Joseph Cruz, 22

Army, Private 1st Class

Based: Vicenza, Italy

1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment

Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom

Died: October 15, 2005

Bagram, Afghanistan

Single

Gender: Male

Hometown: Whittier

High School: Sierra Vista High (Alternative) (Whittier)

Burial: Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Fort Bliss, Texas

In the beginning, he liked the Army. This time, he didn't want to go back. He had been to Afghanistan and Iraq already, and he was only 22.

— Ana Cruz, sister, in San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Cruz grew up in Whittier and attended Pioneer High School for one semester before transferring to Sierra Vista High School's independent study program, according to his obituary in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Times obituary

Joseph Cruz's San Gabriel Valley Tribune obituary

« Arthur A. Mora Jr., 10/19/2005

Timothy D. Watkins, 10/15/2005 »

Two memories of Joseph Cruz

sorry he was so young too go down. my heart goes to the family that will never be the same on more there will always be a gap

— yvonne

August 4, 2008 at 10:42 p.m.

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Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.

R.I.P. my friend

— T.A. Lawrence

November 18, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.

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Sources: Times research, Defense Department, iCasualties.org
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California's War Dead is the Los Angeles Times' collection of stories about the 700 California servicemembers and 474 others based in California who died during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.