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

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New Jersey Run for the Fallen ~ 2023

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New Jersey Run for the Fallen ~ 2022