served proudly as a member of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division and was deployed to Iraq in the service of his country; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Torres was a courageous soldier, a dedicated officer, and a loving husband, son and brother; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Torres has made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life in the line of duty while fighting for our country; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Torres' patriotism and dedicated service to his country make him a hero and a true role model for all Americans and, therefore, it is appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to mark his passing and to honor his memory; NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, 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:
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 14th day of October in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Three, and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred and Twenty-Eighth. |
New Jersey Run for the Fallen 2024 ~ Click on photos below to enlarge...
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New Jersey Run for the Fallen 2023 ~ Click on photos below to enlarge...
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New Jersey Run for the Fallen 2022 ~ Click on photos below to enlarge...
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